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European Cities Conference Capital of democracy
© WH International Services/Regina Hügli

ECC "Shaping together: Democracy and participation in European cities"

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

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.

Programme

Day1, 30 January 2025 

Moderation by Sonja Kato

Day 2, 31 January 2025

Moderation by Sonja Kato

Speakers

© Tina Čargo

Tina Čargo

Tina Čargo is a senior adviser at the City of Ljubljana and holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Ljubljana. She has been working in the City Administration since 1999, spending 20 years in the Department for International Relations and Protocol within the Mayor's Office. Since 2019, she has been working in the Department of Environmental Protection. She is a member of the Mission 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities transition team, working with other Mission cities and the European Commission to support the transition and implementation of the Ljubljana Climate City Contract. Čargo is also the coordinator and one of the founding members of the Innovation Hub, which serves as a one-stop-shop for citizens and stakeholders to engage with the city’s climate initiatives. Additionally, she coordinates activities within Project Zunaj (Project Outdoors), a project that helps the residents of Ljubljana carry out outdoor interventions in their immediate surroundings.

© Helmut Prochart

Tamara Ehs

Tamara Ehs, founder of the democracy consulting firm Ehs & Fils, studied political science, communications and law. She is a scientific advisor to the State Councillor of the Baden-Württemberg State Government on issues of citizen participation, the European Association for Local Democracy in Brussels and supports the Burkle Center of the University of Los Angeles in establishing a tricontinental network of cities. In 2025, she is a Fellow at the Academy of International Affairs in Bonn, researching the topic of "Urban Diplomacy for Safeguarding Democracy".

© Aleksandra Grubić-Jureško

Aleksandra Grubić-Jureško

Aleksandra Grubić-Jureško is responsible for participatory budgeting at the City of Zagreb together with Hrvoje Kalčiček. In December 2024, the City of Zagreb completed the "Participatory Budgeting" pilot project, in which citizens selected 16 projects in four city districts. In this process, citizens have a direct influence on the decision-making process regarding the spending of part of the public funds allocated to city districts, in such a way that they identify challenges in their neighborhoods, propose project solutions, and participate in the selection of projects to be financed through the voting process. In October, over 250 projects were submitted, which were then evaluated by district councils and experts from the City of Zagreb. At the end of November, citizens chose the 16 winning projects, which will be funded from the district budget in 2025. The project will continue in 2025.

© Derviš Hadžimuhamedović

Derviš Hadžimuhamedović

Derviš Hadžimuhamedović is a Project Manager at the Department for Sustainable Development of the City of Sarajevo, with experience in cultural management. He is working on a number of projects related to urban regeneration of Sarajevo, with special focus on green, sustainable, and inclusive transformation of the City. He has participated in a number of international conferences and workshops, including UNESCO and World Heritage Comittee Meetings, as coordinator of the International Summer School Youth and Heritage.

© Hrvoje Kalčiček

Hrvoje Kalčiček

Hrvoje Kalčiček works for the City of Zagreb and, together with Aleksandra Grubić-Jureško, is responsible for the "Participatory Budgeting" project. In December 2024 the City of Zagreb completed the pilot project Participatory budgeting. Citizens chose 16 projects in four city districts. It is a process in which citizens have a direct influence on the decision-making process regarding the spending of part of the public funds allocated to city districts, in such a way that they identify challenges in their neighborhoods, propose project solutions, and participate in the selection of projects to be financed through the voting process. During October, citizens proposed over 250 projects, after which the projects were evaluated by the district councils and experts from the City of Zagreb. At the end of November, citizens voted for 16 winning projects. All the projects will be financed from the funds allocated to district councils in 2025. The project will continue to implemented in 2025.

© Gábor Kerpel-Fronius

Gábor Kerpel-Fronius

Born in 1966, Gábor Kerpel-Fronius studied history at the University of Pécs. Before joining Momentum, newly formed progressive liberal party in 2017, he worked in IT for most of his professional carreer. Having run for Mayor of Budapest in the 2019, he served as Deputy Mayor of Budapest responsible for Smart City and participatory governance between 2019 and 2024 and also as member of the Board of Momentum between 2022 and 2024. Kerpel-Fronius is currently an advisor to the Mayor of Budapest.

© Mateusz Płoskonka

Mateusz Płoskonka

Mateusz Płoskonka is a public administration official by education and a specialist in contemporary diplomacy in international relations. He was a scholar of the International Visitor Leadership Program organized by the U.S. Department of State. As a participation practitioner, he works to strengthen intersectoral dialogue. His responsibilities include implementing the participatory budget process and local initiatives in Krakow. Currently, he serves as the Director of the Department of Dialogue, Consultation, and Citizen Contact.

© Matej Grgić

Jana Radić

Jana Radic works for the City of Zagreb and is committed to involving various social groups in participatory practices. This commitment is evident in the involvement of representatives and organisations in working bodies that address specific needs, the development and implementation of targeted programs, and the funding of organisations that support their interests. Zagreb undertakes EU-funded projects and participates in European city networks to foster collaboration and innovation in diversity and inclusion. Zagreb’s dedication to these values has been recognized at the highest level, as the city was awarded the title of European Capital of Inclusion and Diversity for 2024, confirming its commitment to equality and inclusion in the community.

© Antonia Richter

Alicia Reschke

Alicia Reschke studied urban and regional planning at the Technical University of Berlin. Since 2016, she has been working at Mieterberatung Prenzlauer Berg GmbH, which has been commissioned by the Senate Department for Urban Development to implement the Letteplatz neighborhood management in Berlin-Reinickendorf since 2009. As team leader, she focuses on methods of participation and various participation processes in urban development.

© matphoto

Martina Zandonella

Martina Zandonella is a social scientist and conducts research at the Vienna FORESIGHT Institute on democracy and participation, with a particular focus on social inequality and labor. In 2018, she conceived the Democracy Monitor and has been responsible for its annual implementation ever since. She teaches research methods as well as selected aspects of political sociology and also addresses the social issues of democracy in her publications. Science communication at the intersection of research and the public plays a key role in her work.