From the expression of points of view to the co-construction of projects, the work of the citizens’ councils in Saint-Denis

Special report—Citizens’ committees: A lot of fuss about nothing?
By Christine Bellavoine, Elsa Blondel
English

With the creation of “Conseils citoyens”, the municipality of Saint-Denis was seeking to strengthen its participatory democracy system. However, this article presents the difficulties involved in realizing this. In Franc Moisin, a neighborhood undergoing urban renewal, the early definition of the urban project’s objectives and the postponement of its timetable with the arrival of the “Conseils citoyens” make it difficult to appreciate the work of “Conseils citoyens”, especially if they call into question the project’s guidelines. On the other hand, in the downtown neighborhood, the “Conseils citoyens” took matters into their own hands and called on the community to conduct a citizen study on fire risks. This unique situation allows us to analyze the process that has facilitated the move from confrontation to co-construction.

  • Conseils citoyens
  • Citizen study
  • local democracy
  • Saint-Denis City (France)
Go to the article on Cairn-int.info