2025 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"
19th Edition
The Grenoble Volunteers project offers a unified, accessible ecosystem to encourage citizen engagement in all its forms. In a city renowned for its democratic innovation, this scheme simplifies and centralizes participation tools (Participatory Budget, Citizen Councils, Citizen Interpellations...) within an integrated digital platform and local support.
The aim is to facilitate access to participation, enabling everyone to get involved on a one-off or long-term basis, according to their wishes and availability. To achieve this, a digital and physical welcome is offered, as well as training tools and a renovated House of Associative and Citizen Life (Maison de la Vie Associative et Citoyenne - MVAC), open 7 days a week. Inspired by local and international experiences, this initiative places Grenoble in a constantly evolving dynamic of participatory democracy.
Since December 2021, Grenoble (157,477 inhabitants, 4,900 associations) has been implementing Grenoble Volunteers to strengthen and structure citizen involvement. This project integrates existing schemes into a coherent and inclusive ecosystem, structured around three levers: a digital platform to centralize opportunities for engagement, a renovated MVAC designed as a third place dedicated to participation, and strengthened municipal coordination to ensure the coherence and transversality of actions.
Inclusion is a key element of the project. To reach audiences far removed from participation, awareness-raising campaigns using SMS text messages, flyers and prize draws have been set up, complementing work with local associations and schools. This approach makes it possible to tailor engagement paths to the needs of each individual.
The results are promising: an increase in participation and a diversification of audiences. Attendance at the MVAC has risen by 30%, and events such as the Associations Forum attract over 8,000 visitors. By 2024, the participatory platform will have attracted more than 20,000 visits.
An annual collaborative evaluation, bringing together elected officials, agents, researchers and citizens, enables the project to be adjusted. In 2023, the sortition process was analyzed, and in 2024, the focus is on youth participation. Thanks to this evolutionary approach, Grenoble aims to create personalized and accessible paths of engagement, while strengthening the link between citizens and institutions.
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