Best Practice in Politics
We curate exemplary political work that successfully tackles today’s most pressing issues. This platform is a hub of tried and tested best practices in politics.
A Community of Solidarity for Ukraine
Büyükçekmece’s response to the war in Ukraine goes beyond aid, bringing together local residents, children, and institutions to deliver lasting humanitarian and psychosocial support.
ABC of Empathy, Economics, and Emotions
Ostrów Wielkopolski has integrated financial literacy, empathy, and mental health education into every primary school, building a city-wide ecosystem that prepares children for life as informed, inclusive, and emotionally resilient citizens.
AI4Citizens: A European Model for Responsible AI
Seven European cities are working together through AI4Citizens to ensure AI in public services is transparent, accountable, and shaped by the people it affects.
ArTrics Villaverde: Where Creativity Meets Opportunity
In Villaverde, ArTrics uses theatre, visual arts, and film to unlock the creative potential of young people in one of Madrid’s most disadvantaged districts.
Border Experiences: A Month of Civic Education in Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice
In a twin city divided by a border, Border Experiences builds democratic awareness through shared education, dialogue, and cross-cultural exchange.
Budapest’s Women-Only Citizens’ Assemblies
Budapest’s Districts II and VI hosted the world’s first women-only citizens’ assemblies in 2025, producing binding policy recommendations and a permanent Women’s Council.
Building ‘The Other Hungary’ at the Local Level
In the heart of Budapest, Józsefváros is proving that local government can be a force for inclusion and participation, even as national politics pushes in the opposite direction.
Camden Safe Havens
Camden Safe Havens creates a network of trusted community spaces that provide immediate support to people who feel vulnerable or unsafe in public.
Cascais Tutors: Citizens as Guardians of Their City
Through its Tutors Programme, Cascais has built a permanent model of civic co-responsibility where residents actively monitor and co-manage their neighbourhoods, gardens, and beaches.
CIRSEAU: Building a Water-smart Economy and Society
CIRSEAU bridges research, policy, and markets to fast-track Europe’s shift to smarter, more resilient water management.
CLocalization: Community-Driven Climate Adaptation
Konak’s CLocalization project put citizens, including refugees, youth, and people with disabilities, at the centre of local climate planning, turning community input into 42 concrete policy actions.
Co-Create, Co-Manage
Through neighbourhood meetings, digital tools, and AI-supported analysis across 64 neighbourhoods, Nilüfer put citizens at the heart of its strategic planning process.
CommitClimate: Simulating Climate Action Across Europe
Born from cross-border European cooperation, CommitClimate gives municipalities a free tool to simulate emissions, test policy scenarios, and build credible, data-driven climate action plans.
Como en Casa: Home-Style Care for Rural Ageing
Como en Casa helps older people in rural communities live independently by combining nutritious meals with regular social support and personal contact.
DAY – Democratic Activation of Youth
DAY gives young people from disadvantaged districts in Naples a structured role in democracy, with youth civic agendas reaching the European Commission and European Parliament.
DIGNITAS: A Digital Platform for Homeless Support in Madrid
DIGNITAS helps people experiencing homelessness in Madrid access essential services and receive timely support through a simple and inclusive digital platform.
Diversity Month Salzburg: A City Celebrates Its Many Voices
Salzburg’s Diversity Month is an annual city-wide commitment to inclusion, bringing together residents of all backgrounds to celebrate differences and strengthen democratic culture.
e-Dieleusis: Smarter Streets Through Digital Governance
e-Dieleusis is Greece’s first national digital platform for coordinating underground infrastructure works, helping public authorities and network operators plan projects more efficiently and transparently.
E-engAGEd: InterGenerational Digital Engagement
e-engAGEd connects young volunteers and seniors across Europe in a shared fight against disinformation, building media literacy and digital confidence across 23 countries.
eRecovery: Transforming Ukraine’s Reconstruction Through Digital Trust
eRecovery helps Ukrainians rebuild their lives by providing a transparent digital system for reporting damage and receiving compensation for homes affected by the war.
EU HAVE A DREAM
EU HAVE A DREAM uses participatory theatre across five European countries to turn young people from passive observers into active democratic contributors, with proposals already reaching EU policymakers.
EUle: EU Politics for the Next Generation
EUle brings EU politics to where young people already are, using short videos on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to make European democracy relevant, accessible, and engaging.
From Peaks to Plains: Domokos’s Total Digital Water Network
Domokos transforms a vast and geographically challenging water network into a fully digital system which improves efficiency, reduces losses, and secures reliable water services for all communities.
Galway WATERWAY: Clean Energy from Historic Canals
By harnessing the power of its historic canals, Galway is generating renewable energy while putting communities at the centre of the energy transition.
Hello Life: A Community Centre for Every Family
Hello Life brings integrated community and home-based support to children and families, helping them overcome barriers to care and build stronger, more resilient lives.
IDEU – Inclusive Digitalisation in the EU
IDEU united citizens across six EU countries in a structured crowdsourcing process, turning the voices of digitally excluded groups into concrete European policy recommendations.
Izmir’s Collaborative Open Office: Governing Together
İzmir is redesigning how decisions are made within its municipality – replacing top-down hierarchies with collaborative, mission-based teams to make local government faster, more transparent and more accountable.
Järvaveckan: Democracy From the Margins to the Mainstream
Järvaveckan brings Sweden’s entire political establishment to one of its most marginalised suburbs, turning a segregated neighbourhood into a national stage for democratic dialogue and inclusion.
