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Go Vocal’s blog—get insights, advice, and all the latest information on trends to help you foster meaningful engagement.
COVID-19 forced us to evaluate how and when we share space, and nowhere was that more visible than on once-busy streets and sidewalks. Americans cut their driving in half, roads were closed to cars in order to create public spaces, and outdoor restaurants (or “streeteries”) popped up seemingly overnight.
While citizens’ assemblies and panels have been around since the dawn of democracy, they’ve recently received increased attention as an effective means of resolving polarized debates and restoring public trust in democratic institutions.
In recent years, citizens’ assemblies, panels, and committees have increasingly been implemented at all levels of government across the globe. They’ve been particularly useful to address polarizing issues such as climate change, with the infamous Convention Citoyenne pour le Climat commissioned by French President Macron as a recent national-level example.
Public spaces should be equitably distributed, open to everyone, and inclusively designed. It’s no wonder that many urban planning processes now focus on placemaking, the people-centered approach to planning and design of public spaces. More than ever before, there is recognition of the importance of neighborhoods and the significance of factors such as walkability, public transportation, access to jobs, and diverse housing options. And even beyond their immediate neighborhoods, people’s expectations of the public realm have changed.
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