Dialogue, civic participation, and decision-making: How the сitizens’ assembly works in Zhytomyr
On October 25-26 Zhytomyr was hosting a Citizens’ Assembly – an innovative format for public participation in decision-making.
Zhytomyr has become the first major city in Ukraine to implement this tool for dialogue between residents, experts, and local authorities.
The Assembly brings together 64 residents of Zhytomyr, selected by a random selection method based on the city’s address list. Over two consecutive weekends, participants have been learning, listening to expert presentations, engaging in discussions, and developing recommendations for the city government.
The topic of this Assembly is transport infrastructure and sustainable urban mobility. The participants represent various groups of transport users, including drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users. The group spans generations – from 15 to 91 years old – and includes people with disabilities, bringing a truly wide range of perspectives to the table.
“The Citizens’ Assembly is not just a new dialogue format – it’s a way to deepen democracy in our city. We want Zhytomyr residents not only to express their opinions but to influence the decisions that shape the city’s future truly.” – said Halyna Shymanska, secretary of the Zhytomyr city council.
“The Citizens’ Assembly has three key features. First, participants are chosen by lottery, which means many of them are engaging in civic life for the first time. Second, instead of merely voicing their wishes, participants develop realistic and actionable recommendations that take into account the city’s budget, technological constraints, and local context. It’s a model of cooperation between the community and the authorities, built on mutual understanding and trust. The third feature is consensus – through numerous discussions, the group usually arrives at recommendations supported by the majority.” – explained Oleksandra Keudel, PhD, Associate Professor and Deputy Dean for Research at the Faculty of Social Sciences, lead researcher of the BRIDGE project, and Director of the Center for Democratic Resilience at the Kyiv School of Economics.
The Citizens’ Assembly model has already proven effective in Canada, Israel, and several South American countries. It helps residents better understand urban challenges and collaborate with local authorities to find shared solutions.
“Most importantly, people learn to listen to one another and seek common ground, rather than just make demands. That’s what true participatory democracy looks like.” – added Oleksandra Keudel.
“Participants in Zhytomyr’s Assembly are working with experts – from municipal transport specialists and representatives of civic organizations to members of the cycling community and researchers in the field of mobility.” – said Illia Tkachenko, project manager of the Urbanism and post-war reconstruction program at the Kyiv School of Economics and research coordinator for the BRIDGE project.
During the sessions, participants discussed issues such as road safety, the development of cycling infrastructure, and tactical urbanism.
“A city should be convenient for everyone – from cyclists to people with disabilities. The Assembly allows every voice to be heard and helps find solutions that truly work.” – emphasized Volodymyr Vakhitov, PhD in Economics (University of Kentucky), Director of the Institute for Behavioral Studies at American University Kyiv.
“I ride a bike and often use the trolleybus. I’d love to see more bike lanes in the city – it’s difficult to ride on sidewalks now.” – shared Danylo, a 15-year-old participant and student at the Road Transport College.
After the Assembly concludes, the BRIDGE team will prepare a public report with recommendations, which will be officially presented to the city council. The Zhytomyr city council, in turn, is obliged to review all proposals from the participants and support their implementation.
The citizens’ assembly is organized in partnership with the Zhytomyr city council and the BRIDGE project.