How Bruges Uses Technology to Keep Public Spaces Clean and Safe

Ground maintenance is becoming increasingly complex. Growing service areas, more assets to manage, and higher expectations from residents demand a structured approach. The City of Bruges demonstrates how digitalising grounds maintenance operations makes the difference.

From paper lists to digital grounds maintenance

The challenge many municipalities and grounds maintenance organisations recognise: how do you manage tens of thousands of assets without losing oversight? In Bruges, this involves 100,000 trees, 38,810 drains, 1,675 waste bins, and 1,245 leaf baskets requiring daily attention.

Working with paper lists and disconnected planning reached its limit. The Public Domain department chose comprehensive digitalisation through Jewel Grounds Maintenance.

Digital ground maintenance in practice

Today, more than 50 tablets operate in the field. Each morning, teams receive their routes and tasks digitally. No more paper lists, just a clear overview of what needs to happen where.

During their work, operatives provide direct feedback via their tablets: a full waste bin, a blocked drain, or a young tree needing extra water. This information flows immediately back to planning, complete with photos and predefined questionnaires.

The result? More targeted work and faster response to what's actually happening in the neighbourhood.

Results of Digital Grounds Maintenance

The impact of this approach is clearly visible:

• Tailored collection rounds: Fill levels of waste bins determine when they need emptying, not a fixed schedule
• Rapid response: Blocked or obstructed drains are immediately identified and scheduled
• Targeted tree care: 1,636 young trees were actively monitored and watered in 2025, with digital recording of water usage
• Efficient leaf management: In Sint-Kruis and Assebroek alone, leaf baskets were emptied 1,395 times in 2025, with peak management during busy periods

As Councillor for Public Domain Franky Demon describes it: "Planners have a clear overview, operatives know exactly what they need to do, and feedback from the field flows immediately back to the department."

Why Digital Ground Maintenance Works

What Bruges demonstrates is that digitalisation only creates real value when it aligns with daily grounds maintenance practice. Not as an additional administrative burden, but as support for the people doing the work.

Three elements make the difference:

1.Overview where it's needed
Planning gains real-time insight into progress and situations. No morere constructing after the fact, but live visibility of what's happening outside.

2.Clarity for teams
Operatives know exactly what's expected of them. Routes are mapped out, tasks are clear, and adjustments come through immediately.

3.Feedback that works
Signals from the field lead to concrete actions. This ensures better alignment between planning and execution of ground maintenance operations.

The future of Grounds Maintenance in Bruges

Bruges continues building on this digital approach. In 2026, the sweeping of more than 500 kilometres of streets will be fully integrated into Jewel Grounds Maintenance. This gives the city an objective and detailed picture of where, when, and how often streets need sweeping.

As Councillor Demon states:

"By planning clearly, working with concrete figures, and using feedback from our teams, we keep the public domain clean, safe, and green. This digital approach prepares Bruges for the future, with maximum attention to quality of life in our neighbourhoods."

Want control over grounds maintenance too?

Discover how Jewel Grounds Maintenance supports teams in the daily maintenance of streets, squares, green spaces, and planting.

Source: Read the full news story (6 februari 2026)