Connecting citizens with governments in the Digital Age
The City of Red Deer is among the growing number of municipalities that are leveraging their online platforms to engage more effectively with their residents.
Serving as an all-inclusive online hub, the city's Engage Red Deer platform offers a wide array of engagement opportunities – including surveys, virtual workshops, citizen registries, and interactive tools – aimed at promoting meaningful interactions. It also serves as a two-way communication channel between the municipality and its citizens. Residents can become part of the ‘Engaged Citizens Group’, a community forum that invites residents to participate and have their say in a range of topics spanning urban planning, transit, recreation, and much more.
While Engage Red Deer is an example of a comprehensive digital platform, many communities across Alberta have found various ways to collaborate with their citizens, ranging from community hall sessions to budgeting tools. Other notable efforts include:
- Town of Bentley engages community on the future of a local ski hill
- City of Beaumont launches online tool for residents to balance municipal budget
- Town of Cardston residents vote on future of liquor sales in their community.
Our current ‘Digital Age’ transcends technological advancements; it is reshaping relationships between local governments and the citizens they serve. Through meaningful public participation, municipalities can tap into a rich mosaic of perspectives in their own communities to help shape services, policies, and initiatives that meet the needs of the people they serve.
For the City of Red Deer, this platform is more than just a digital portal – it affirms the municipality’s commitment to engagement, transparency, and inclusivity in municipal decision-making.
For more information, please contact Hylann [at] abmunis.ca (Hylann Ma), Growth and Innovation Manager.
