Duration:

The ‚Bujna Warszawa ‘programme began in 2017 and continues today, with a growing number of engaged community gardens.

Aims:

Increasing the number of community gardens in Warsaw. Improving the quality of green spaces in the city. Promoting biodiversity, access to green space, social cohesion and participatory management.

Implementation:

Cooperation of the Warsaw Greenery Board with the NGO Pracownia Dóbr Wspólnych and local organisations. Organisation of workshops, festivals, material and advisory support for gardens. Promotion of ecological standards and anti-discrimination practices. Introduction of principles of democratic self-governance in gardens.

NGO Pracownia Dóbr Wspólnych: An organisation working with the Greenery Board, specialising in developing projects related to social well-being and the management of common goods.

Foundation for Community Consultation: An organisation supporting new community gardens to develop principles of communication and collaboration.

Council of Community Gardens: A team consisting of representatives of Warsaw gardens, actively involved in the implementation of some elements of the programme, e.g. the evaluation of applications for material support.

The cooperation between these actors is based on the common goal of developing community gardens in Warsaw and on complementing each other’s knowledge and resources. The Greenery Board provides institutional support, Pracownia Dóbr Wspólnych brings experience in community management, Foundation for Community Consultation provides support in communication and collaboration, and the Council of Community Gardens represents the direct voice of the garden communities.

•       Cross-sectoral cooperation: Effective partnerships between city authorities, NGOs and local communities.

•       Involvement of local communities: Direct participation of local residents in the creation and management of the gardens.

•       Educational and material support: Workshops, advice, materials and expert support.

•       Promotion of sustainable gardening practices: Organic standards and best cultivation practices.

Difficulties / Barriers

•       Funding: Secure a steady source of funding for continued support of the gardens.

•       Maintaining continuity and engagement: Maintain continued interest and activity in garden communities.

•       Diverse community needs: Tailoring support to meet the diverse needs of the various community groups participating in the programme.

•       Management and coordination: Preserving effective organisation and coordination of activities between different partners and stakeholders.

•       Active citizen involvement: It directly involves residents in the creation and management of community gardens, which is in line with CIVICGREEN’s goal of improving active citizenship and participation in environmental protection.

•       Civic education and competences: the workshops and counselling offered in ‚Bujna Warszawa’ can exemplify the development of ecological skills and knowledge, which corresponds to the CIVICGREEN competences framework.

•       Potential for transfer and sustainability: Practices and experiences gained through this programme can be transferred to other cities or regions, which is important for the CIVICGREEN project seeking to spread knowledge and active engagement on a wider scale.

•       Support for communities and NGOs: The programme supports various community groups and organisations, which is in line with the CIVICGREEN project’s target group of citizens, adult educators and associations and NGOs.

•       Innovative approach to environmental protection: ‚Bujna Warszawa’ demonstrates how innovative urban initiatives can contribute to environmental protection, which is an inspiration for other European projects such as CIVICGREEN.

http://bujnawarszawa.pl/en/

Other related resources that have been developed and are available online:

https://pl.thegreencities.eu/trend-na-community-gardens-czyli-o-tym-jak-budowac-zielona-spolecznosc/ (an article on the community garden trend with a focus on the ‚Bujna Warszawa’ programme)

http://bujnawarszawa.pl/ogrody/ (map of the community gardens)

Duration: The project has been going on for several years, specifically since 2013, with competitions and awards given annually.

Aims: The main goals of the project are to promote sustainable urban development, exchange experiences between cities, promote the best green solutions, involve residents and democratic participation of citizens for the environment.

Implementation: Cities across Poland submit their initiatives in various categories (e.g., closed-loop economy, energy efficiency). Winners are selected based on the innovation and efficiency of the solutions implemented.

Local governments, city administrations, environmental organizations, companies and businesses, as well as city residents, French Embassy in Poland.

Reasons for cooperation:

Local governments and city administrations are direct beneficiaries of the project, implementing environmental solutions in their cities. Environmental organizations and companies often provide expertise, technology and financial support. City residents are key to implementing and sustaining these initiatives, and their involvement increases environmental awareness and influences project success. The French Embassy’s involvement facilitates the exchange of experience between local governments from Poland and France, stimulating discussion of universal ideas for people- and environment-friendly urban centres.

Key success factors of this good practice include extensive cross-sector cooperation, involvement of local communities, innovation of implemented solutions, effective exchange of experience between cities, and continuous adaptation of projects to current environmental needs and challenges.

Difficulties / Barriers

The main challenges in the context of this good practice are the budgetary constraints of local governments, the need for long-term planning and coordination, the diversity of needs and expectations of local communities, and the need to convince residents of changes in sustainability.

https://www.eco-miasto.pl/

Other related resources that have been developed and are available online:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkjYxJyx_BJUaWeQH8CEDXQJ_IgMqVUZh (YouTube playlist containing videos about the ECO-MIASTO project, recordings of conferences, etc.)

https://www.eco-miasto.pl/media/publications/62e27cce9322c_Przewodnik_dobrych_praktyk_2019.pdf (Good practice guide for environmental projects implemented in Polish municipalities, available in 3 languages: Polish, English and French)

– Common Goal of Promoting Active Citizenship: Both initiatives aim to promote active citizenship by providing platforms for citizens to engage in meaningful discussions and participate in decision-making processes.

