London is widely-recognised as the global ‘information capital' and the 32 boroughs which make up our great city have embraced digital and public service innovation.

From the computer-aided design that shapes the layout of London's town centres, to the data analysis that allows targeted interventions in support of those in long-term unemployment; from borough-provided wireless internet, to the council-run websites that help people access planning applications or get their benefits, boroughs have been among the pioneers of many services we now take for granted.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of the 32 London boroughs. The boroughs were born in the febrile environment of the Space Age, increasing consumerism and rising living standards. But, it was also a time when Britain's economy was faltering and many were struggling to adapt to a new world order.

In 1963, Harold Wilson delivered his seminal ‘White Heat of Technology' speech. In it, he promoted a vision of a new Britain forged by technological and scientific revolution, predicting many of the innovations that have changed irrevocably the landscape of our lives.

He also voiced many of the fears of the time; that the advances in technology would lead to mass unemployment and that inevitably man would not control machine, but that ‘machines are going to assert their control over man.'

Wilson talked in a mixed tone of awe and apprehension about the technological leaps that had already been achieved and were to come. Yet, no-one back then would recognise the world we live in now.

Now we can access information from the mini-computers in our phones or tablets, but in those days computers were large-scale affairs. ‘Mainframes' filled entire rooms, required specialist training to operate and could only carry out specific types of calculation.

Technologies like the teleprinter, which connected a mechanical keyboard and printer to a modem, were in use in the 1960s, but these could only communicate with machines of a similar nature. So, by and large, if you wanted to speak to the council you would need to visit them in person or write them a letter; and if the council wanted to speak to its residents, it would have to send a press release in the post to the local paper.

Of course, people still ring up their council today or pay a visit to their town hall. In Brent, anyone walking through the doors of the civic centre will be greeted by a hologram. ‘Shanice' directs people where to go to register a birth or death, get married or apply for a marriage licence, and she can provide instructions in a variety of languages.

However, the growth of email and the World Wide Web has seen many interactions shift online. In December 1995, Wandsworth LBC became the first local authority to make all new planning applications available on the web. Today, this is standard practice, but at the time it was revolutionary. Previously, if you wanted details of proposed developments, you had to head to your local council offices or library and request to see a paper copy.

In fact, a vast array of council services is now available from your mobile phone or home computer. For example, ‘mylambeth' is an online portal which provides residents of the borough with 24/7 access to their benefits and landlord accounts, details of their library use and allows them to arrange garden waste collections. Similar portals are available in other London boroughs and councils in the UK.

Fifty years ago you bought a newspaper or switched on the ‘wireless' to get news. Nowadays we access and receive information from a plethora of sources at all times of the day and night.

In this information-rich age, councils have had to become increasingly sophisticated in communicating their work and priorities. From badges and branding to Twitter campaigns and live-streamed council sessions, over time the focus has shifted towards using technology and innovation to identify, target and reach an increasingly diverse range of audiences.

Councils are also taking the lead when it comes to inspiring future generations. In my own borough of Hackney, we ran an initiative last month to raise awareness of the importance of coding in the school curriculum. As part of #HackneyGetsCoding (see below), we ran a competition calling on younger residents to design their own computer games and enlisted local tech businesses to help teach after-school Code Club sessions. The response has been hugely encouraging, and I hope will lead to more youngsters considering future careers in the tech sector.

So it seems, far from the fears articulated by Wilson, that man would become disempowered and redundant in the face of increasingly advanced computers, technology has brought about huge and liberating change.

It has allowed councils to provide services that are better integrated through networks and better targeted through data. The decisions and plans of local leaders have gone from discussions people could only read about in committee papers, to conversations that are shared with the community.

Most importantly, it has allowed London boroughs to place more power in the hands of their communities, to make the impersonal, personal.

Jules Pipe is chair of London Councils

 

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