Luján de Cuyo: “Collective Intelligence Laboratory”

The Collective Intelligence Laboratory – Participatory Budget (LIC-PP) consolidated in Luján de Cuyo a permanent infrastructure for territorially grounded democratic planning, transforming citizen participation into an effective tool for public decision-making.

The initiative emerged as an evolution of the proximity-based governance model promoted by the Directorate of Citizen Participation and Proximity, integrating territorial identity, participatory diagnosis, community co-creation, and budget allocation. Unlike traditional participatory budgeting processes, the LIC-PP is embedded within a broader ecosystem of collective intelligence that connects with existing territorial and cultural initiatives such as Hagamos Plaza and the Reconstruction of Local Identities (RIL).

The process began with listening sessions during district harvest festivals (vendimias distritales) and park inaugurations—spaces deeply connected to the identity of the Luján community—where residents shared concerns, opportunities, and visions for the future. This information was systematized by district and used as the basis for the development of community projects. The methodology was structured in five phases: participatory territorial diagnosis; open district laboratories for project design; “ecology of knowledge” dialogues between residents and municipal technical teams; technical validation and binding district voting; and the incorporation of winning projects into the municipal budget.

The LIC-PP functions as a true laboratory of ideas where technical knowledge and community knowledge interact to co-design viable solutions while preserving territorial identity. Voting is public and binding, and project implementation follows principles of transparency and traceability.

In 2025, more than 2,800 people participated in the various stages of the process. More than 50 projects were developed, of which 26 were selected, representing an investment of approximately 600 million pesos distributed across 13 districts. In this way, the LIC-PP transformed participation into effective political capacity, integrating identity, evidence, and democratic decision-making as pillars of sustainable local development.

More information:
https://lujandecuyo.gob.ar/cercania/
https://www.oidp.net/docs/repo/doc1900.pdf