The Perception of the Urban Quality of Life Index in the Context of Smart Cities

Mariana Lima, Renata Baracho

The implementation of innovations in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in urban areas provides more interconnected and harmonized cities, favoring the development of a new citizen experience with respect to the access and use of public services. The Urban Quality of Life Index (IQVU) of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, is responsible for quantifying the availability of services from the analysis of different variables that identify the spatial distribution of infrastructures. However, even though the index offers greater insight for city management, IQVU does not consider user perception in its measurement. Collaborative mapping initiatives and crowd mapping, are digital cartographic methods capable of collecting and transmitting information about urban behavior, using citizens itself as the observer and regulator of events. This paper aims to validate areas with the highest quality of urban life through the overlap of IQVU information and crowd mapping initiatives in Belo Horizonte. This research focuses on the role of collaborative mapping as a fundamental tool for developing better representations of issues that affect urban planning, as well as for developing solid forms of civic engagement and social innovation.

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