About the project:
In 2026, the City of Esch-sur-Alzette initiated its first citizens' assembly as an innovative pilot project of deliberative democracy in Luxembourg. Around 40 randomly selected residents represented the social, linguistic, and cultural diversity of the city and jointly developed recommendations on the future of public spaces and coexistence in Esch.
The aim was to test new forms of democratic co-design, to actively involve citizens in municipal decision-making processes, and to strengthen a culture of participatory urban development in the long term.
The aim was to test new forms of democratic co-design, to actively involve citizens in municipal decision-making processes, and to strengthen a culture of participatory urban development in the long term.
Services provided:
Conception, methodological development, and comprehensive support of the entire process – from strategic process design to the organization, facilitation, and implementation of all sessions, through to the documentation and evaluation of the results.
• Development and implementation of an inclusive participation format with a particular focus on linguistic diversity, accessibility, and equality of participants
• Planning, organization, and implementation of a total of 7 deliberative sessions between February and June 2026
• Facilitation and moderation of all plenary formats, working groups, co-creation and deliberation phases
• Coordination of collaboration with DemocracyNext, Cultures of Assembly, the University of Luxembourg, and other project partners
• Creation and editing of all working documents, informational materials, presentations, and multilingual process documentation
• Structuring, consolidation, and preparation of over 90 guiding ideas as well as the final citizens' recommendations
• Ongoing qualitative evaluation and synthesis of discussions, interim results, and deliberative processes
• Conception and support of the public presentation as well as the official handover of the recommendations to politics, administration, and the public.
• Planning, organization, and implementation of a total of 7 deliberative sessions between February and June 2026
• Facilitation and moderation of all plenary formats, working groups, co-creation and deliberation phases
• Coordination of collaboration with DemocracyNext, Cultures of Assembly, the University of Luxembourg, and other project partners
• Creation and editing of all working documents, informational materials, presentations, and multilingual process documentation
• Structuring, consolidation, and preparation of over 90 guiding ideas as well as the final citizens' recommendations
• Ongoing qualitative evaluation and synthesis of discussions, interim results, and deliberative processes
• Conception and support of the public presentation as well as the official handover of the recommendations to politics, administration, and the public.
Results and added value:
Conception, methodological development, and comprehensive support of the entire process – from strategic process design to the organization, facilitation, and implementation of all sessions, through to the documentation and evaluation of the results.
• Distilling over 90 guiding ideas from highly diverse discussion strands into clear, consensus-based citizen recommendations that served as a solid basis for further political decision-making.
• Creating a safe and appreciative space in which all participants felt comfortable – laying the foundation for open discussions and harmonious, constructive interaction across social and cultural differences.
• Growing engagement and genuine interest among citizens, which culminated in them independently handing over the final recommendations to the city's political representatives.
• Creating a safe and appreciative space in which all participants felt comfortable – laying the foundation for open discussions and harmonious, constructive interaction across social and cultural differences.
• Growing engagement and genuine interest among citizens, which culminated in them independently handing over the final recommendations to the city's political representatives.
