Reducing the negative effects of climate change: Lessons from the Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change in Budapest
Author: Daniel Oross In 2020 the City Council of Budapest invited locals to take part in the Citizens’ Assembly on Climate Change in order to develop a climate strategy that matched people’s lives and aspirations. This policy brief provides empirical evidence of how local governments can address the problems of climate change in cooperation with…
Incorporating immigrant voices? Formal access to participatory mechanisms in the city of Barcelona
Democratic innovations to enhance the participation of city-zens in urban settings have advanced in the world in the last decades. Avenues such as citizens’ assemblies, deliberative polls, participatory budgeting, e-petitions and online consultations have become part of the repertoire of participation available to urban residents. However, a pending question is whether local authorities envision specific…
Closing or keeping open public schools during COVID-19 in Serbia: finding the middle way
This policy brief offers a practical, feasible action plan for how to preserve and enhance the provision of public education in deprived suburban neighbourhoods during a pandemic. Based on critical insights collected in the past year at the urban periphery of Belgrade (Serbia), the brief suggests a shift in perceiving public schools in deprived suburban…
Public procurement reforms in rural local authorities in Zimbabwe
Prior to the introduction of the new procurement reforms in 2018, the public sector in Zimbabwe operated a centralised, corrupt, chaotic, and inefficient system which had a negative impact on good local governance and democracy. The ushering in of the new public procurement reforms in 2018 was a welcome development as it advocated for the…
How to plan for inclusive and sustainable urban transport: a toolbox to conduct a safety audit
Creating inclusive, safe and affordable transport for all is one of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 11. It requires paying attention to the needs of vulnerable groups such as women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons. To achieve this goal, local governments need to understand the way vulnerable groups experience public transport on…
WhatsAppers for Social Good: Local Community Response to Covid-19 in Brazil
The so-called “WhatsAppers” constitute a local community of activists and concerned citizens who use WhatsApp to promote networks of solidarity in Brazil. Since the app’s launch,WhatsApp is increasingly appropriated for social good by activists, not only for “hanging-out” with like-minded people, but it has also become a key platform for twenty-first century politics, particularly in…
Information about ICLD
General information about ICLD. Two pages PDF
Information about municipal partnership
A municipal partnership is an international form of cooperation between a Swedish municipality or region and an international counterpart. The ultimate aim of the partnership is to strengthen democracy at local level.
Women’s quest to participate in local governance in Botswana
This policy brief explores factors that affect the participation of women in local governance structures and investigates challenges that women face in their struggles to represent the voices of their communities. A qualitative research approach was applied in which five interviews were conducted with female mayors and councillors and secondary data was also included. The…
