EUARENAS Policy Brief: Managing Diversity, Inclusion and Long-term Engagement in Urban Participatory Processes

This Policy Brief, crafted for local authorities, European city representatives, and practitioners, serves as a guide for successfully implementing co-governance and democratic participatory processes. It is informed by preliminary results from the EUARENAS project, which emphasizes the importance of diversity, inclusion, and engagement in local-level deliberative democratic initiatives. Central to this document are case studies from pilot cities, showcasing how they navigated challenges in their participatory endeavors. Key policy messages derived from these experiences address crucial issues of inclusion, diversity, and sustained engagement. Aligned with the EU's commitment to enhancing democracy across all governance levels, EUARENAS aims to foster community trust, combat challenges like climate change, digital transformation, populism, and misinformation, and strengthen European identity. This brief spotlights three local governments involved in the EUARENAS project—Gdansk (Poland), Voru (Estonia), and Reggio Emilia (Italy)—each focusing on different aspects: inclusion, diversity, and long-term engagement, respectively. Through these case studies, the brief provides policy recommendations, suggesting the use of policy and strategy change-making tools for European cities to refine their participatory practices and drive innovation.