Ghentians fully commit to their own local welfare and support each other with community initiatives while the standard of living is under pressure. The transparent digital monitoring and the credit system used by the government and local communities stimulate a standardized life course in which inside-the-box-thinking reigns. That context leads to great solidarity in public spaces, but beneath the surface of appearances, this solidarity is often put under pressure by feelings of jealousy or secretive activities aimed at personal gain.
TECHNOLOGY: Technological innovation should help maintain established values and working methods. Innovation is at the service of the status quo. Specific attention will be given to technology to make the local economy work efficiently, including digital networks that unite micro-entrepreneurs. Technological networks are also deployed for a variety of domestic and care tasks, and they support a social credit register. Digital class packages for elementary and higher education have been standardized throughout Flanders. Students learn the facts online and also sit for exams through the LeerLiever (RatherLearn) hub.
POPULATION: The Ghentian population has grown considerably in the past fifteen years. The standard of living remains under pressure. Fort Europe keeps out poorer (climate) refugees, but allows migration that meets the needs of the labor market. To ensure that there is enough work for each family, social credits are deducted for every second earner in a household. As a result, the majority of women only work in the household and as volunteers. Sometimes, they work and their husbands are active as volunteers, but this is complicated when children arrive, because precisely around the costly time period surrounding birth, the family doesn’t have a breadwinner at all.
ENERGY: Nuclear energy supplies the vast majority of energy. Resourceful people who do not want to participate in the public order generate their own energy in a small-scale and decentralized way. Individual electric vehicles have a large share in eMobility. Energy-saving measures are in place to ensure that local energy production does not have to be supplemented with import.
ECOLOGY: Like elsewhere, the weather patterns in Europe are strongly disrupted. However, air pollution is hardly a problem in the Low Countries, because industrial production in neighboring countries and heavy transportation through Flanders have been strongly reduced. Practices for agriculture and cattle breeding are well adapted to the extreme weather phenomena thanks to accurate predictive models and methods for indoor cultivation. Green spaces in the city are managed by local communities and provide a pleasant environment.
ECONOMY: To a certain extent, a persevered protectionism at a European and local scale has the desired effect: the local economy stands firm, despite pressure from climate issues and increasing fluctuations on the international economic stage. Security and a sense of safety are paramount, and to this end, every citizen must adhere to several strict rules of conduct with regard to work, social welfare services, energy use, and consumption. The fact that people need to be a little more economical is just part of life.
CULTURE: There is a strong standard in favor of a modest life without going wild. There is a great mutual solidarity among those who adhere to the social rules. A social credit system for citizens keeps track of who deviates from the standards through algorithms. Those who fail to comply for too long lose points, which, in turn, restricts freedom of choice regarding all kinds of activities. Cultural activities are organized by neighborhood associations. Holidays are celebrated wholeheartedly and contribute to a feeling of solidarity with family, neighbors, and the neighborhood.
POLICY: Local governments are strongly intertwined with local life. National and european governments work with tight budgets. Digital government services support the standardization of civilian life. The right information is made available at the right time (how to offer or receive volunteer help in your neighborhood, how to get permission for a larger refrigerator when having an addition to the family, are your credits high enough for a decennial airplane trip?). the local government also inspects andz certifies local associations’ activities that make Ghent a sociable and clean city.
