The Urban Planning Department of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council is currently undergoing a process of digital transformation, aiming to enhance communication and information channels with residents and promptly provide any necessary data to other municipal departments or the Local Police. This will enable them to swiftly confirm, for instance, whether a specific business holds a valid opening license or the requisite permission to conduct its operations.
The councillor overseeing this area, Zaida González, shared with DIARIO DE AVISOS that “the Department led the way in adopting the Gabitec computer system, which was introduced at a time when a significant portion of the City Council still relied on paper-based processes. This system is a specialised urban management tool wherein every incoming document is already digitised and organised, leaving no room for uncertainty when making inquiries, a situation that could arise if a paper document went missing or was not accurately recorded in the file.”
This progress will soon be complemented by another enhancement, as the councillor announced that “efforts are underway to integrate the City Council’s computer system with the Urban Planning system. This means that when a municipal police officer conducts an on-site inspection, they will immediately ascertain whether a business holds an opening license or the necessary authorization to set up tables and chairs on a terrace, as is the case with bars or restaurants.” This digital resource will enable better control and management of all information related to Urban Planning, leading to improved management processes.
AI
Another upcoming addition to the Department’s capabilities will be Artificial Intelligence (AI), enhancing citizen services by expediting the processing of procedures. This rapid online response mechanism will address queries about obtaining a business opening license or permits for home renovations, among other matters.
González mentioned that “we are currently engaged in developing this AI tool, which has shown promising results. Through a partnership with the University of La Laguna, all urban planning data is being fed into artificial intelligence, incorporating relevant regulations and past resolutions to provide accurate responses to residents’ queries.”
“Once the information provision phase is completed, tests will be conducted in the following months to validate the AI’s responses to questions. Subsequently, the tool will be activated on the website, offering a swift and objective mechanism to provide practical answers to real-life queries.”
The councillor emphasised that “our aim is to maintain a commitment to transparency in urban management, leading to our recent achievement of a perfect score in the evaluation conducted this year by the Transparency Commissioner of the Canary Islands, covering the period from 2022 to the first half of 2023.”
