We’ve had a year of extreme weather. Around the world, cities of all sizes were ravaged by natural disasters. Unprecedented heat waves in places like Canada and Finland; fires devastating Siberia, the U.S., and Turkey; and flooding sweeping away communities in Belgium, Germany, and China have painted vivid scenes of...
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Six years ago, our co-founders Wietse Van Ransbeeck and Aline Muylaert started CitizenLab. They were new graduates eager to get involved in their local community, but facing the same roadblocks as others—lack of clarity on processes, long waits and bureaucracy, and traditional feedback methods that seemingly went into a black...
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We find ourselves consistently impressed by the types of projects launched on our platform. In this inspirational series, we’ll spotlight some of the innovative ways governments and organizations around the world are activating and engaging their communities virtually. Let’s dive in! The City of Arlon rethinks parking spaces 🇧🇪 Parking...
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Big cities usually have the budgets and brainpower to set up and implement impressive, large-scale participation projects. And smaller municipalities and communes typically harbor a stronger sense of community, helping them facilitate two-way dialogue. So, where do midsize cities fit in when it comes to community engagement? As it turns...
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In recent years, communities across the globe have voiced a burgeoning need and desire to be directly involved in local decision-making. As a result, community engagement has become an increasingly crucial topic for local governments. Not just because it plays into the inherent collaborative sentiment of a democratic system, but...
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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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At CitizenLab, we believe that a combination of synchronous and asynchronous participation opportunities make for the most qualitative processes. Before Covid shook the world, these synchronous opportunities were mostly happening offline. Public engagement sessions, town halls, focus groups, and citizens’ panels were almost entirely organized as in-person events. However, the...
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