Citizens’ assembly on green urban development with City of Gothenburg.
City of Gothenburg is conducting its second citizens’ assembly in collaboration with DigiDem Lab, focusing on a greener and more accessible city for all.
Digidem Lab has been commissioned by the City of Gothenburg to plan, organise, and deliver a citizens’ assembly with 50 assembly members, focusing on sustainable urban development. This is the second time the City of Gothenburg is using this method—and the second time Digidem Lab is involved as a partner.
City politicians have requested Gothenburg residents’ recommendations on environmental and climate-related issues, particularly in relation to the growing city and how to create a greener and more accessible city for all.
In mid-December, 12,000 invitations were sent out to residents of Gothenburg aged 16 and over—half by post and half via SMS. From those who register their interest, 50 participants are selected by lottery based on established demographic criteria: gender, age, district, income level and type, level of education, socio-economic area classification, as well as criteria such as political orientation and modes of transport used during the summer months.
How do you think we should prioritise the space in Gothenburg’s streets and squares – between city life, greenery and traffic?
Together, the members of the citizens’ assembly will delve into the issue and develop recommendations on the topic. The work will take place over four Saturdays between February and May 2026. Digidem Lab will lead the sessions and manage the process, where participants will gain knowledge on the issue, encounter various perspectives, and collectively discuss possible courses of action.
– Citizens’ assemblies are a unique opportunity to deepen democracy by involving citizens in decision-making processes. Here, Gothenburg is going further than other cities, working with us to build a process that meets the international OECD principles for this type of method,” says Steph Toro, who is project lead.
Once the assembly members have finalised their recommendations, these are submitted to the Urban Environment Committee (Stadsmiljönämnden) as input for their work. The recommendations may be implemented either through political party processes or as formal assignments to the city administration.