– Environmental Focus: The CivicGreen project specifically targets environmental issues, seeking to improve citizens’ knowledge about these matters and engage them in monitoring environmental policies and projects. This aligns closely with one of the main goals of the G1000 initiative.

– Deliberative Democracy: Both initiatives embrace elements of deliberative democracy, wherein citizens come together to discuss, deliberate, and contribute to policy-making.

– Citizen-Led Engagement: Both projects emphasize citizen-led engagement, recognizing that the insights, perspectives, and expertise of citizens are valuable assets in the decision-making process.

– Stakeholder Collaboration: Both initiatives may involve collaboration with various stakeholders, including public institutions, NGOs, and academic institutions, to ensure that the best possible information and resources are available to citizens.

– Enhancing Civic Knowledge: They provides a platform for citizens to deepen their understanding of various societal issues, including environmental ones, through deliberative processes.

– Empowering Citizens in Policy Monitoring: CivicGreen seeks to actively engage citizens in monitoring environmental policies and projects. The G1000 initiative, through its assemblies, can empower citizens to voice their opinions and concerns about policies, which can contribute to the monitoring and evaluation process.

https://www.g1000.org/en

Other related resources that this tool is based on:

The website typically provides updates about upcoming G1000 events, news related to citizen participation, and other relevant information. G1000 often publishes reports and materials summarizing the outcomes of their citizen assemblies and providing insights into the deliberative process.

The platform is available in 7 different languages (FR, NL, DE, EN, PL, ES, DK).

CitizenLab is an “open source” platform, by opening up their code, they are practicing what they preach and strengthening community engagement by increasing transparency. As a company dedicated to making a positive social impact, CitizenLab also prioritise purpose over profit. Being open-source means continue to remove barriers to participation and give even more communities access to the platform.

– Promoting Active Citizenship: Both CitizenLab and CivicGreen aim to promote active citizenship by providing platforms for citizens to participate in discussions and decision-making processes. While CitizenLab focuses on local governance, CivicGreen addresses environmental issues at a broader European level.

– Engagement in Environmental Issues: CivicGreen specifically targets environmental awareness and engagement among European citizens. CitizenLab, on the other hand, can be used by local governments to engage citizens in discussions about local environmental initiatives and projects.

– Improving Knowledge on Environmental Issues: CivicGreen seeks to improve the knowledge of European citizens and public institutions on environmental issues. CitizenLab, by facilitating discussions and providing information on local projects, can contribute to citizens’ understanding of how environmental policies are implemented at the local level.

– Conditions for Civic and Democratic Participation: Both initiatives aim to improve conditions for civic and democratic participation.

– Monitoring Environmental Policies: CivicGreen emphasizes the active engagement of European citizens in monitoring environmental policies and projects. CitizenLab, if used by local governments to discuss and implement environmental initiatives, can contribute to this monitoring process at the local level.

– Collaboration with Public Institutions: Both initiatives may involve collaboration with public institutions. CivicGreen may work directly with European institutions, while CitizenLab provides a platform for local governments to engage with citizens.

https://www.citizenlab.co/fr-be

Other related resources that this tool is based on:

Demo or Trial Access: Depending on the platform’s policies, there may be options for requesting a demo or accessing a trial version of the CitizenLab platform.

Short Description:

In December 2021, the US President hosted the First Summit for Democracy and this was followed by a Year of Action. On 29 and 30 March 2023, the United States co-hosted the Second Summit for Democracy with the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia. The Summit for Democracy process remains a welcome effort for the international democracy support community, as it provides democracy actors a much-needed opportunity to raise democracy on the political agenda and come together to discuss collective solutions.

https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/publications/democratic-engagement-after-two-summits-for%20democracy-en.pdf

The report aims to compile close to 300 representative deliberative practices to explore trends in deliberative processes where public authorities from all levels of government convene groups of people representing a wide cross-section of society, identify different models, and analyse the trade-offs among different design choices as well as the benefits and limits of public deliberation.

Short Description:

Innovative Citizen Participation explores the innovative ways that governments can effectively engage with citizens and stakeholders to source ideas, co-create solutions, and tackle complex policy problems. It focuses on new research in the area of deliberative, collaborative, and participatory decision making that are evolving across the globe. It documents how deliberative processes are used to tackle complex policy problems ranging from climate change to infrastructure investment decisions.

Public authorities from all levels of government increasingly turn to Citizens’ Assemblies, Juries, Panels and other representative deliberative processes to tackle complex policy problems ranging from climate change to infrastructure investment decisions. There is useful linkage between this resource and CIVICGREEN.

https://www.oecd.org/governance/innovative-citizen-participation/