In the picturesque French city of Grenoble, a bold experiment in democratic innovation took shape, one that could influence how European cities approach the climate crisis for years to come.
From 25-27 March, Eurocities and Grenoble Alpes Metropole co-hosted the Nets4Dem project’s Climate Democracy Lab, bringing together officials from several European cities.
Among the participants were six challenge-owning cities – Aix-Marseille-Provence, Bordeaux Metropole, PETR Ariege, Prague, Reykjavik and Rotterdam – each of which presented its unique climate challenge. These cities, alongside peers from other cities and democracy experts, explored innovative ways to give their residents a direct say in climate policy-making.
Through hands-on experimentation and peer learning, the Lab enabled cities to test participatory methods, from civic lotteries and digital platforms to neighbourhood partnerships and in-person assemblies.
The aim: help cities design ambitious, inclusive and effective climate policies that reflect local needs, build public trust, and give everyone, especially the hardest to reach, a voice in the climate transition ahead.
Each city brought a pressing climate challenge. Bordeaux Metropole is involving residents in managing flood risks while protecting biodiversity. PETR Ariege is addressing resistance to climate-resilient housing in rural communities. Rotterdam is aiming to embed its citizens’ assembly on climate as a permanent governance tool, while Reykjavik is working to shift away from car dependency through a culture of collective climate action.
Meanwhile, Prague is considering how to best involve citizens in co-developing a new tool for sustainable neighbourhoods, and Aix-Marseille-Provence is tackling energy poverty in social housing by empowering affected communities to lead the response.
A space for democratic innovation
What makes the Climate Democracy Lab different is its approach. City representatives haven’t just presented their challenges, they worked in mixed teams on one another’s issues, supported by experienced mentors and facilitators.
“This is not about ticking a participation box,” says Alisa Vlasic, Project Manager at Coglobal, a mentor at the Climate Democracy Lab. “It’s about meaningful involvement, engaging citizens from the very beginning of the process so that they co-create the ideas and feel ownership of the results.”
Zoë Wilkins, Climate Democracy Associate at People Powered, and also involved as a mentor, adds: “The Lab helped cities drill down from broad climate goals to specific, actionable dilemmas that citizens can engage with.
“That’s the shift, from informing to empowering. And when done right, participation doesn’t slow things down, it makes them more durable.”
The Lab has also helped cities overcome barriers of perspective. “You think your city’s challenge is unique, until someone from across Europe helps you see it from a new angle,” says Vlasic. “That’s when innovation happens.”
Prague: Co-creating a vision for sustainable neighbourhoods
Credits: Eurocities.
In Prague, the city’s Institute of Planning and Development is co-developing a new tool for sustainable neighbourhoods, in which it is considering how to best involve local citizens. The tool is technically ambitious, crossing sectors and departments. But until now, it had lacked one thing: citizen input.
“Our goal is to find a meaningful way to involve residents in shaping the city’s vision for sustainable neighbourhoods,” says Martin Dolský, Participation Coordinator. “We’ve consulted experts, but not the people who live in these spaces.”
The team has used the Lab to reframe the process, not just as a technical exercise, but as a political one. “We’re working on a vision statement to define the values behind the tool,” explains Michaela Čížkovská, Urbanist at the Prague Institute of Planning and Development.
“That’s where people’s voices are essential. If we get it right, we build legitimacy and trust. If we don’t, we risk resistance, or indifference.”
For Prague, the Democracy Lab hasn’t just been about methods, it’s about mindset. “We started with the idea that we’d explain the policy to people. Now, we’re focused on how to shape it with them,” adds Čížkovská.
Aix-Marseille-Provence: Empowering residents in the green transition
Credits: Eurocities.
In Marseille’s northern districts, many residents in ageing social housing are facing harsh summer heat, rising energy bills, and buildings that offer little thermal comfort. For the team from Metropole Aix-Marseille-Provence, the priority is clear: bring residents into the process of designing solutions.
“Our challenge is to involve tenants in a project of rehabilitation and redevelopment of housing and public space,” explains Anne Guilmin, Living Environment, Housing, and Transition project manager. “We’re talking about people with very low incomes, living in areas with little greenery and buildings not adapted to extreme heat. It’s about climate, but also about quality of life.”
Together with other Lab participants, the team has developed the idea of a tenants’ union, an organised group that could act as a platform for learning, dialogue and advocacy.
“We want to help residents understand the issues, from insulation to energy savings, and give them a way to engage directly with housing providers and political representatives,” says Anne Guilmin.
Colleague Ryme Sadik, Social Inclusion Officer at Metropole Aix-Marseille-Provence, adds: “We often struggle to make our policies participatory. But being here, working with experts in participatory democracy, has shown us that it is possible, even in complex, disadvantaged contexts.”
Bordeaux Metropole: A collaborative approach to flood management and environmental resilience
In Bordeaux’s Ambes Peninsula, managing flood risks while preserving biodiversity is a key challenge. The local area’s ‘jalles,’ which are small streams or ditches vital for flood management, have suffered from a lack of maintenance and poor coordination among local stakeholders.
These watercourses are essential for draining excess water, but conflicts arise as various users, such as farmers, hunters and residents, manage them for different purposes.
With climate change increasing flood risks, Bordeaux seeks to bring together all stakeholders to develop a shared, sustainable solution for managing the ‘jalles.’
At the Lab, the city was supported to refine its consultation process, learning about other territories’ successful strategies and approaches to ensure the views of local residents are recognised.
Credits: Eurocities.
From participation to transformation
Each city that brought its challenge to the Climate Democracy Lab gained a clearer action plan for how and why to engage with citizens, from tenants’ assemblies and citizen workshops to institutional models for embedding participation into governance models.
But perhaps the most important shift has been in mindset: a new understanding that participation must be embedded from the start.
As the climate crisis accelerates, that shift is becoming more urgent. “The Climate Democracy Lab is an essential space for cities to come together and explore how we can reshape decision-making to ensure that the voices of citizens are at the heart of climate action,” explains Hélène Clot, Director of Strategy, Innovation and Citizen Participation at Grenoble-Alpes Metropole.
“By creating opportunities for direct participation, we are not only fostering more inclusive climate policies, but we are also empowering communities to take ownership of the green transition.”
Aleksandra Ziętek, Democracy Lab Project Coordinator at Eurocities, explains that the Lab provides a platform for cities to experiment and collaborate on strengthening democratic decision-making in cities.
She concludes: “It is through these participatory processes that we will spark fresh ideas and find lasting solutions that engage citizens and create more resilient, sustainable urban communities.”
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The Nets4Dem project’s Climate Democracy Lab took place in Grenoble from 25-27 March 2025. Find out more about the Nets4Dem project and the Climate Democracy Lab.
View the presentations and solutions here.
And download photos from the event. If you want to use a photo, please mention it is copyright of Eurocities.
