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Citizen Participation via Mobile Applications: A Case Study on Apps in Germany

Citizen Participation via Mobile Applications: A Case Study on Apps in Germany

Lisa Beutelspacher, Agnes Mainka, Tobias Siebenlist
Copyright: © 2018 |Volume: 14 |Issue: 4 |Pages: 9
ISSN: 1548-3886|EISSN: 1548-3894|EISBN13: 9781522542896|DOI: 10.4018/IJEGR.2018100102
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MLA

Beutelspacher, Lisa, et al. "Citizen Participation via Mobile Applications: A Case Study on Apps in Germany." IJEGR vol.14, no.4 2018: pp.18-26. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJEGR.2018100102

APA

Beutelspacher, L., Mainka, A., & Siebenlist, T. (2018). Citizen Participation via Mobile Applications: A Case Study on Apps in Germany. International Journal of Electronic Government Research (IJEGR), 14(4), 18-26. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJEGR.2018100102

Chicago

Beutelspacher, Lisa, Agnes Mainka, and Tobias Siebenlist. "Citizen Participation via Mobile Applications: A Case Study on Apps in Germany," International Journal of Electronic Government Research (IJEGR) 14, no.4: 18-26. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJEGR.2018100102

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Abstract

Participatory smartphone apps empower citizens to interact with the city's administration. The purpose of this case study is to investigate the current state of participatory apps in Germany. Within this study, we examined 248 applications aimed at strengthening citizen participation. These apps were found in Google Playstore and Apple Appstore using search terms extracted from the relevant literature. Many of the apps give users the opportunity to report problems within their cities, such as broken street lamps or potholes. The information created and disseminated by the citizens through the app mainly includes the topics “mobility” and “environment.” Information provided by the city itself is much more diverse. Topics such as “Points of Interest,” “News and Events,” “Government” or “City Services” can be identified here. In the southern part of Germany, there is a significantly larger number of municipalities which have a citizen participation app. None of the apps examined uses gamification, although the use of game elements is very promising to foster the engagement and motivation of citizens.

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