by People's Voice Media
EUARENAS Policy Brief, titled 'The Future of Local Democracy in Europe,' offers a set of policy recommendations for realising the findings of the Future Scenarios report and the visualisation of the City of the Future, both produced by Work Package 5.
What Does this Policy Brief Contain?
The foresight and future-thinking research activities have culminated in a Future Scenarios Report and a visualisation of the EUARENAS City of the Future. Both outputs make the recommendation that cities wanting to strive towards more equitable local democracies should:
Address structural barriers to participation
Build relationships of trust
Invest in formal and civic education
Make decisions for the long-term
This policy briefing transforms these key learnings into actionable policy recommendations that can be implemented at city level.
Who is This Policy Brief for?
This policy brief is essential for local government officials, city planners, policymakers, and community leaders in European cities, who are dedicated to the improvement of participatory democracy and the creation of an inclusive, fair, and equitable future.
Why Does This Policy Brief Matter?
Democracy across Europe has experienced immense challenge, change and uncertainty in recent years - from the war in Ukraine to the rise of populism to decreasing levels of public trust in governance institutions and processes. Set against the backdrop of these issues, EUARENAS has investigated how cities and urban spaces can support democracy. Specifically, EUARENAS has explored how participation and deliberation in democracy and decision-making can be increased, and how voices and communities who are excluded from such arenas can be more actively involved. These policy recommendations offer practical, actionable ways in which the groundwork might be laid for this vision of the future.
You can download the Policy Brief here.