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Democratic cities are built on the active participation of their citizens. Deliberative democracy offers a pathway to more inclusive, transparent, and responsive urban governance, where decision-making processes are shaped by the voices of the many, not just the few. It involves creating spaces for dialogue, debate, and collective action, empowering residents to influence the future of their communities. Beyond research, our work supports the implementation of deliberative and participatory processes on the ground. We facilitate learning and knowledge exchange across borders and local contexts, helping cities adapt innovative governance practices to their unique challenges. Through our efforts, we aim to ensure that deliberative democracy becomes a driving force for social change and more equitable urban development in environments we work in.
Beyond research, our work supports the implementation of deliberative and participatory processes on the ground. We facilitate learning and knowledge exchange across borders and local contexts, helping cities adapt innovative governance practices to their unique challenges. Through our efforts, we aim to ensure that deliberative democracy becomes a driving force for socio-political change and in urban development. Our engagement in EU projects centering around participation underlines our commitment to advancing both bottom-up and top-down participatory initiatives. We collaborate with local communities, governments, universities, and other partners to develop governance models that promote inclusive and effective urban management, deliberation and decision-making.
In bottom-up initiatives, we work directly with communities to create and implement participatory governance models. For example, in the Open Heritage (H2020) project, we have partnered with local groups to develop adaptive heritage reuse models, fostering learning through shared practices across Europe. Similarly, in the Energy4ALL (DUT) project, we support the creation of energy communities and innovative governance structures for sustainable energy investments. Our work with the Inclusive City (DUT) project involves placemaking efforts, where we assist local NGOs and residents in repurposing public spaces to reflect community needs and enhance urban landscapes through models of placemaking.
On the top-down front, we engage with cities to advance knowledge transfer and collective learning in areas such as generative commons. The CO4CITIES (Urbact Networks) project exemplifies our efforts to innovate legal frameworks that enable cities to collaboratively manage public resources. Additionally, in the EUAREANS (H2020) project, Eutropian leverages its expertise in public-civic participation and governance mechanisms to support various work packages. Our roles in this latter project include case study research, assisting pilot projects, and designing knowledge exchange workshops and creating resources (like the Toolbox of Experimental Participatory Methods) for consortium partners and beyond the realm of the project.
Through these projects, we aim to bridge theoretical knowledge with practical applications, enhancing democratic governance and pushing for sustainable urban development across Europe.
Eutropian takes great pride in our contributions to the Open Heritage project. As a lead partner responsible for the case studies, we have played a crucial role in researching and documenting innovative approaches to the repurposing and reuse of heritage sites across Europe. Our efforts have culminated in the creation of a comprehensive online database, which serves as a vital resource for showcasing European policies and analysing the Observatory Cases. This database not only highlights successful practices and case studies but also supports the broader dissemination of knowledge, helping stakeholders and policymakers to learn from and build upon these experiences. Additionally, we have contributed to writing a book, summarising the findings of the project and organised a series of real-time and e-learning online courses to further disseminate the knowledge generated.
Eutropian’s commitment to advancing participatory democracy is reflected in our contributions to the EUARENAS project. Through our research and dissemination efforts, we have produced several key publications that support the implementation and understanding of participatory and deliberative practices across Europe.
As part of the project, we helped develop the Case Study Report, which offers in-depth analyses of participatory governance processes in various European cities. Building on these findings, we created the EUARENAS Toolbox of Experiential Participatory Methods, a practical guide designed to inspire and equip stakeholders to experiment with innovative participation strategies. The Evaluation Report on the Pilot Actions assessed the piloting process of the EUARENAS project, drawing key lessons to guide local policymakers on how to create better participatory governance in their local contexts.
In addition to written publications, Eutropian developed the Toolbox Website, an interactive online platform that facilitates the use of participatory methods in diverse contexts. The platform was promoted through numerous channels, including through a podcast appearance by Lukács Hayes.
To ensure widespread accessibility of these tools, we organized capacity-building workshops in Rome and Budapest, focusing on participatory democracy methods. These events brought together local stakeholders, civil society actors, and municipal representatives to explore practical applications of the Toolbox. We also extended our educational outreach by integrating these materials into a course for MA students at Corvinus University of Budapest.
Eutropian takes great pride in our contributions to the Open Heritage project. As a lead partner responsible for the case studies, we have played a crucial role in researching and documenting innovative approaches to the repurposing and reuse of heritage sites across Europe. Our efforts have culminated in the creation of a comprehensive online database, which serves as a vital resource for showcasing European policies and analysing the Observatory Cases. This database not only highlights successful practices and case studies but also supports the broader dissemination of knowledge, helping stakeholders and policymakers to learn from and build upon these experiences. Additionally, we have contributed to writing a book, summarising the findings of the project and organised a series of real-time and e-learning online courses to further disseminate the knowledge generated.
Eutropian’s commitment to advancing participatory democracy is reflected in our contributions to the EUARENAS project. Through our research and dissemination efforts, we have produced several key publications that support the implementation and understanding of participatory and deliberative practices across Europe.
As part of the project, we helped develop the Case Study Report, which offers in-depth analyses of participatory governance processes in various European cities. Building on these findings, we created the EUARENAS Toolbox of Experiential Participatory Methods, a practical guide designed to inspire and equip stakeholders to experiment with innovative participation strategies. The Evaluation Report on the Pilot Actions assessed the piloting process of the EUARENAS project, drawing key lessons to guide local policymakers on how to create better participatory governance in their local contexts.
In addition to written publications, Eutropian developed the Toolbox Website, an interactive online platform that facilitates the use of participatory methods in diverse contexts. The platform was promoted through numerous channels, including through a podcast appearance by Lukács Hayes.
To ensure widespread accessibility of these tools, we organized capacity-building workshops in Rome and Budapest, focusing on participatory democracy methods. These events brought together local stakeholders, civil society actors, and municipal representatives to explore practical applications of the Toolbox. We also extended our educational outreach by integrating these materials into a course for MA students at Corvinus University of Budapest.