The European Environment Agency published its study in July last year with data showing that cities in northern and western Europe have more green spaces than cities in southern and eastern Europe. The fact is that urban areas need more greenery, and this seems to be the guiding principle for the city of Makarska, which, with the aim of mitigating and adapting to climate change, reducing heat stress, and improving air quality, has adopted an annual greening plan under the slogan ‘100 trees in 365 days‘.
‘Greening’ the city is one of the more important projects within Green Makarska, aimed at increasing the number of green spaces and thus enabling citizens to enjoy a more pleasant stay in public urban areas. In addition to planting trees, the City of Makarska presented SECAP, the Sustainable Energy Development and Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan, as one of three key strategic documents in mid-last year.
‒ The energy and green narrative is a dominant theme in European politics, and we are convinced that in the near future all political options will have similar green agendas because it concerns the sustainability of our planet. What is important is that the energy transition occurs for the benefit of us citizens, not large capital, that this transition is carefully planned and controlled, as this is what forms the foundation of a sustainable society ‒ the mayor’s office stated.
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‘Alongside’ energy development and the green plan goes digitalization, as the city administration has digitized the sessions of the City Council, the work of the municipal traffic inspectors, as well as the archive of construction acts. They also claim to have introduced SOM applications for associations, and by implementing the Open City platform, they have enabled citizens to gain insight into the City’s operations, their financial obligations, and the ability to make payments without going to the city administration.
It is also interesting that citizens can now make payments in cryptocurrencies through the City of Makarska’s website, and they can pay their utility fees, water management fees, and property tax for vacation homes via the KEKS Pay application.
‒ From January 1, 2023, citizens have access to all City payments to legal and physical persons, the status of their obligations through the Open City platform, and we have created the conditions for citizens to submit their requests to the City via digital forms, they announced.
A real estate register, smart video surveillance, cards for retirees, and other projects are also in preparation, which you can hear more about on Tuesday, March 28, at the Zagreb Fair as part of the Lider conference ‘Smart cities‘, where the mayor of Makarska Zoran Paunović, along with leaders from other Croatian cities, will present new smart projects, open tenders, and future plans. Join us at the conference with prior registration.
