Citizen engagement is an important part of making more sustainable and liveable cities. Citizen engagement has traditionally had a relatively small role in public sector infrastructure projects. How should citizen engagement be improved?
I joined CHAOS a month ago. Before CHAOS, I worked as a communications and participation specialist & consultant. I became very familiar with citizen engagement in the public sector infrastructure projects.
It is known that the infrastructure sector is conservative; processes are carried out precisely and any kind of obstacles (e.g., appeal rounds) are undesirable. Perhaps due to this preciseness, there is a prevailing belief that citizen engagement complicates and creates obstacles in the development and building processes. This odd urban legend also reinforces dismissive attitudes towards citizen engagement.
Consequently, it is no surprise that citizen engagement still has a relatively small role in public sector infrastructure projects, and activities are scarce. In many of the projects I partook, citizen engagement communication was one-sided and closed by nature. The participatory aspect was almost elusive because the sole purpose was to showcase ready-made solutions. Citizens’ opinions and concerns were mainly documented but were hardly applied since plans were already made.
The conservative understanding of citizen engagement is also frustrating for specialists and consultants, who try to involve citizens in city development projects. The tools and methods viable for use are very limited if citizen’s opinions are not valued in organisations or considered as a part of the decision-making process. I found this dynamic side discouraging as I am a citizen willing to participate, in addition to being a specialist
“There are so many tools and methods you can bring to the table if the citizen’s opinions are not valued in the organisations or as a part of the decision-making process.”
In my opinion, the current way of executing citizen engagement is not citizen engagement at all. It is not a dialogue let alone does it provide genuine opportunities for participation. Reworking and revising how citizen engagement is done and perceived is needed to address this issue.
Citizen engagement should be inclusive and take place in open, digital and physical spaces. We need to make citizen engagement processes public and more open, and move towards non-traditional ways for inclusiveness. If the processes are public and open, officials could be easily held accountable for both, implementing citizen engagement and executing citizens’ visions. We also need pioneers and trailblazers who are willing to lead the change.
We need to provide genuine engagement opportunities for all citizens of different backgrounds and needs. This means accessible and easy-to-use tools where one can provide feedback regardless of date or location, language, age or gender. In addition, we need tools, where you engagement is as easy and approachable as interacting on social media. All of the new tools could co-exist alongside the traditional ways of citizen engagement.
There are always cities that are paving new ways and trying to improve themselves with citizen engagement. It is not enough that city policies are changed if proper implementation is lacking. Everyone in the organisation has to adopt and understand the new policies – especially project managers, site managers and individual contractors.
There are certain limitations as to how much citizens’ needs can be fulfilled (e.g., budgeting, planning restrictions). I believe that citizens should be educated in these conditions. Opening the dialogue is an important step in moving towards understanding citizens and creating more sustainable solutions. Besides, open dialogue is the precondition in creating liveable cities together – cities where the different needs and opinions thrive.
“It is not enough that city policies are changed if proper implementation is lacking. Everyone in the organisation has to adopt and understand the new policies - especially project managers, site managers and individual contractors.”
In the future, I wish to see how cities, and the public sector in general, begin to appreciate the citizen engagement as a crucial part of development processes. The change might also require wider social and legislative developments. Additionally, it calls for changes in attitudes and education for officials, so that they have the support needed to apply new tools and processes.
As a result, citizen engagement could become a symbiosis between different parties. Cities would be built with people’s needs in mind and officials could orchestrate the processes to ensure that planning conditions and budgets are still met.
I would like to see how citizens that have been passive start engaging in processes when they learn how engaging benefits them. In my opinion, passiveness is a result of a system that does not work and tools that are insufficient.
Without an efficient citizen engagement process, acknowledging the needs and desires of citizens for whom these cities are built falls behind. Without acknowledgement, there is no understanding.
Our CEO Natalia Rincon explained to me in a meeting that CHAOS means complexity; the complexity of needs, wants and desires. Cities are a complex fabric of different individuals, all with their unique needs. CHAOS, in my opinion, brings clarity in that complexity. We provide tools and insights enabling sustainable and wise long-term decisions so that we could build liveable cities – together. Read more about our vision and values.
Siiri Fagerlund is a creative and effective communications and marketing professional, who has a proven track record in marketing, communications and branding. She also has an extensive experience from citizen engagement and shareholder communications. Siiri holds a Master's in Global Politics and Communication. She is passionate about equality and human rights, and she wants to create a better, more liveable world for us all.
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