The rise of digital technologies brings opportunities and threats to local democracies, making safeguarding and exercising citizens’ digital rights a key challenge of our time. The right to privacy, freedom of expression, access to information and open digital infrastructures are fundamental in the digital age. The first edition of Democracy Lab, organised within the Nets4Dem project, will focus on enhancing democratic processes in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Hosted by Barcelona, the European Capital of Democracy 2023-2024, the Lab will leverage the city’s extensive experience and innovative practices in this area, providing a rich context for addressing multifaceted urban challenges.
Discussions, speakers’ presentations and group work will revolve around four main focus areas:
- Civic Tech: Linking Online and In-Person Participation
Participants will explore the potential of civic technology to support citizen engagement through digital platforms like Decidim. They will learn why Decidim was deployed as a free/libre open-source infrastructure, how it supports online and in-person participation, and the capacities it builds. Civic technology can support various city participatory processes, such as participatory budgeting, urban planning, and crowdsourcing. Participants will gain insights into the political framework, multiple uses of hybrid participation, and the effective implementation of these tools.
- Open data, open technologies and smart city
Participants will learn how open data and smart city solutions can drive democratic decision-making. This area focuses on how the Municipal Data Office uses data to make informed and tailored decisions that improve urban life. The concept of a 15-minute city, applied as a digital twin, allows for real-world improvements in neighbourhoods. Participants will also understand how democratising data helps citizens engage with local issues. Discussions will include the ethical use of data and its role in building democratic infrastructure, enhancing transparency, and fostering community-driven problem-solving.
- Artificial Intelligence in Government – Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
Participants will engage with Barcelona’s AI Strategy, a collaborative effort between government, academia, and civil society. The strategy focuses on implementing algorithmic systems at the municipal level in accordance with legal, ethical, and technical standards. Participants will learn about the AI Advisory Council and citizen committees that design and evaluate AI policies and explore the process of building these committees with diverse expertise.
- Democratic Culture in the Digital Era
This focus area emphasises the importance of building digital literacy and ensuring that technology is accessible and beneficial to all citizens, thus strengthening democratic engagement. Participants will address the need for fostering a democratic culture around technology. They will learn how municipal platforms such as Decidim and other initiatives strengthen digital literacy among different population groups and develop strategies for bridging the digital divide and integrating digital education into community practices.
Democracy Lab format
Democracy Lab serves as a platform for local government officials and democracy practitioners to promote collaborative problem-solving and democratic innovation at the local level. The event takes place in Barcelona from 17 to 19 September 20204, bringing together diverse stakeholders to delve into democratic innovations by jointly working on the real-life challenges presented by participating cities – the challenge owners. Over 2,5 days participants will work in small teams of peers, assisted by a facilitator, to design actionable, ready-to-implement democratic interventions to bring them back to their administrations. In this creative effort, the teams will be assisted by mentors: democracy experts and practitioners from the Nets4Dem network, Barcelona staff and experts, and local stakeholders. To ensure learning exchange and breadth of perspectives, participants will take part in study visits and speak with local community members.
The working language of Democracy Lab is English. Participation in the event is open to cities, towns and organisations in the EU and Horizon Europe countries, and free of charge. We provide lunches and coffee breaks but do not cover travel or accommodation costs.
What are the key goals of Democracy Lab?
Democracy Lab aims to empower cities to address complex societal challenges in a democratic spirit by facilitating peer collaboration, enhanced by the involvement of experts and communities affected by the issue.
This way, we aim to encourage policymakers to view issues from diverse perspectives and engage directly with citizens. This process enables a holistic understanding of the issues and ensures solutions are rooted in real-world experiences.
Leveraging expertise from the Nets4Dem network and host city’s practice, the Lab provides a unique opportunity for cities’ staff members to co-create action plans alongside diverse partners, including peers, democracy innovation experts from civil society organizations and academia, and community representatives.
More information about our plans
Three Democracy Labs are being organised over the Nets4Dem project duration in 2024-2025. The first edition is taking place in Barcelona in September, with the other two events planned for 2025. Each edition will be hosted by a different city and dedicated to a different democratic challenge.
Solutions developed during Democracy Lab will be featured in a Democratic Innovation Toolbox, which will be based on the outcomes of the initiative. The toolbox, which will be available towards the end of the initiative, will be an open-source digital dissemination resource encompassing policy recommendations for embracing democratic innovations and promoting impactful real-life approaches.
Cities participating in a Lab will also be entitled to compete for the Democratic Innovation Award, granted towards the end of the Nets4Dem project (mid-2026).
About European Capital of Democracy
Barcelona was named the first European Capital of Democracy (ECoD) on January 18, 2023. The technical office is comprised of the Barcelona City Council and the Metropolitan Strategic Plan of Barcelona (PEMB), and its duration is one year (September 2023 – October 2024). As the European Capital of Democracy, Barcelona and its metropolitan region host a series of events, conferences, and activities related to democratic innovation and citizen participation, as well as culture, education, and public space. The ECoD aims to establish a space for reflection and high visibility where European citizens can meet, engage, experiment with new forms of participatory and inclusive democracy in collective action, and be inspired by a comprehensive program designed to advance democracy and build or rebuild trust in it.
