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Almost 140 000 people have cast their vote in the national contest for Mayor of the Year
The planned public transit service will be completed somewhere in 2035
It was meant to bring attention to the need to save precious water resources
Unlike ChatGPT, this tool can visualize the data with helpful graphics that show the way to develop education and employment opportunities
It was also the first one to be bombed by the Luftwaffe
Left-wing MEPs aren’t impressed with Mr Hoekstra’s conservative credentials though
The technology differs from maglev in that it allows the usage of already existing infrastructure, with only slight modifications
The one-hour event turned into a platform for ideas on the future of waste management
Floya will be one hell of a helpful tool next time you’re in the Belgian capital
For now, the service is only available for flights to the United Kingdom
The Austrian capital sets a shining example without compromising historical integrity
Given climatic trends, we’ll be hearing more and more about district cooling systems, in line with heating ones
Will the Czech capital follow Paris in the anti-two-wheeler crusade?
City officials invite residents to meet in person for valuable consultations on greening transformations of their living environment
Will the Czech capital follow Paris in the anti-two-wheeler crusade?
The holiday honours an event when communities from both lands united against the Livonian Crusaders in the 13th century
The main focus of the festivities is a ‘miracle’, which involves the liquefaction of the saint’s blood
Se Poate Association led the training sessions in several cities and engaged over 150 young people
Can any of this fix the country’s education system?
And the city is pleading with residents to adopt rather than shop
The Italian government has cancelled the subsidy for able-bodied people of working age
The ear faces the door of the Ombudsman’s office at city hall
Today, authorities in Ghent, Belgium, put a monument in front of city hall, commemorating 25 years since the Ombudsman service was introduced. The ear is 2.5 metres tall and it faces the green door of the Belfry building, where the ombudsman office is located. It represents a cheeky comment on the nature of the office – always eager to hear citizens’ woes.
The move aims to put the service in the spotlight, as well as its achievements. Since its creation in 1996, the Ombudsman’s office has dealt with 15,000 complaints from citizens.
The first Ombudsman was Rita Passemiers, who occupied the position from 1996 to 2017. Currently, Helena Nachtergaele is filling the role and a focus of her office has been the digitalisation and de-bureaucratisation of the service.
The Ombudsman in Ghent handles complaints about the various city services and the police. Citizen complaints must first be raised with the relevant service and if both sides cannot reach an agreement, the Ombudsman steps in and tries to reach a settlement.
Furthermore, the office in Ghent publishes an annual report, tracking the major trends in public complaints, as well as recommendations for both the city and citizens. The latest report was published at the end of February and the most common reasons for complaints were related to parking, access to car-free areas, waste collection and low-emissions zones.
The ear faces the Belfry building where the Ombudsman is located at city hall,
Source: City of Ghent
Many of the complaints were related to what the Ombudsman’s office calls ‘the battle for public space’. This includes parking spaces being taken over by bike racks or greenery and people being refused parking rights in car-free areas.
At the same time, a number of complaints have started to appear due to the fact that more and more of the city’s services are starting to digitalise. The last point has actually prompted local authorities to start a project to help educate people on how to use the digital administration.
For the Ombudsman, though, that would not be enough, as she has recommended city services to always keep a non-digital alternative. At the same time, in the recommendations section of the report, the office has also suggested implementing a walk-in system without appointments, as a good way to remove barriers between citizens and the city’s administration.
Almost 140 000 people have cast their vote in the national contest for Mayor of the Year
The planned public transit service will be completed somewhere in 2035
Almost 140 000 people have cast their vote in the national contest for Mayor of the Year
The technology differs from maglev in that it allows the usage of already existing infrastructure, with only slight modifications
Floya will be one hell of a helpful tool next time you’re in the Belgian capital
A monument to the destructive power of nature and our need to live in harmony with it
France will finally acknowledge parts of its unsavoury historical legacy
The Austrian capital is the only major city to farm its own organic products
A monument to the destructive power of nature and our need to live in harmony with it
France will finally acknowledge parts of its unsavoury historical legacy
The Austrian capital is the only major city to farm its own organic products
This one could be a real game-changer for our built environments and the way they look
The practical art objects are competing for one of the 2023 New European Bauhaus Prizes
Cast your vote before 24 May and do your part in promoting the NEB values
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