K
KEY WORDS:
ABSTRACT:
This paper descr sion-support pro years, reducing focus of public c tified in urban a ties, environmen databases found idents and muni are related to wa
1.1 General co
One of the main companies is th relation departm problems arise, development and to solve proble adapt and impr citizens identifie public participa concept for rep network, with t utilities infras characteristics i government str communication decision-making Some institution implementation such as: public procedures rela willingness to solutions (both s nature of their visibility. In terms of impl can identify s indifference in implementation; disruption in org case of incorrec company image that the main be citizen, who in
Urban Enginee
122
: citizen, municip
ribes the develo ocess of water c material and eco companies in Ro areas, more analy
ntal protection o ded in public com
icipal companies ater distribution
1. INTRO
ontext
n problems, iden he poor informa ments and citize
such as poor d reliable conne ems arising from
rove traditional ed in the public ation will be a porting problem the possibly of structure. Bas identified at the ructure, the pro
with residents, g process. nal aspects and
of web-GIS so c company age ated to their m
acquire new k socially and tech clients, promo
lementing new s some particular
some cases; ; higher or low ganization’s ope ct solution impl e”. In the same eneficiary of wa
addition to reg
ering and Regio
2-124 Lacul Te
pal companies, c
opment of a web ompanies, in ord onomic losses, r omania. Due to p yzes were requir or financial mana mpanies, and con s has required th networks with th
ODUCTION
ntified in the Ro ation exchange ens. From here spatial database ection to web sol
m collecting in l solutions of companies. In archived using ms related to w
extending to th sed on dec e municipal ope oposed solution along with their
components cou lutions within t e, promoted va main beneficiarie knowledge and hnologically), ch oting necessity,
olutions to publ r risks: citize requested time wer implementa eration; organiza lementation in t e time it must b ater supply and gular use of se
M.
onal Developm
ei Ave, 020396
communication,
b-GIS solution in der to reduce wa recorded in the e problems comple red related to we agement. Anothe nnection to web he use of concep
he possibility of
omanian’s public between public another type o es infrastructure lutions. One way nformation is to interaction with n this process
“citizen-sensor” ater distribution he entire public cision makers
erator and loca n will improve r involvement in
uld influence the these institutions alues, operating es (households)
implement new haracteristics and credibility and
ic companies we ns interest, or period for its ation costs; any ation discredit in terms of “public e borne in mind sewerage is the rvices, wants a
Şercăianu
ment, Technical
6, Romania - m
web-GIS
n which urban re ater losses, by c entire municipal exity that arise in eb-GIS solution er important pro platforms. Deve pt “citizen-senso f covering the en
c
different p certain ser
Figure 1.
1.2 Publi
Given the communic sewerage bidirection Buzău – autonomou Energiei T one elec bidirection service, bidirection companies unidirectio communic citizen's a
l University of
mihai.sercaianu@
esidents, from B collecting inform l networks mana n collecting info s used in areas s oblem is the poor eloping the entire or” in the entire ntire public utiliti
period of time rvices to be impr
. Identified direc b
ic companies se
range of servic cation adopted w
companies (S nal communicat
bidirectional co us company ( Termice Bucure trical distribut nal communicat (Regia Autono nal communicat s and citizens onal and bidirec cations, the co attention differe
f Civil Enginee
@utcb.ro
Buzau City, coul mation directly fr agement process ormation from ci such as local gov r infrastructure d e communication reporting proce ies infrastructure
certain problem roved (Figure 1.)
ctions for solving by the citizens
election
ces offered to ci were analyzed in S.C. Apa Nova
ion, and S.C. C ommunication), (Regia Autonom eşti – unidirecti
ion company tion) and one u
omă de Tran
tion). Communi is achieved b ctional (Figure ompany is offe ent information
ering Bucharest
ld be involved in from citizens. In s has become the itizens and issue
vernment, publi development of n process betwe ss. Reported pro e.
ms to be solve ).
