Networks and cities' news

Catch up on the latest updates from cities working together in URBACT Networks. The articles and news that are showcased below are published directly by URBACT’s beneficiaries and do not necessarily reflect the programme’s position.

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  • The Role of Civil Servants in Strengthening Citizen Participation Lessons from the Agents of Co-Existence Network

    Citizen participation is an essential pillar of democracy, yet many municipalities struggle to create effective and inclusive engagement processes. The Agents of Co-Existence (AoCE) Network, a European collaboration of cities working together as a URBACT action planning network, focuses on innovative ways to bridge the gap between governments and citizens. Basically, they look at two ways to improve citizen participation. On the one hand, they search for new ways and methods to include citizens in decision-making processes. On the other, they seek ways to foster meaningful engagement by redefining the role of civil servants. This requires experimenting with new participatory approaches and learning from each other. After 1,5 years of working and exploring together, it is time to share some relevant findings and key insights from the AoCE network and related studies, shedding light on how civil servants can better facilitate citizen participation at the local level

    Yasemin Yilmaz

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  • How do we make public participation more inclusive?

    Public participation is a fundamental part of sustainable urban development, and yet traditional participation formats tend to preselect a rather homogenous group of citizens. How might we increase the diversity of those we are reaching and the voices we are including in our policy design?

    Mary Dellenbaugh

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  • How the movement “city of commons” was born in Bologna and spread over Italy

    Over the past decade, Italy has undergone a remarkable transformation with the implementation of the concept of "city of commons." This idea, which originated in Bologna, has quickly spread across the country and has led to numerous initiatives aimed at social inclusion and urban renewal.

    Marco Buemi

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  • worksession Aarhus

    Core Network Meeting Aarhus - Participation and Democracy.

    On how policy choices are reflected in organizational structures and language use

    Yasemin Yilmaz

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  • citizens and officials gather to explore their appetite for participation

    Citizens and Officials Explore Their 'appetite' for Participation Working Together with the Genk habits

    How do you stimulate and create a participative mindset in your city organization? It is a process in which every step forward and every additional employee is to be celebrated, and learning throughout this process is essential. In Genk, an increasing number of city staff are involved in disseminating the output of a participatory process, the Genk habits.

    Yasemin Yilmaz

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  • Podcast series: Talks with change agents

    The “Talks with Change Agents”-podcast gives you an insight in the developments of the Agents of Co-Existence Network, which aims to improve citizen participation. 

    AnjaH26

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