Citizen participation in strategic conversations about future uncertainties

• Main Author: Schubert, Jennifer
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10773/44758
• topic: Social design; Design for government; Policy design; Citizen participation; Future uncertainties

Municipalities and ministries are confronted with a growing number of uncertainties in an increasing number of areas: from demographic change to the growing impact of digitalization in all facets of our everyday lives. To manage this complexity, political processes and decision-making need to be informed and questioned from different angles. One way to do this is to improve collaboration and communication structures between citizens and policy makers. This cooperation is challenged by many factors: a different use of language, a rigid system on the part of politicians, diverse everyday needs on the part of citizens, a stack of expectations and a different understanding of the time frame in which change can take place, which contrasts with a rigid bureaucratic system on the policy side. This paper emphasizes the importance of collaboration between citizens and policy makers at different levels to show how to collaboratively deal with uncertainties in a meaningful and long-term way. Two case studies in small to medium sized cities in Europe highlight a range of experiences, methodological and strategic insights that need to be further explored to understand power dynamics, long-term collaboration and system change so that researchers and policy makers can build on them.