The purpose of the event which took place in Arezzo was to arouse citizens' interest in the district life and improve the knowledge of local administration, with the global aim of consolidating the link between citizens & institutions and between citizens themselves (creating a feeling of community and a shared awareness of responsibility).
The purpose to have the citizens participate in the planning of new green spaces and ther square of the district. More specifically the goals were: • to create a new form of planning involving citizens in order to reach a shared project. • to elaborate proposals for the different uses of these areas may as well as rules and codes applied to these spaces; • to define different ways to organize these urban spaces and to involve people in making commitments and taking responsibilities in relation to the management of these areas.
Since 2002, the city of Grenoble, France, has engaged citizens in public decision-making through participatory committees and town meetings. Residents have been able to express their opinions and make recommendations on city planning, education, cultural life, and other municipal issues. Over the years, this program has strengthened local democracy and empowered public participation in important civic projects.
The participatory process of Saione “Proposing together, deciding together” (“Proponiamo insieme, decidiamo insieme”) took place in the Saione district of the city of Arezzo, in Tuscany. The process began in 2005 and has been repeated every year since. The main goal of the process has been to involve every family residing within the district to propose solutions about “how to spend public money?” in Saione.
