The Demos project linked city governments in seven countries with research organisations to improve on citizen participation in local government. Demos responded not only to common concerns about citizen apathy and mistrust of government but also to the many positive opportunities which exist to revitalise local democracy and to include citizens more fully in governance. The final report presents the guidelines produced by the project.

DEMOS is a project to develop and test innovative approaches to citizen participation ranging from decentralized, area-based initiatives to web-based linkages between citizens, community organisations and elected officials and officers in local government. Such strategies have proved useful in revitalizing citizens’ interest and enabling them to participate fully in the governance of urban communities.

DEMOS partners reached the following conclusions: governance is about partnership; government must respond to citizens input; changing organisation culture is essential; citizens involvement must start from an early stage of the planning process; city governance has to be linked with research organisations.

EUROCITIES
http://www.eurocities.org
Jordi Gomez

30/11/2004

DEMOS Project Consortium

research

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Citizens' participation