Smart City Troisdorf: digitalization with vision and citizen participation

Image: City of Troisdorf

Since Alexander Biber became mayor of Troisdorf in North Rhine-Westphalia in 2020, the topic of digitization has been at the top of the agenda. With the establishment of the Digitization Unit under the direction of Fabian Wagner in November 2021, the city has laid the foundation for a comprehensive strategy. In 2022, this strategy was developed with a broad citizen participation process. Almost 30 projects from seven fields of action form the foundation for the digitization of the city.

Smart solutions for everyday life

Troisdorf shows how digital technologies can make everyday life easier. Particularly noteworthy is the smarT:app, a digital companion that supports citizens in administrative and everyday matters. Other projects include smart sports equipment rental boxes, mobility, climate and fill level sensors in public waste containers, and the digitalization of parking spaces. Troisdorf is also taking a comprehensive approach to digitalization. For the city, digital transformation doesn't end at the digital city, but also explicitly includes the digitalization of public administration, application processes, virtual advice offices and an AI chatbot. Other projects, such as the development of an urban data platform and dashboards, complete the overall picture of the smart city.

The city is also planning a digital scavenger hunt in the spring, which will be implemented using the Actionbound platform. “There are no limits to the fields of application,” emphasizes Max Schwerhoff, Smart City project coordinator.

Learning from Troisdorf: Openness and citizen participation

Other cities can learn a thing or two from Troisdorf: “Just do it and experiment” is the motto of Fabian Wagner and his five-person team. Involving the population is particularly important. More than 350 project ideas were generated by citizen participation alone, which were then reviewed and included in the implementation plan. Wagner and Schwerhoff believe that this networked thinking and openness to new ideas are crucial to success.

When will Troisdorf become a “Smart City”? The Digitization Unit views digitization as an ongoing process: “In the last two years alone, we have implemented more than half of the projects in our Smart City strategy – the city is becoming more and more connected – both technologically and in terms of people.”

Smart Country Convention: networking and inspiration

Wagner and Schwerhoff visited the Smart Country Convention (SCCON) in 2023 and 2024 and are enthusiastic: SCCON offers an ideal platform for learning about new trends, technologies and providers. “SCCON is the leading German trade fair for digitalization in the public sector and is indispensable for us to pick up on innovative approaches,” says Schwerhoff.