Sustainable, efficient city management, attractive cultural and tourist services

Located on the banks of the river Rába, the district seat of Sárvár is the second most populous town in Vas county, with a population of nearly 15,000. The leading role of Sárvár in tourism, its rich cultural life and beautiful natural environment have made it a popular settlement in Hungary. Our city went through a major transformation thanks to well prepared investment and green programme, including the successful restructuring of former factories and the development of a new industrial park. However, we are challenged by a shrinking and ageing population, migration of young people, deficiencies in public transport, a high energy demand for district heating and the impact of climate change on the maintenance of our green spaces. Furthermore we need to find a balance between preserving our values (castle, arboretum, thermal water) and meeting tourism and industrial demand. Our city management is also challenged by the lack of capacity and modern tools to cooperate with different neighbourhoods and the citizens. According to the vision of our Smart City Strategy, "Sárvár is a liveable city that is adapting to the environmental challenges, operating cost- efficiently, providing sustainable, healthy living conditions and an attractive cultural and tourist environment through the use of innovative solutions". We want to achieve this vision by delivering on the following goals: adopting data-driven smart city management and operations, using resources more sustainably, engaging citizens and improving their quality of life. Our collaborating partners are the municipality of Vas County, the civil, economic and educational organisations, as well as the company providing expertise for digital development. We are happy to join other cities in trying out and testing good practices and to share our own development experiences. Contacts of the Municipality: mahr.tivadar@sarvar.hu or nora.vadasz@itihungary.hu.