Christophe Gouache

Edited on 18/12/2025

Validated expert

Christophe Gouache

  • Belgium

  • French, English
Contact
Availability :
Available for Lead Expert role and Ad-hoc expertise missions

Validated Expert info

Expert can perform the Lead expert role and Ad hoc expertise missions at network and programme level in relation to:

  1. The design and delivery of (transnational) exchange and learning activities
  2. Thematic expertise:
    > Social Innovation
    > Participatory governance
    > Equality, diversity, inclusion 
  3. Methods and tools for integrated and participatory approaches:
    > Integrated and participatory design of strategies
    > Sustaining engagement of stakeholders and translating strategies into actions

Summary

Designer & researcher in a design lab called Strategic Design Scenarios, Christophe's focus is on sustainable and social innovation, collaborative and participative scenario building, participatory foresight (prospective scenarios of future sustainable ways of living) and policy design. He is working on various projects of public policy design and public innovation with regional authorities and ministries, as well as action-research projects at EU level (H2020). In URBACT III, he has been Lead Expert of an URBACT network of European cities called 'Active Citizens' on participatory democracy and citizen participation. In URBACT IV, he has been Lead Expert of an action-plannin network on social isolation called 'Breaking Isolation'. He is also regularly working as adhoc experts for other URBACT networks.

Christophe gives trainings at the National Institute for Territorial Studies (INET) (Strasbourg, France) for senior civil servants about 'design applied to policymaking' and at the Centre National de la Fonction Publique Territoriale (CNFPT) of the Reunion Island. He teaches “Public design and innovation” at Sciences Po Paris (France), and at the Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique (France). He is also occasionaly working as consulting expert for the Joint Research Center of the European Commission.

Related URBACT activities

  • Breaking Isolation

    The "Breaking Isolation" Network, composed with 10 European cities, aims to address the rising issue of social isolation.

    The project seeks to strengthen social bonds across generations and promote diversity by focusing on citizen participation.

    The City of Agen leads this project that aims to identify and support socially isolated individuals, increase awareness, and enhance social cohesion.

    Thanks to the URBACT methodology, the partners will be able to produce their local strategies (Integrated Action Plans) by the end of 2025.

    Ongoing
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  • ActiveCitizens

    The aim of ActiveCitizens is to rethink the place of the citizen in the local governance by finding a balance between representative democracy and participatory democracy. Led by the City of Agen (France), this Action Planning Network of European small and medium-sized cities, with the same expectations and the similar challenges, will take into account, to do this, new digital tools while integrating the issue of citizens away or not comfortable with digital tools.

    Closed
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Articles

  • Article
    Breaking Isolation - european Urbact program

    Social isolation: a silent and nearly invisible epidemic that needs to be broken

    Humans are, by nature, social creatures. We, humans, need social interactions. We need to talk, to laugh, to cry, to play, to share. Of course, we

    author image

    Christophe Gouache

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  • Procesele participatorii sunt o fantezie? Nu și pentru URBACT!

    Municipalitățile îndrăznesc să acorde o voce mai puternică și mai mult spațiu cetățenilor în elaborarea politicilor. Povești din URBACT...

    author image

    Christophe Gouache

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