It’s clear that finding a balance between growth, development, and the environment is a key issue for local governments worldwide. Want to see how our clients tackle these issues and co-create solutions with their communities? We find ourselves consistently impressed by the projects launched on our platform. Let’s dive into six recent projects.
1. Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan update (United States)
In 2016, the City of Seattle adopted its 2035 Comprehensive Plan. 6 years have passed since, and an update is needed to ensure the city’s decisions on transportation, utilities, parks & open space, and many other public services are still in line with the community’s needs and on track to meet the city’s needs as it continues to grow over the next years.
The project to update their plan asks residents to share input on the plan’s various topics to study in the upcoming environmental review of potential alternatives for which parts of the city to usher in new homes and jobs.
2. Maashorst’s Strategy on Spatial Planning and the Environment (Netherlands)
From supporting a bustling commercial center to ensuring enough green spaces, we ask a lot of our living environment, and desires are sometimes very different. Like all local governments in the Netherlands, the municipality of Maashorst faces the challenge of mapping out residents’ wishes to inform the strategy on spatial planning and the environment for the coming years.
The municipality invited its residents to complete a survey to gather that much-needed input. At the same time, residents can add ideas for possible improvements or indicate which green areas should be conserved on a map.
3. Developing green neighborhoods in Brent (United Kingdom)
Brent Council calls on its community to develop a localized approach to tackle the climate emergency and help reach net zero carbon emissions in Brent by 2030. The goal of this project: create a green neighborhood that is “eco-friendly, has reduced carbon emissions and waste and is a healthier place to live, work and visit.”
To make informed decisions on where resources should be invested, Brent’s local council asked its residents to provide feedback and share ideas on a map.
4. Improvement of digital services for residents (Luxemburg)
Effective digital public services – or eGovernment – can provide various benefits, such as increased transparency and trust, and more government efficiency and savings.
The Luxemburg Ministry for Digitalisation used their CitizenLab platform to ask residents how they could improve their mobile application MyGuichet. The app enables residents and businesses to carry out a large number of administrative procedures with administrations and public bodies. With this project, the Ministry specifically zooms in on the document-sharing functionality.
5. Newham’s community assemblies (United Kingdom)
The borough of Newham has eight “Community Neighbourhoods”, and each has been allocated £100,000 to improve the area. In the previous project cycle, residents of each neighborhood put forward and voted for their top three priorities of concern.
Residents and community groups further discussed these priorities and developed project plans to meet those needs during community assemblies. In September 2022, the chosen projects for each neighborhood will be announced on their CitizenLab platform.
6. Deciding on climate and sustainability investments together in Dendermonde (Belgium)
After successful participatory budgeting projects in 2020 and 2021, the City of Dendermonde launched a new edition in 2022, this time with climate and sustainability as the central theme.
Residents were able to submit proposals from March to May. From July 1 to August 31, the community could vote for their favorite projects. In September, a committee will review all projects that advanced to the next round and decide on a winner.
