Eurometropolis of Strasbourg: North Tram Citizens’ Convention

The 2025 Citizens’ Convention of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg marked a turning point in the way a public project is developed, in this case the extension of the tramway toward the northern part of the territory. Following the negative opinion issued by the National Commission for Public Debate, the local authority chose to innovate at several levels in order to involve residents and ensure a transparent, inclusive, and human-centered process.

A demanding deliberative process

From April to October 2025, 100 residents selected by lot participated in six working sessions. They met with experts, associations, and elected representatives, visited relevant sites, and requested additional studies. Their final opinion, approved by 91% of participants, was presented before the committee of elected officials and the Eurometropolitan Council, marking a key milestone for the continuation of the project.

An internally managed selection process

For the first time, the Eurometropolis internalized the entire random selection process, generating savings in the Convention’s budget. Managing the process internally also allowed for a more precise adaptation to local specificities.

Compensation for participants

Another first: the authority compensated participants for their engagement, recognizing the value of their time and contribution with a payment of €500. This measure encouraged inclusion and mobilized diverse participant profiles, often distant from traditional participatory processes, throughout the entire participatory initiative.

Innovative tools to understand the topic

To ensure that everyone could understand the challenges involved, an improvisational theatre group staged the issues surrounding the project, while a board game allowed participants to explore the constraints linked to mobility planning. These playful and immersive tools facilitated critical reflection, understanding of technical questions, and engagement with the thematic challenges.

A deliberately non-institutional communication approach

The process emphasized the human journey experienced by the participants, telling the story of their collective experience, their questions, and their perspectives. This narrative approach made a technical subject more concrete and accessible, creating an emotional connection between the public and the project.

Toward a new governance of public projects

This pioneering initiative aims not only to inform the development of the new tramway project in the northern area but also to inspire the design of future projects by the local authority, as it has contributed to spreading a culture of citizen participation.

More information:
https://participer.strasbourg.eu/detail-participation/-/entity/id/529414551

https://www.oidp.net/docs/repo/doc1895.pdf