The website of the City of Brussels

This page has been automatically translated from French into English by a translation software. Automatic translations are not as accurate as translations made by professional human translators. Nevertheless these pages can help you understand information published by the City of Brussels.

   

History

A first web page was published in 1999. The website Brucity was put online in 2002. It was replaced in November, 2008 by a new site.

The website of the City of Brussels as we know it now is online since 2002. It is still very complete in administrative information.

The philosophy of the website

The website of the City of Brussels aims at supplying information to the Brussels citizens as well as to all those who come to Brussels for their work, for business or as tourists.

The Brussels information consists of:

• Political information
• Administrative information
• Municipal news
• An agenda

This website also supplies information on domains not belonging to the municipal power but that are still important for the citizens or visitors.

Website in the municipal policy of information

The site is part of a double communications strategy, which leans on a paper communication (Brusseleir, any boxes) and on a website. This site presents several advantages: speed of the distribution and the update, hypertext,...

The structure of the website

To facilitate the search for information, the website of the City of Brussels proposes:

• A thematic menu
• A menu by public
• A search engine
• A site map
• An index (from A to Z)

The main themes in the menu are:

• Childhood, youth and family
• Education, employment and formation
• Events, culture, sports and leisure activities
• History and folklore
• Town planning and housing
• Environment and cleanliness
• District contracts
• Social and health
• Works and mobility
• Prevention and safety
• Participation and citizenship
• Trade, economy and finances
• Europe and international

The division is thus not based on the structure of the municipal administration but on the logic thinking of the citizens.

Another menu includes the information 'City of Brussels' such as:

• Political life
• Municipal administration
• Administrative procedures
• E-Bruxelles

The website also has a menu by public. It so collects contents relevant to:

• Newcomers
• Seniors
• Persons with a handicap
• Shopkeepers or entrepreneurs
• Tourists

Legibility

The website of the City of Brussels was conceived to be legible:

• The legibility of the text which takes into account the choice of the font, the color of the text and the screen
• A readable text. Adapting texts to make them understandable to a reader who is not familiarized with the administrative language. Texts must also be understood by persons whose first language is not French.

The sentences are thus short and use a concrete vocabulary. Every page includes a title, an introduction, texts with separated paragraphs, crossheads.

Municipal news and agenda

The municipal news will be highlighted, in particular on the homepage of the website.

The agenda gives information on the activities of the City. A search engine allows to find activities according to date, language of the activity, the intended public (for all or children).

Languages

Texts appear in French, Dutch and English. For the texts in English a translation tool is used (Reverso - Softissimo), with human verification. This is a help to the human translation.

The graphics of the website

To facilitate the legibility, the site has a certain sobriety. The text is therefore presented with a strong contrast between the text and the background.

The website does not make use of the usual colors of the City (red and green) because their use does not facilitate the reading. The dark red that is used, is the red color appearing on the seal of the City.

Multimedia

The most important and useful information on municipal websites can be found in texts and access to e-procedures.

Nevertheless, images can make the page more pleasant and supply additional information. The site thus integrates images into the margin and in the internal pages.

A webcam was installed on the Grand-Place of Brussels. It allows to observe the 'most beautiful square of the world' at all time, in particular during the numerous events which take place there.

Publications

For reasons of legibility, the important informative contents have to appear in the body of the pages of the website. Nevertheless, it is desirable to propose publications. These are available in pdf or in Flash (browse through publications).

E-Brussels

The website of the City of Brussels has a tool of e-administration. These electronic procedures must be proposed to the citizen in a way that he does not have to move or in a way that he gets sufficient information to prepare his administrative procedure.

The website allows today:

• To introduce demands via an electronic form (with or without an electronic ID card and card reader
• To download and print forms that can be filled in

The website allows the access of forms of the City of Brussels (tags and graffiti) or forms proposed by Irisbox (registry office, population).

Maps

The mention of an administrative department, an institution or association on the website of the city of Brussels is accompanied by a map (Google Map). This zoomable map proposes a plan (with the names of streets, location of metros and direction of traffic), a satellite option and a mixed option (photo and plan).

Interactivity

Internet users can always react by 'Indicating a problem on this page'.

It is possible to contact by e-mail the College members of the Mayor and Aldermen, the City councillors, the various administrative departments as well as the management unit of the website.

If the Internet user estimates that the contents of a page might interest another Internet user, the feature 'Send to a friend' makes it possible to send information.