October 04, 2022 | Stockholm, Sweden
The members of the Board of Directors of the Modern Information Society and Innovations Public Union, the winner of a special grant competition announced by the State Support Agency for Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan within the framework of the Year of Shusha, are currently visiting the Kingdom of Sweden. In line with the project plan, the visit includes a series of meetings aimed at studying the Scandinavian model of citizen participation in the implementation of the Smart City and Smart Village concepts.
As part of the visit, a meeting was held with Maria Holm, Head of the Internet of Things project for Stockholm, and Claes Johannesson, Head of the Smart Stockholm program. During the meeting, Sweden’s experience—particularly that of Stockholm—in ensuring active citizen participation in Smart City development was discussed in detail.
Special emphasis was placed on the organization of trainings and workshops, as well as the integration of ICT education starting from pre-school levels, as effective tools for developing digital skills among citizens. It was noted that particular attention is paid to user-friendly design to facilitate the use of digital technologies by elderly persons and people with disabilities.
Municipal officials also explained that residents are encouraged to participate in urban design processes and submit proposals related to infrastructure planning through the Stockholm Room and a dedicated website, which serves as a virtual 3D model of the city. In addition, the Citizen Panel, established to assess public opinion, plays an important role in promoting active civic engagement. This mechanism is designed to systematically gather the views and recommendations of residents, who are the city’s key stakeholders.
During the meeting, detailed information was provided on recent developments in the field of Smart City and Smart Village construction in Azerbaijan. Particular attention was given to the successful implementation of the relevant concept in Ağalı village of the Zangilan district, which was presented as an example of best practice. Furthermore, an exchange of views took place on key considerations for the reconstruction of the city of Shusha based on the Smart City concept.
