Brussels Challenges
During the third round of CommuniCity Open Calls, the Municipality of Brussels presents two challenges. Open and Agile Smart Cities & Communities (OASC) will award grants of up to 12,500 Euros to a maximum of three applicants. You can find the challenges below, along with evaluation criteria and details about the pilot host and target groups. If you have any questions, please join the Info Events or check the Q&A section. Furthermore, before submitting your application, review the tips for a successful application on the “Read this first” page.
Brussels Challenge 1: How to communicate in a more accessible way ?
The City of Brussels is committed to adopt an inclusive communication with the citizens, starting with their reception at its service counters. Currently, residents with communication, speech, language, or hearing impairments, intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, or those who primarily communicate in non-official languages, such as sign language, rely on the staff members to interpret gestures, mime, or other non-verbal cues. This approach may not always be effective or discreet, potentially leading to feelings of discomfort or stress for the individual. Conversely, civil servants may experience increased workload, struggle to provide accurate responses, or feel uncertain about fully comprehending the request.
Thus, the City of Brussels is seeking a solution that enables residents to express themselves in the way they know or can, and for the City to respond precisely, clearly, and effectively in a manner that is understandable to everyone. Digital technologies that are user-friendly, accessible to all types of disabilities, ergonomic and specifically adapted to the vocabulary of the administration will be prioritized. Potential technologies include face and gestures recognition, auto transcript/translating from sign language to vocal language (in two ways) in plain text, pictures and/or text to voice.
The City of Brussels will host up to two pilots together with the target group members.
Minimum scores and weightings:
1. Impact
Minimum score: 2,5 | Weighting: 30%
2. Implementation quality and efficiency
Minimum score: 2,5 | Weighting: 20%
3. Excellence
Minimum score: 1 | Weighting: 10%
4. Co-creation
Minimum score: 3 | Weighting: 30%
5. Technology
Minimum score: 1 | Weighting: 10%
Brussels Challenge 2: How to simplify the parking procedures for residents with reduced mobility?
Before scan cars were used for parking enforcement in the Brussels Capital Region, residents with reduced mobility could display their European Parking Card for People with Disabilities (EPCPD) under the windshield for free parking. Unfortunately, scan cars cannot detect cards placed in this way, leading to frequent and unfair fines for cardholders, who must then constantly contest them.
To prevent individuals with reduced mobility from receiving fines, a regional ordinance was implemented requiring them to register the license plate of any vehicle they use. However, many residents with reduced mobility face challenges in complying with this ordinance due to factors such as using multiple vehicles (of family members or friends), digital exclusion (older individuals), or lack of awareness about the new regulation (especially for non-Brussels or non-Belgian citizens).
The City of Brussels is searching for a solution that allows holders of the EPCPD to park for free and thereby exercise their right to do so, without additional administrative, time-consuming, technical, digital, or financial burdens. Ideally, holders of EPCPD should only need to place their card in the vehicle they are using. From the City’s perspective, the ideal solution would allow access to the necessary information from these EPCPDs as soon as the first street check is conducted. Regarding technology, IoT sensors that will be added in the EPCPD to send holder information to Sigmax systems (Law enforcement), are required.
The City of Brussels will host one pilot in collaboration with the holders of EPCPD.
Minimum scores and weightings:
1. Impact
Minimum score: 2,5 | Weighting: 30%
2. Implementation quality and efficiency
Minimum score: 2,5 | Weighting: 20%
3. Excellence
Minimum score: 1 | Weighting: 10%
4. Co-creation
Minimum score: 3 | Weighting: 30%
5. Technology
Minimum score: 1 | Weighting: 10%