g problems requ
itizens and the t n detail: two wat a Bucureşti S Compania de Ap one heat distri ma de Distribu onal communic
(Enel Munten urban public tra
nsport Bucure cation between by two main 2.). In unidirec ering / imposin on service pro
t,
n deci-recent e main s iden-c utili-spatial en res-oblems
ed and
uested
type of ter and S.A. – pa S.A.
ibution uţie a cation),
nia – ansport eşti –
utility ways: ctional ng for
t
tariffs and way accept an agreem to refuse it due t bidirectional co citizens on pay improve the ser web portals by t The challenge involvement in complexity. Loc development tr positioning.
Figure 2. Main
Before designi technology in n the ultimate go logistical implic application that which data sets user. Whether w planning, mana conditions and d followed in real
2. BUZ
2.1 Buzau City
Figure.3. Urban McPherson a
y of payments, ment for provid to commercial m ommunication a yment services, rvice provided, the company thro lies in providin a clear and sig cation request o rend of a city
n ways of commu municipal ing and using necessary to expr oal of the proje cations of custo is compatible. can be interpret we discuss an agement servic development tre
time
ZAU CITY WE
y Characteristic
n water cycle (A and Schneider,19 sensor”
etc. Citizen on ding services by monopole of som allows also a questions and interactivity of ough digital map ng information gnificant way d n a particular se area parallel
unication: betwe companies g an applicati
ress in a more c ect, which is th omers, respectiv Also should be ted, processed or
application des ces or public ends of GIS solu
EB-GIS APLIC
cs
dapted from: Mc 973) and forewor
concept)
nly choice is to the operator, or me companies. A feedback from d suggestions to ffered by certain
ps usage. and community due to problems ervice offers the to the accurate
een citizens and
ion using GIS coherent manner he financial and vely the type o
defined exactly r replaced by the igned for urban awareness the utions should be
ATION
cPherson, 1973; rd to
"citizen-o
During th parameters using diffe Urban ar function, r and a set o urban util services is limited sp satisfactio water dist cases is m sensor" th operator u 2.2 Desig
2.2.1 G Because i sufficient possibility area of 3. database strictly urb The geod informatio necessary study area consists in characteris terms of platform, possible.
No M
he operation of s and equipmen erent sensors or m
eas have as m respectively pop of required urba lity network. A s a high level of pace as shown
n or dissatisfac tribution service missing. This r hat can transm using interactive
gning
"Citizen-Geodatabase Stru it was necessa information off y of performing .4km2 in Buzău contains both ban area, and bu database and ap on management tools in process a. The proposed n seven modules stics (Table 1). future visual id the database wa
Module Urban
omponent
Urban structure haracteristics Water network
Water network haracteristics Citizens
equests Operator
ntervention Documents
able 1. Database
water distribut nt status are mo
measuring devic main characteri pulation density t an services such At the local lev
f interaction bec in figure.3. In ction of the pop e, are collected
requires the use mit in real-time web-GIS platfor Sensor" Buzau
ucture
ary to analyze fered by public various analyz u City. As a ge high-density da uffer information pplication repre that came from ing and visualiz d architecture of s structured acco For the study t dentity made by
as designed with
D Describe the ometry such parcels, buil etc. Contains pun er informatio that are takin Describe geo water netwo manholes, b drants, etc. Contains pun er informati network oper Contains pun information r quests Contains pun information r terventions Contains pub can be offere or free cadast e architecture (M
tion network, p onitored and rec ces located on-si istic density h that reside in tha
as public transp vel among all cause they opera
formation, expr pulation on the in a low and in e of concept "c e the informati rms.
u Application
an urban area institutions, wi zes, we chose a eneral concept, ata located in n of adjacent elem esents the supp m citizens, offeri zations the entire f the support da ording to their de to be as conclus y citizens in th h accuracy as h
Description e urban structur h as street net ldings, green sp nctual, linear, or
on related to e ng place in the ar
ometric element ork pipelines, n branching points nctual, linear, or ion related to ration. nctual and descr
related to citize nctual and descr related to operat blics document ed to users, such
tral plans MCD Modules)
process corded ite.
