The experiences of participation in the Emilia Romagna region as possible participatory development laboratories

Abstract

The article relates three experiences of participation which took place in the Emilia Romagna Region, which is the second region in Italy to approve a law on participation, just after Tuscany. Starting from a brief legislative framework, the article describes the projects carried out by the Municipality of Anzola in Emilia, one of the first municipalities of the region to adopt a participatory budget; the municipalities of Valle del Savio, which developed a strategic planning process of the territory; and by the Ecomuseo del Paesaggio dell’Appenino of Faenza, created through a process of defining cooperation pacts and developed using the method of community maps.

According to the author these processes can be considered as laboratories of participatory development where citizens, local authorities and territorial actors (professional associations, trade unions, universities etc.) share, intertwine ideas and cooperate, discuss and make joint decisions.

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