How citizen participation helps to rebuild trust within communities
In the aftermath of a polarising debate, public servants are expected to put the pieces of the puzzle back together. But how do you bridge this divide and inspire your community to move forward together? The answer...
“Governments have no other option than involving citizens.” – an interview with Tiago C. Peixoto
This interview is part of a series of 12 expert interviews on the future of digital democracy. You can read the full white paper with interviews here. Tiago C. Peixoto is a Senior Public Sector Specialist at...
“There’s a will to re-establish a sense of control.” – an interview with Daniel Korski
This interview is part of a series of 12 expert interviews on the future of digital democracy. You can read the full white paper with interviews here. CitizenLab – “How did you get into GovTech?” Daniel...
The future of Digital Democracy
Who could have imagined, just ten years ago, what 2020 would look like? Over the past ten years, our modern democracies have undergone a radical change. We have seen technology transform things for better, and for...
“What’s changed isn’t the technology – it’s the government listening.” – an interview with Marci Harris
This interview is part of a series of expert interviews on the future of digital democracy. The entire whitepaper, including 12 interviews, can be viewed here. Marci Harris is the CEO and co-founder of PopVox, a...
“21st century democracy must reflect the society of its time” – an interview with Paula Forteza
This interview is part of a series of 12 expert interviews on the future of digital democracy. You can download the full white paper with interviews here. CitizenLab – “Where do you see Civic Tech in 5...
Is this a golden age for localism?
At the Nesta Government Innovation Summit last September, Geoff Mulgan, chief executive at Nesta, made a surprising declaration. In the midst of an unprecedented political crisis, he announced “a golden age for...
Our insights from Innovation in Local Democracy
We were present at the “Innovation in Local democracy” event in Manchester organized by the UK Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Ministry of Housing, Communities and...
A year in (p)review
2019 was a big year for CitizenLab. Four years after it was founded, our digital democracy platform is now actively being used by 200.000 citizens in 75 different cities. And yet, it still feels like it’s only day...
Monthly Civic Tech must-reads #4
The holidays are behind us, and we’ve almost made it through all 65 days of January. Time to kick off the decade with a breath of fresh air and a new list of mind-boggling civic tech reads. How does the...
Case Study: all eyes on the climate in Grand Paris Sud
Grand Paris Sud (346.826 inhabitants), an intercommunal structure south of Paris, decided to pull up its sleeves and work towards progress. In the spirit of democracy, they chose to seek the opinions of those who...
5 Citizen participation cases that made their mark on 2019
In 2019, citizen participation was bigger than ever before. Across the world, governments and citizens alike are discovering the true value of the co-creation of local policy and the impact of constructive dialogue...
![[Research Summary] What emerging digital technologies will impact citizen engagement?](https://www.citizenlab.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Emerging-1-500x305.png)
[Research Summary] What emerging digital technologies will impact citizen engagement?
This blogpost is a summary of insights from the recent World Bank report on the impact of emerging digital technologies on citizen engagement. Technology is re-imagining citizen engagement, but in what way exactly?...
Case Study: +3.500 participants share insights on care with Care Quality Commission
Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an independent regulator of health and social care in England. The organisation uses its voice to share views on quality issues in the sector. Staying up-to-date on what is going on...
A new Chile: the power of participation
Following country-wide citizen protests on a range of social issues, the Chilean Association of Municipalities (the AChM), has launched a large-scale citizen consultation. The Citizen Consultation of 2019 is a...
CitizenLab wins Digital Top 50 “Best Social Impact Startup” award 2019
CitizenLab has been awarded the “Best Social Impact Startup in Europe” prize at TechCrunch’s Disrupt Conference in Berlin, on December 11-12, 2019. The DT50 prize recognizes Europe’s top entrepreneurial talent....
What’s the difference? Radical vs. Incremental Change
In a time where problems with governance can be overwhelming, governments are frantically searching for a solution. There is a constant debate about how exactly a government should go about facilitating change,...
![15+ Must-Attend Smart City Conferences [2020 update]](https://www.citizenlab.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-12-04-at-11.46.07-500x375.png)
15+ Must-Attend Smart City Conferences [2020 update]
Every year, there are hundreds of interesting Smart City events across the globe, allowing you to network and connect with government leaders, civic tech startups and other urban innovators. And 2020 is no...
4 takeaways from the GovTech Summit 2019
Last week, CitizenLab headed to the city of lights to attend one of the most renowned events in the GovTech sector: the GovTech Summit! Every year, this event gathers Europe’s brightest and mightiest to...
1001 methods for citizen participation: which do you choose?
It’s getting a lot easier for local administrations to find support for their digital citizen participation plans. The e-tools that are built to simplify these processes have become more user-friendly, and...