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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Local councils’ planning and regeneration teams have a strong track record in involving residents in the decision-making process to co-create urban places. Over the last few years, these teams have started to harness various digital tools, a process that has been significantly accelerated by the current pandemic. What are the...
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Every month, we curate a list of interesting articles and thought pieces within the realm of Civic Tech and digital democracy. COVID-inspired tech innovations, AI and European regulations affecting privacy, and Londoners deciding on the usage of their data: data and tech were the talks of the town this month....
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Are you a firm believer in the offline old-school? Or do you choose the digital route whenever you can? Good news: when it comes to community engagement, you don’t have to pick one. In fact, a combination of offline and online engagement methods ensure that you reach a more diverse...
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Setting up a citizen platform is no small feat. It requires defining clear goals, juggling shifting deadlines and coordinating with multiple stakeholders, some of which are outside of the organisation. Efficient internal organisation is key to the success of the project, and yet it’s one of the main challenges that...
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As we are stepping into the new year, it’s time for the CitizenLab team to look back at the past year and set the pace for the next year. Read below about our citizen participation realisations in 2017, and our ambitions for 2018 with a brand new product version coming...
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The Economist has just released the ninth edition of its annual Democracy Index, and it features a somber view of Belgium. Our federal monarchy comes 35th globally, behind Italy, India, Botswana, and… Trump’s United States. In Western Europe it comes 18th, only ahead of Cyprus, Greece and Turkey. Unlike most...
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