Online Citizen Reporting on Urban Maintenance: A Collection, Evaluation and Decision Support System

  • Ivan Blečić Dipartimento di Architettura, Design, Urbanistica, Università degli Studi di Sassari
  • Dario Canu Dipartimento di Architettura, Design, Urbanistica, Università degli Studi di Sassari
  • Arnaldo Cecchini Dipartimento di Architettura, Design, Urbanistica, Università degli Studi di Sassari
  • Giuseppe Andrea Trunfio Dipartimento di Architettura, Design, Urbanistica, Università degli Studi di Sassari
Keywords: Online citizens reporting, Evaluation and decision support system, Urban maintenance, Participation, Priority sorting, ELECTRE TRI

Abstract

We present an online support system for urban maintenance which: 1. lets citizens directly report neighbourhood issues which may require attention from the urban maintenance services: 2. evaluates the priority of reported issues; 3. allows the allocation and management of resources and workforce on solving issues and 4. permits public tracking of their status. The web application was entirely developed using low-cost Google cloud services, with the advantage of low deployment and hosting costs and practically no systems administration costs, a highly replicable and transferrable solution, and a rapid development process relying on robust Google services. The model for evaluating priority of reported issues is based on the the ELECTRE TRI rating method. In the paper we present the system's standard workflow, the evaluation model and the implementation details. We also discuss its possible more general implications for fostering and supporting citizens participation. Unlike many existing platforms for citizens reporting of maintenance issues, our system incorporates an explicit and publicly accessible evaluation model to prioritise issues and assign resources for their solution. This, we argue, is a crucial prerequisite for the principles of transparency, publicity, accountability and equity be observed by municipal governments.

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Author Biographies

Ivan Blečić, Dipartimento di Architettura, Design, Urbanistica, Università degli Studi di Sassari

Researcher at the Department of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning of the University of Sassari, Italy. He holds a Ph.D. in Territorial Planning and Public Policy from the IUAV University of Venice. His research interests are planning and territorial analysis, evaluation models, construction of future scenarios and urban simulation. The research activities regard techniques, models and tools for decision support and evaluation of complex projects, plans and territorial policies.

Dario Canu, Dipartimento di Architettura, Design, Urbanistica, Università degli Studi di Sassari

He holds a bachelor's degree in Urban and Environmental Planning from the Faculty or Architecture in Alghero, University of Sassari and a master's degree in Planning & Policies for City, Environment and Landscape from the IUAV University of Venice. He currently is a Ph.D. Student in Architecture and Environment at the Department of Architecture Design and Urban Planning, University of Sassari, working on the developing of urban evaluation models.

Arnaldo Cecchini, Dipartimento di Architettura, Design, Urbanistica, Università degli Studi di Sassari

Full Professor in Urban Planning and the Head of the Department of Architecture Design and Urban Planning of the University of Sassari. He is Director of the Laboratory of Analysis and Models for Planning - LAMP. Expert in techniques of urban analysis and modelling such as catastrophe theory, simulation, gaming simulation, cellular automata, scenario techniques and information systems for public participation.

Giuseppe Andrea Trunfio, Dipartimento di Architettura, Design, Urbanistica, Università degli Studi di Sassari

Researcher in Computer Science at the at the Department of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning ofthe University of Sassari, Italy. His main research interests focus on decision support, modelling and simulation, high performancecomputing and optimization metaheuristics. He is a Member of IEEE Computer Society and a professional member of the ACM.

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Published
2014-05-18
How to Cite
BlečićI., CanuD., CecchiniA., & TrunfioG. (2014). Online Citizen Reporting on Urban Maintenance: A Collection, Evaluation and Decision Support System. TeMA - Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment. https://doi.org/10.6092/1970-9870/2536