Abstract
The authors have developed a framework for systemic analysis and multi-disciplinary methodology that has made it possible to understand the outcomes of the implementation process for the urban centers included in the Spanish Network of Smart Cities (RECI). Starting with the research question, “Do Smart Cities really provide opportunities for citizen participation?”, we sought to discover how participation mechanisms on the Madrid and Barcelona city government web portals have evolved and how their development has been affected by changes in political leadership. We also compared participation mechanisms in the two smaller cities of Guadalajara and Huesca in relation to the political parties that are currently governing them. The main hypothesis is that Smart Cities should include various mechanisms for e-participation on their websites that make it possible to know how citizens want to personalize services (citizen centricity) and how to improve empowerment through citizen-administration dialogue processes (citizen engagement). Using these methods of analysis, we confirmed that the Smart Cities model had been consolidated on the web portals of the large cities and their participation mechanisms had increased. Meanwhile, in the two smaller cities, the Smart Cities model was being implemented at different “speeds”, depending on the territorial and political context.
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Notes
- 1.
The definition that appears on the OECD website is clear: “Digital government explores how governments can best use information and communication technologies (ICTs) to embrace good government principles and achieve policy goals.” (Accessed: 30 June 2017; http://www.oecd.org/gov/digital-government/).
- 2.
On this site we see that the elements of participation are not included in the strategic design lines of urban agendas in European cities (Accessed: 30 June 2017; https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/en/node/1829#Objectives).
- 3.
Bent Flyvbjerg (2006, p. 223), insists that “Social science has not succeeded in producing general, context-independent theory and, thus, has in the final instance nothing else to offer than concrete, context-dependent knowledge.”
- 4.
Also, the context can be recovered by studying what Christopher Pollitt defines as the “missed link”, (2013), in order to better understand the cases and their possible comparisons.
- 5.
In both articles, the state law, applicable in all the Autonomous communities includes the competences and basic services that Spanish local governments must provide. Among other competences are the following: urban development, urban environment, drinkable water supply, road infrastructure, local police and firefighting, traffic management and local collective transport, tourism, markets, cemeteries, culture, cooperation with the autonomous government and what interests us the most for the study, “Promote the participation of citizens in the efficient and sustainable use of information technologies and communications within the municipality” (art. 25 “ñ”). In relation to public services, there are competences that depend on the number of inhabitants. For example, local governments with more than 50,000 inhabitants must provide the following services: public street lightning, cemetery, waste collection, road cleaning, household drinkable water supply, sewer system, access to population centers, paving of public roads, urban public collective transport and urban environment.”
- 6.
Flyvbjerg’s definition (2006, p. 230) gives clarity in this regard: “To obtain information about the significance of various circumstances for case process and outcome (e.g., three to four cases that are very different in one dimension: size, form of organization, location, budget).”
- 7.
The city governments of Lugo and Cáceres were also marked by continuity, but were not chosen because the PP has been in government less time in Cáceres than in Guadalajara. In Lugo, as in Huesca, the PSOE is currently in government, but in Huesca it governs in coalition with other parties. Priority was given to the possibility of contrasting differing political profiles.
- 8.
According to Netmarketshare, Google is the most used search engine on desktop computers (79.79%) mobile phones and tablets (95.94%). For more information, see https://www.netmarketshare.com/search-engine-market-share.aspx?qprid=4&qpsp=2017&qpnp=1&qptimeframe=Y&qpcustomd=2 (Accessed: 28 September 2017).
- 9.
If it was not possible to locate a resource by navigating the website, an attempt was made to access it directly from Google.
- 10.
GDP and per capita income according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, are: Spain 3.2%, Castile-La Mancha 3.1%, Aragon 2.7%. Spain 23,970, Castile-La Mancha 18,591, Aragon 26,328; Source: INE (2017).
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Varela-Álvares, E.J., Mahou-Lago, X.M., López Viso, M. (2019). Do Smart Cities Really Provide Opportunities for Citizen Participation? A Case Study of the RECI Cities in Spain (2017). In: E-Participation in Smart Cities: Technologies and Models of Governance for Citizen Engagement. Public Administration and Information Technology, vol 34. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89474-4_3
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