Regarding the percentage of public employees using computers and connected to the Internet, the data are conflicting as there are many cities where the percentage of employees connected to the Internet is high (32%), while there is a similar percentage (36%) where the said percentage is very low. Transparent governance New technologies can be used to enhance democratic processes and increase opportunities for individuals and communities to interact with the government. The characteristics of Internet mean that participation is broader, overcoming the limitations imposed by geography, physical disabilities or other factors. It also provides access to information by individuals and groups that had not previously been included. Fully aware of the importance of promoting more transparent governments, cities provide the public access to municipal information through their websites. The institutional information that is most frequently posted by cities refers to municipal plans, regulations and budgets. e‐Democracy The so‐called electronic democracy involves the use of ICT to improve politics and citizen participation in democratic communication and decision‐making processes. More and more cities have some type of on‐line platform for citizen participation (62%); this trend can mostly be seen European and Asian cities. Among major the major on‐line participation platforms used by cities we can mention email and the use of chats and forums. Other platforms are also widely used; such as on‐line surveys and social networks, the latter being used mainly by young people. In addition to promoting citizen participation as a means of promoting e‐ Democracy, another tool used to promote and facilitate the involvement of all citizens in political issues is the possibility of electronic voting. Although great technological advances have been made in this field to ensure the legitimacy of these electronic processes, the percentage of cities that use this possibility is still very low (15%).
Promoting ICT and Innovation It is important that in addition to developing on‐line services and promoting e‐ Government, cities seek to raise awareness and promote the importance of ICT and Innovation among the public and businesses. Despite this need, the percentage of cities that organise events related to ICT and innovation is small (46%). Most of the events organised by cities are aimed at bringing together trend leaders, experts, entrepreneurs, academics, institutions, the media and investors from the fields of innovation, technology and Internet to discuss the challenges and technological developments and how they affect cities.
4. Smart mobility Smart Mobility has to do with providing the public with access to new technologies, and the use of these in everyday urban life. Connectivity and ICT infrastructure Internet has revolutionised the way we interact, learn, entertain and work. Today it is hard to imagine our life without Internet. Proof of this is the fact that the percentage of Internet users in most cities (41%) is very high, ranging between 76% and 100%. In response to the needs of users and to the ever increasing demand for Internet, cities have worked to increase the percentage of broadband or high‐ speed Internet coverage in their territories. In most cities (70 %), between 76% and 100% of the municipal territory is covered by broadband services. Given this trend, the percentage of people subscribed to broadband services has also increased in most cities; in 40% of them, the percentage of the population subscribed to broadband services stands between 76% and 100% . This trend can be seen especially in Europe and Asia.
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