From urgent calls for racial justice in public spaces to the recovery of small businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s obvious that urban main streets face unique economic and social challenges. Against this backdrop, cities across the country have been piloting new approaches to people-centered main streets. ...
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With a population of around 94,000, the Stirling Council area sits right in the heart of Scotland. When the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves to communities around the world, Stirling Council found itself with a conundrum: how could they get valuable community input without in-person meetings? With plans...
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What does it mean to be a girl in 2020? Depending on their respective countries, backgrounds, socioeconomic class, or personal circumstances, girls across the world have radically different day-to-day experiences. UNICEF wanted to hear directly from girls themselves as they shaped their priorities for local communities. In 1995, 189 countries...
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Ghent, known for its beautiful market squares and stunning medieval city center, is the capital of the Belgian province of East-Flanders. With more than 260,000 inhabitants, Ghent charmingly combines the hustle and bustle of a bigger city with a small town’s cozy atmosphere. The city of Ghent has a longstanding...
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Participatory budgeting is one of the most popular forms of citizen consultation. More than just a buzzword, the tool is used by elected officials who want to make public governance more accessible and transparent. Far from applying a generic formula, each community creates its own process based on its own...
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The London Borough of Newham has launched its consultation platform to include residents, businesses and shoppers in urban planning decisions. With the desire to include more Newham residents in the democratic and decision-making process, Newham launched a Democracy and Civic Participation Commission in 2019. From November 2019 to February 2020,...
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The secrets behind the platform’s success: trust, transparency, longevity. The French commune of Rueil-Malmaison (78,152 inhabitants), in the west suburbs of Paris, launched its participation platform in 2018 to give citizens a voice in the decision-making process. Two years in, the platform has hosted a large variety of participatory projects,...
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