The managing director of the German Association of Cities and Municipalities, André Berghegger, has called on the federal government to improve its communication and willingness to compromise. In a context of growing mistrust, Berghegger points out that the population expects capacity for action and real changes. Only then would they be willing to temporarily accept burdens and restrictions.
Trust as a requirement for technological transition 🤝
In the field of urban development and digitalization, citizen trust is a key factor. Without clear communication about the timelines and costs of projects such as infrastructure modernization or the deployment of 5G networks, public acceptance decreases. Berghegger suggests that administrations should use direct channels and verifiable data to explain the benefits of temporary restrictions, such as traffic closures or energy limitations.
Meanwhile, the government learns to use the phone 📞
That the director of a municipal association has to ask the government to talk to people sounds like a first aid manual for politicians. If getting citizens to accept a two-hour power outage requires a press conference with PowerPoint, maybe the problem is not communication, but that they have confused dialogue with sending an email to the spam list.