City Information Systems as E-Manucipality Application in Local Administrations; An Evaluation Over Konya and Kayseri Big Cities Examples

Abstract

Information has become the most important resource for local administrations. Especially in face of rapid urbanization, cities’ expansion and planning in a more healthy way, optimal usages of existing resources, services’ being carried out in a contemporary perspective are available only by systematic analyze of the information gathered by local institutions. Developments observed in recent years in information and communication fields caused important changes in government structures. That is, refraining from classical, bureaucratic structures, governments proceeded to structures in which processes are done more easily and less costly. Rapid change that was experienced showed the fact that a structural transformation was required in “Public Administration” field. Like all over the world, this transformation has two main trivets in Turkey, as well. These are “e-government” and “mobile government” notions. Reflection of these two notions on local administrations is “e-municipality”. In local administrations, especially municipalities are leading institutions which are extremely involved in data processing and required to share the produced information with public. With their dynamic and sophisticated organizations, municipalities need to create more resources as a result of the increase in their functions in both urban and rural areas. This case increases the needs of politicians to have more information and process them to form up-to-date, easily available, reliable policies. Compared to the total, %77.6 of the population lives in the borders of municipalities. It is an obligation to employ information technologies to govern the cities which have such an important potential. In this study, how local administrations exploit “City Information Systems” as an “e-government” application in detecting, planning and meeting the needs of public, and the legal, social and technologic motives directing municipalities to “City Information Systems” will be examined comprehensively. In addition, current situation in Turkey in view of city information systems will be indicated and Konya-Kayseri Big City Municipalities’ city information systems will be handled to put forward new suggestions.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n11p758