ousing at area, port or urban ate in a ressing entire n some spatial Buzău ments. port of
ing the e urban atabase efining sive in
events rea riptive ens
L cadastral plans f they did not con The new data s “Rehabilitation, distribution and through ISPA characteristics network length o
Figure 4. Water
This interactive pilot study case at citizen’s hom people can view the urban are representation o used to locate structures in geo 2.2.2 Designi
Figure In the process o citizen-sensor w citizens will not take into consid Storing these ty the proposal of
construction o from the first ph ntain enough inf set was based on
extension, mod d sewerage netw
Program. Thi and properties of 9.7 km.
r distribution net application inc and a reporting me. Along with w previous requ ea. This base of build objects
water mains, ographical coord
ing the web-GIS
e 5. Web applica of designing the was used, becaus
t have a technica deration and ana ypes of informat f new solutions
of water distrib hase could not b formation to be
n project 2002/R dernization of th works” in Buză s data set co in a unitary
twork, pilot area cludes a base m solution from th h reporting iden
ests made by ot map provide and land eleme street network dinates. S Application
ation for the stud web application e some informat al description bu alyzed by the co tion from citizen
directed to citiz
bution network be used, because
interpreted later RO/16/P/PE/021 e drinking water
ău City financed ontains network structure for a
a, Buzău City; map built for the
he field, directly ntified problems
ther residents o es a graphica ents that can be k, parcels, and
dy case n, the concept o
tion provided by ut will need to be mpany operator ns might lead to zen, whether we k,
discuss for urban res application citizen wi could eas report p recommen operation By submit his own ap ter compan
• Assign future solu with other lem);
• Unassig and the us quest is as
• Closed charge.
Figure 6 Based on based on (Newman, field by th included i categories networks involveme private act 2.3 Estim
To identify tion about the water 02.06-09.0 tained in t related to ed, compa ents, bills down (tab to express future dec tional one.
r a public policy idents. For pub n, we used the th Internet acce ily view their problems from ndations/solution
(Figure 5). tting an online r pplication but al ny, classified int ed – the reques ution (further the r comments and gned – the requ ser will not be ab ssigned;
– the request w
6. Citizen request approach classi n citizen invo , G. et al, 2011 hem, the pilot in "collaborative
(long-term visu analysis, real-ti ent), and with th tivities sectors. mation of citizen
fy the type of ben t the possibility o company, we c 06.2012 based o the questionnaire
Water Company any services, co
collection syste ble 2). In additio s the possibility cision process, u
.
y or services imp blishing and vi e ArcGIS Serv ess, who lives in
own neighborh m the field, ns for water distr
request, the citiz lso the past inter to three categori t is assigned at e citizen can com
recommendatio est is unassigne ble to post new c was solved by th
t solution for Bu fication in term lvement in co ), and also rep application from e" "contributory ualization, report ime reports and he possibility of
ns’ perception f
neficiaries and a of implementing conducted a fiel on statistical app e aimed to quant y by categories: ompany commun em and ways to on, a set of ques and ways of inv using online sol
provement provi iewing maps in ver 10 software
n the pilot study ood map in or , or to pr ribution network
zen will be able rventions from th
es (Figure 6) the operator lev mplete his own r ons related to his d at the operato comments until he network oper
uzau web-applica ms of solutions th ollecting inform porting problems
m Buzau City c y" and "co-deve
ting, water distri d feedback, vol extension to pu
from study area
assess people's p g web-GIS platfo
d study during proach. Question tify public perce water quality p nication related solve network stions were intro volving citizens lutions based co
ided to n web e. Any y area, rder to ropose k good
to see he wa-vel for request s prob-mation s from can be eloped"
ibution luntary ublic or
a
percep-form in
period ns con-eptions
provid-to cli- break-oduced
onven-In terms of solution applicability at the institutional level, some issues take into account citizens' perception, for example their motivation to engage in an online environment by generating field requests. A simple presentation of the application will not automatically lead citizens to use it unconditionally. Project results prove valuable for a much wider range of users who use the internet daily, hold a high quantity of local information and are willing to communicate with responsible institution (whether we are talking about a company or public authority). Practical purpose of the application is more than to provide for citizens, located in urban areas, or for the municipal water company the opportunity to interact and to request information in case of field breakdown.
