Open Application: Seeking partners to collaborate with DemocracyNext

Name: DemocracyNext
Price range: $

Download a PDF version of the application info below:

Open Application information package

We are seeking expressions of interest from cities around the world to work with DemocracyNext to make systemic changes to how decisions about urban planning are made, with deliberative and sortition (lottery)-based approaches such as Citizens’ Assemblies as a key pillar of change. The ultimate goal is to help cities be able to make fair decisions that garner legitimacy about the future of our cities related to urban planning issues such as housing, transportation, mobility, environmental impacts, and others.

Using the proposals outlined in DemocracyNext’s paper Six ways to democratise city planning as a starting point, the goal is to collaborate with 3 cities over the next 2 years to adapt the proposals to each context, designing how Citizens’ Assemblies can be embedded in each unique place to broaden and deepen citizen participation and deliberation in urban planning decision-making.

Click here to fill out the application form

In a nutshell, a collaboration with DemocracyNext will involve our team:

Guiding each city through a learning program
Running context-building/knowledge-sharing workshops
Coordinating an Assembly design workshop with relevant stakeholders and local actors
Providing ongoing advice and guidance throughout implementation of Citizens' Assembly

Who can apply?

Municipal governments
Civil society organisations
Developers

Is there funding available?

DemocracyNext has secured funding for the next 2 years from the National Endowment for Democracy to carry out this work with 2 cities in Global Majority countries. This includes the ability to ‘sub-grant’ a portion of the funding to support the cost of a local delivery organisation to deliver the Citizens’ Assembly (and/or venue or other core costs) for the two cities.

Key Dates

12 March - Deadline to submit Expression of Interest (Application form here)
20 March - Shortlisted cities informed
Week of 25 March - Interviews with cities
3 April - Invitation to shortlisted cities to make a full application
3 May - Deadline for full applications
Week of 13 May - Second stage interviews
31 May - Cohort of 3 cities chosen

For more information join us for:

Proposal launch event:

13 February - (8:00-9:30 PST, 11:00-12:30 EST, 17:00-18:30 CET) or

14 February - (9:30-11:00 CET, 13:30-15:00 IST, 19:30-21:00 AEDT)

‘DemNext Office hours’ - General information about Citizens’ Assemblies:

19 February - (17:00-18:00 CET, 8:00-9:00 PST, 11:00-12:00 EST) or

20 February - (10:30-11:30 CET, 14:30-15:30 IST, 20:30-21:30 AEDT)

Information call for cities interested in applying to partner with DemNext:

21 February - (10:00-11:00 CET, 14:00-15:00 IST, 20:00-21:00 AEDT) or

21 February - (9:00-10:00 EST, 15:00-14:00 CET, 19:00-20:00 IS)

Further details and all relevant information can be found below.