Democratic governance and digital governance of cities

Social and political life is increasingly intertwined with the pace of digital transition. ICT is becoming a culture that determines new forms of communication and living together. In this sense, they challenge the democratic exercise. The latter, prey to crises of legitimacy and governance, is looking for a reconfiguration to reconcile citizens and public affairs.

This rapprochement of digital technology and democracy is found at all levels of exercise of power. But it would impose itself more acutely at the local level. Since the 1990s, digital and internet experiments have been developed with the aim of strengthening local democratic exercise. European cities have thus distinguished themselves by their innovative use of technologies in this direction.

ICTs bring changes to the public space. But their direct and indirect effects on power relations, on inclusion, on transparency and on the decision-making process are not yet clear.

The proposed doctoral research is therefore much more an exploration of the possible effects of inevitable digitalization on the democratic governance of cities and on the management of local public services. It will focus on pilot Moroccan cities.

Research questions:

• What possible impact of digital technology on local electoral participation?
• What impact on participatory democracy formulas?
• What impacts on taking into account the gender approach, on equality and on inclusion?
• What impact also on access to local public services?
• How could digital become (or not) a vector for re-politicization of local territorial space and democratization of access to public services?
• What are the necessary prerequisites in terms of logistics, human resources and skills?
• What are the possibilities and conditions for implementing a territorial digital governance strategy?

City, territorial governance, ICT, public services, SDGs

Political sciences, social sciences, public law

November 11, 2024

Please send your application to: Cedoc.admission@ueuromed.org & a.haddad@ueuromed.org

Professor: Abderrahmane HADDAD