In October 2022 the municipality of Schaerbeek (Brussels) found itself in a delicate situation as the new circulation plan led to very vocal and physical demonstrations rejecting its implementation. One hundred people gathered on the streets to dismantle the new signs and traffic infrastructure that were meant to reduce transit traffic. The plan was suspended after 48 hours.
The municipal council decided after several months of reflection and ad hoc conversations to engage in a new consultative process. Dreamocracy was chosen to design a careful process of deep listening meant to restore trust and review the plans. The process involves 9 sessions over a period of seven months (from May to October 2023), with 5 half-day public meetings and the selection by lot by Dreamocracy with the municipal service of a citizen panel of 30 people living in the neighbourhood. The panel will be meeting over four one-day sessions.
The process is meant to ease the tensions, enable a constructive dialogue among neighbours, rebuild trust with local authorities and generate solutions that the municipality can build upon.
Location: Schaerbeek (Brussels region, Belgium)
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