The municipal government has greenlit the Citizen Participation and Democratic Innovation Plan 2026-2028, endowed with 3.63 million euros. The new instrument includes 46 actions to open more channels, promote diversity, and continue innovating.
Barcelona has approved a Citizen Participation and Democratic Innovation Plan with a budget of 3.63 million euros for the period 2026-2028. The document, presented this Tuesday by the second deputy mayor, Maria Eugènia Gay, and the councillor for Participation, Sara Belbeida, includes 46 actions structured around three axes: open, diverse, and innovative participation.
The plan deploys the Citizen Participation Regulation in force since 2022 and aims to consolidate Barcelona as an international benchmark in democratic innovation, as highlighted by Gay. "The quality of a city is also measured by how it builds its decisions," said the deputy mayor during the presentation.
Open participation: more channels and transparency
The first axis, open participation, includes 15 actions to improve existing processes. Among them, the promotion of a new edition of participatory budgets for the period 2028-2031 stands out, along with the guarantee of execution of the projects from the 2023-2027 edition. It is also planned to rethink the functioning of the neighbourhood councils through a pilot test and to strengthen the City Council and sectoral councils.
Other measures include the establishment of the Citizen Participation Steering Committee, improving the quality of participatory processes, and holding the election process for the Ombudsman of Barcelona. Additionally, electronic voting will be implemented through Decidim Barcelona in the city's participation bodies, and the procedure for digital signatures of citizen initiatives will be simplified.
Diverse participation: reaching those who participate the least
The second axis, diverse and universal participation, includes 17 actions to reduce access barriers. The plan acknowledges that "formats, languages, times, requirements, or the very functioning of municipal spaces can create inclusion difficulties," as explained by Belbeida. Therefore, a program for new leadership with young people from diverse cultural backgrounds and contexts will be promoted, and the Children and Youth Council will be deployed.
"Barcelona is today an international benchmark in democratic innovation thanks to tools like Decidim, but our challenge is not only to innovate but to ensure that more and more people can participate," emphasised the councillor. The plan focuses on young people, children, individuals from diverse backgrounds, and underrepresented groups in participation spaces.
Innovative participation: digital and in-person hybridisation
The third axis, innovative participation, advocates for a hybrid model that combines the proximity of in-person spaces with the opportunities of digital tools. It is planned to improve the Decidim Barcelona platform and explore new online participation formulas. The plan also includes actions to rationalise participation spaces and simplify bureaucratic procedures.
With a budget of 3.63 million euros, the plan will be executed over three years. Among the most concrete actions is the pilot test to rethink neighbourhood councils, which will directly affect the residents of Barcelona, who will be able to express their opinions on how they want these proximity bodies to function. Additionally, participatory budgets will again become a reality in 2028, allowing citizens to decide on a portion of municipal spending.
The City Council has also committed to ensuring the execution of projects approved in the previous edition, which is a relief for the groups that promoted initiatives such as improvements in parks or facilities. "A quality democracy is not only one that facilitates participation but one that is capable of listening to and incorporating the plurality of voices that make up Barcelona," concluded Belbeida.
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