From protests to policies: citizen participation towards democratic cities

IAUAI is thrilled to share Mariana Morais’ publication From protests to policies: citizen participation towards democratic cities, investigating how citizen participation influences urban policies in Berlin and São Paulo. Her research includes: 

  • Framework for assessment for participatory procedures based on the criteria of formalization, openness, inclusiveness, and influence.
  • Assessment of four procedures in Berlin and São Paulo 
    • Direct voting: Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen & Co (DW Enteignen), referendum initiative demanding the formulation of a new housing policy; 
    • Representation: Neighborhood Councils (Quartiersräte), local councils to support the implementation of a national program for social cohesion (Quartiersmanagent);
    • Deliberation: participatory formulation of the São Paulo Strategic Master Plan;  
    • Digital: GestãoUrbanaSP platform for participatory planning.
  • Summarization of twenty lessons for democratic decision-making at the local level, including the proactive use of legislation and combination of institutionalized and citizen-based methods, for example.

The study is a result of research conducted by urbanist Mariana Morais at IAUAI, in cooperation with the WZB – Berlin Social Science Center, and with support of the German Chancellor Fellowship for Prospective Leaders funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

We thank all the participants and interviewees for their contributions. Special thanks to Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for generous support. 

Morais’ research is available in multiple formats:

  • IAUAI version with quality graphics
    Morais, Mariana (2022). Citizen Participation in Urban Policy: From protests to policies: citizen participation towards democratic cities. IAUAI, Berlin.
  • WZB discussion paper
    Morais, Mariana (2022). Citizen Participation in Urban Policy: Lessons Based on Berlin and São Paulo Experiences. Discussion Paper SP V 2022-101. Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung, Berlin
  • Newcastle University conference presentation
    Morais, Mariana (2022). From protests to policies: Navigating between streets and institutions towards democratic cities. In Participatory Design Conference 2022: Vol 2, Newcastle University, UK.

Further information by email: Mariana Morais – moraismml  [at] gmail [dot] com.

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