Question: Answers:
... 6. How do you want to get involved in the future decision process?
1. Using classical tools such as phone/fax/printed mail.
yes | no | I can’t decide 2. Directly at the public authority
head-quarter thought a printed form.
yes | no | I can’t decide 3. Using web application with online
forms.
yes | no | I can’t decide 4. Using web application, online maps
and graphical tools that contain street, zip and cadastral number reference.
yes | no | I can’t decide 5. Using web-mobile application. yes | no | I can’t
decide Location
Postal code ... Age category?* ... Table 2. Field questionnaire for Buzau Study Case (selection)
3. CONCLUSIONS
By increasing public participation in reporting problems process identified in the water distribution network, community interest will increase related to work carried out by municipal compa-nies, where requests will be solved in short time and lower costs. If companies or local authorities will not develop solu-tions that improves institutional transparency the amount of in-formation collected will be lower due to lack of public confi-dence. In addition to problems requested by the citizens, the application should contain technical information of general in-terest, for example the possible source of water losses. New applications for citizens, implemented at the water compa-ny level, should have a similar structure and interface to appli-cations already used by people, regardless of their internet con-nection speed
Analyzing municipal companies in Romania at department level can draw some important conclusions. For companies serving small and medium urban areas ITC technologies use is not a priority due to internal financial policy and monopole. For this type of company is more important the field network develop-ment or breakdown limitation. Therefore, dissatisfied citizens are forced to keep their current provider in absence of other
al-ternatives. For companies serving large sized urban areas, where the citizens’ mobility is high and access to ICT technolo-gies is growing, customer relations departments have a higher degree of development. From the perspective of the customer relations department modern technologies are used to a mini-mum and limited to simple complaints. Prolonged or incom-plete response time leads to loss of public confidence in the company. Filling out simple online forms does not automatical-ly lead to department’s development.
Visual image of the water distribution company can be improved by eliminating aspects that characterize them now, namely inefficiency and focus strictly on the financial aspect. Such image is not positive for customer relations and for the citizens generally. Timely solution implementation with lower costs will create a positive and a modern image to the main beneficiary from urban areas: the citizen. In the regionalization or reorganization context the water supply, company that worked so far only locally, must adapt to new customers requirements that include access to information more quickly. The company must be known to customers and to update relations with other urban operators. This requires public relations campaigns and customer information adapted to local aspects. A larger company leads to increased professionalism with better service with the risk of excessive secrecy related to some public information. For a company to attract the interest of the main beneficiaries, in a possible involvement of data collection, must take place prior various information campaigns such as: customer letters, brochures, websites, media advertisements (print, audio or video), posters in public places (front desks or water company headquarters), promotion trough their personnel (own staff need to be well trained before the campaign), active and exposure at public events (fairs or water days), sponsoring local and regional events , water open days, etc.
So that the solution can work, identity of the beneficiary must be unique. Errors that may occur must be avoided due to duplication of postal codes or the use of mistaken contract numbers and names. Customer identification indicates preferably the direct geographical location of the customer, prior to other types of information. Maintaining contact with the public and with commercial beneficiaries of the service is of vital importance for Water Supply Company. This means listening and inviting citizens to make suggestions and requests measured by different indicators.
4. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
Another element that will require attention is represented by the fact that database and all application will be secured against theft of confidential information or overloading the system with false claims. Finally it should be noted that the research is interdisciplinary and complex enabling the development of future studies according to technological developments.
5. REFERENCES
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