ECC "Capital of democracy"

30. - 31.1.2025

Vienna is the European Capital of Democracy 2024/25 and will serve as the center of a diverse program focused on democracy and participation for one year. The European Cities Conference on January 30 and 31, 2025, will provide a space for exchanging experiences, mutual learning and looking beyond one's own horizons. Experts and decision-makers from the City of Vienna and its partner cities will discuss best practices, collaboration with different target groups and the right tools for democracy and participation.

On the first day, January 30, 2025, the focus will be on why democratic participation is so important for citizens. The "European Capital of Democracy" initiative and the City of Vienna's newly established Office for Participation will be introduced. Experts will present the current data on participation and citizen involvement in European cities. The first panel will explore how cities actively engage citizens and the changes that result from this. Under the motto "Came to stay", the following focus will be on the institutionalization of participation processes and the role of city administrations. The final panel will focus on discussions about the various methods of participation – from participatory budgeting and citizens' councils to forms of participation of municipal companies.

The second day, the 31st of January 2025, will focus on engaging and involving different target groups in citizen participation projects. The discussion will center on strategies and innovative approaches to encourage more people to actively shape their living environment. Particular attention will be given to the opportunities and challenges posed by digitalization. The potential of digital tools for citizen participation will be explored, including which target groups can be reached and who may be excluded.

Start of conference: Thursday, 30 January 2025, 11 am

End of conference: Friday, 31 January 2025, 1 pm

Venue: Urania, Uraniastraße 1, 1010 Vienna

Please register at: ecc@viennaoffices.at

The conference language will be German. Simultaneous interpretation will also be provided into and from the following languages or language groups: Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BH/HR/SRB), Bulgarian (BG), English (EN), Polish (PL), Czech (CZ) and Hungarian (HU).

Please note that photographs will be taken at the conference venue and may be published for event documentation purposes, including on social media channels.