Join the Future!
Nilüfer Municipality gives young people a permanent seat at the table, embedding youth participation directly into strategic planning and local governance.
JustWork: Turning Disability Inclusion into Real Employment
JustWork bridges the gap between people with disabilities and inclusive employers, combining digital matching and personalised support to open real pathways to employment in Cascais.
Koekelberg Connects: Citizens in Action!
Through participatory budgeting, a Democracy Month, and a volunteer platform, Koekelberg makes civic engagement a permanent part of local life.
KOVAS: A Digital Shield for City Safety
KOVAS helps Vilnius’ residents stay informed and prepared by providing real-time safety information and emergency alerts through a single digital platform.
KözpénzRadar: Putting Public Oversight in Citizens’ Hands
Using crowdsourcing and gamification, KözpénzRadar puts public oversight in the hands of ordinary citizens, safely exposing misuse of state funds in Hungary’s rural communities.
Kyiv’s Wartime Digital Governance
Kyiv’s City Service Platform delivers essential municipal services digitally, allowing residents to access social support, housing, and wartime assistance safely from home.
Learning Bratislava: A City Behind Its Teachers
Bratislava responded to a teacher wellbeing crisis with a free, city-wide support system combining professional development, peer learning, and burnout prevention, reaching over 3,000 teachers.
León Smart Solar City
León has turned its municipal buildings into a single shared energy network, saving over €620,000 annually, cutting 860 tonnes of CO₂, and proving that collective solar power works at city scale.
Mental Guard: A Safety Net for School Wellbeing
Mental Guard helps Ukrainian school communities detect emotional distress early and provides timely support to strengthen the mental resilience of children, families, and educators.
Moldova’s Youth Participation Model
CONCORDIA Moldova helps vulnerable young people move from the margins of society to the centre of community life, building the skills, confidence, and opportunities to become active citizens.
Moon Nest: A Night at the Nursery in Terézváros
Moon Nest turns familiar nurseries into a source of support for families, helping children build confidence and independence while giving parents time to recharge.
Navarra Mobile Citizen Office: No Village Left Behind
Navarra’s Mobile Citizen Office travels to rural communities across the region, bringing government services, digital inclusion, and democratic proximity directly to the people who need them most.
Network of Cities for Collaborative Housing (NETCO)
NETCO unites over 20 European cities in a shared platform for collaborative housing, helping municipalities scale community-led solutions to affordability, inclusion, and urban resilience.
ODELL: Europe’s First Local Democracy Observatory
Bilbao leads ODELL, Europe’s first observatory dedicated to protecting local leaders from disinformation and harassment and rebuilding citizen trust in local democracy.
OpenCouncil: Making Local Democracy Accessible Through AI
OpenCouncil uses artificial intelligence to make local democracy more accessible by turning city council meetings into searchable, easy-to-understand information for citizens.
Oslo’s Climate Budget
As the world’s first climate budget, Oslo’s model has cut direct emissions by 40%, electrified public transport, and become a blueprint for cities across Norway and internationally.
A Community of Solidarity for Ukraine
Büyükçekmece’s response to the war in Ukraine goes beyond aid, bringing together local residents, children, and institutions to deliver lasting humanitarian and psychosocial support.
ABC of Empathy, Economics, and Emotions
Ostrów Wielkopolski has integrated financial literacy, empathy, and mental health education into every primary school, building a city-wide ecosystem that prepares children for life as informed, inclusive, and emotionally resilient citizens.
AI4Citizens: A European Model for Responsible AI
Seven European cities are working together through AI4Citizens to ensure AI in public services is transparent, accountable, and shaped by the people it affects.
ArTrics Villaverde: Where Creativity Meets Opportunity
In Villaverde, ArTrics uses theatre, visual arts, and film to unlock the creative potential of young people in one of Madrid’s most disadvantaged districts.
Border Experiences: A Month of Civic Education in Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice
In a twin city divided by a border, Border Experiences builds democratic awareness through shared education, dialogue, and cross-cultural exchange.
Budapest’s Women-Only Citizens’ Assemblies
Budapest’s Districts II and VI hosted the world’s first women-only citizens’ assemblies in 2025, producing binding policy recommendations and a permanent Women’s Council.
Building ‘The Other Hungary’ at the Local Level
In the heart of Budapest, Józsefváros is proving that local government can be a force for inclusion and participation, even as national politics pushes in the opposite direction.
Camden Safe Havens
Camden Safe Havens creates a network of trusted community spaces that provide immediate support to people who feel vulnerable or unsafe in public.
Cascais Tutors: Citizens as Guardians of Their City
Through its Tutors Programme, Cascais has built a permanent model of civic co-responsibility where residents actively monitor and co-manage their neighbourhoods, gardens, and beaches.
CIRSEAU: Building a Water-smart Economy and Society
CIRSEAU bridges research, policy, and markets to fast-track Europe’s shift to smarter, more resilient water management.
CLocalization: Community-Driven Climate Adaptation
Konak’s CLocalization project put citizens, including refugees, youth, and people with disabilities, at the centre of local climate planning, turning community input into 42 concrete policy actions.
Co-Create, Co-Manage
Through neighbourhood meetings, digital tools, and AI-supported analysis across 64 neighbourhoods, Nilüfer put citizens at the heart of its strategic planning process.
