About
Barcelona City Council is working to build a more democratic city, and tries to do so by researching, developing and innovating in participation, transparency and citizens' rights: in its processes, practices, infrastructures, channels, mechanisms and forms.
Democratic innovation can be understood as the set of processes of experimentation and political and technological action, with a democratic character, oriented towards tackling problems, needs and desires of citizens, the city and the government itself. It should become a central vector of public innovation policies to tackle some of the great challenges facing the city:
- To build and develop comprehensive and emancipatory mechanisms and models of participation that put citizens and the defence of their fundamental rights, as well as the commons, at the centre.
- Build open and democratic technologies in the face of the loss of sovereignty in technological development, data and digital infrastructures that today articulate our entire society.
- To make access to technology and participation a fundamental right and to guarantee literacy and critical digital training for all citizens.
- To position Barcelona as a global benchmark for democratic innovation, free software, the importance of mainstreaming digital and democratic innovation across all public policy areas in the City Council, and in civil society as a whole.
What we do
We work for the design, development, implementation and extension of the Decidim platform for institutions and organisations, to strengthen their democratic processes.
We promote open and free technologies and digital rights.
We build innovation processes through the Ateneu d'Innovació Digital i Democràtica at the Canòdrom.
We establish a bridge between the administration and citizens for the democratic design and development of public policies.
We research, design, develop and standardise new models of participation and digital environments for collaborative coordination and participatory democracy.
Related Links