Discover the Finalists of the Innovation in Politics Awards 2021

A flat-exchange coordination office is set up to tackle the issue of a limited housing market and ensure that residents have both affordable and appropriate housing.

This project focuses on practical, ecological, community-based housing solutions by creating a range of housing types, including self-build and self-finish homes, to meet local housing needs.

An experimental, virtual currency is introduced to improve engagement in projects designed to help tackle social problems in a deprived area of Mantua.

A cooperative housing group provides its members with affordable housing that is both clean and efficient, co-creating a living environment suitable for all generations.

Volunteers are individually connected with people living within a 15-minute walking distance who need support with everyday tasks, strengthening local solidarity and neighbourly relationships.

This urban, non-profit living laboratory provides residents with a space to try out, develop and realise ideas, in a supportive and collaborative environment.

A community-driven project protects County Mayo's dark skies, which benefits local ecology and boosts tourism.

This innovative housing project helps end loneliness by inspiring people to living better together.

Groceries ordered via an online shopping platform are delivered once a week to rural community centres, thereby ensuring a supply of goods in a space which facilitates social interactions.

The Social Institute of Culture supports the connections between artists, creatives and the wider community by allocating long-term funds to a diverse range of cultural projects.

A coordinated campaign organises assistance and improves cooperation between organisations, resident volunteers and the city's services.

The Government of Aragon enabled the creation of platform that channelled the spontaneous civic initiatives that arose as a response to the humanitarian crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Citizens’ Advisory Council is set up to initiate a dialogue between residents and the administration about the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to improve acceptance of the responses to the crisis.

Effective collaboration means that free and accurate PCR home testing kits are available for everyone living, working or studying in Vienna, enabling regular and convenient testing for COVID-19 which gives results within 24 hours.

Gdynia supports the medical staff facing the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing a dedicated phone line to arrange accommodation, meals, transportation and psychological support.

A comprehensive range of supportive actions respond to the needs of students, teachers and parents facing the rapidly changing conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A network of volunteers help pupils in their learning process, and facilitate the work of teachers, by providing direct and online learning support.

An innovative protective film that limits the transmission of microorganisms, including Coronavirus, is used in public spaces as part of the city's response to the pandemic.

A temporary measure in response to the pandemic has become part of Brussels' long-term mobility strategy; prioritising pedestrians and cyclists by reducing speed limits and allowing shared use of the roadway.

United We Stream emerged as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic with a fundraising campaign for Berlin's clubs, which then evolved into a streaming initiative showcasing cross-genre cultural formats for global audiences.

A representative group of citizens discuss three challenging topics and make recommendations which will inform the city's plans for the future.

Residents are involved in the creation of the city's development strategy, enabling the realisation of a shared vision for the future.

This free open-source platform allows institutions all over the world to initiate participation processes, leading to the democratisation of development.

A system of participatory budgeting is questioned and redefined in order to encourage maximum participation with a low-threshold voting event.

Electoral District Citizen Assemblies (EDCAs) renew the relationship between residents and their local MPs, with a focus on engaging with those people who are disillusioned and frustrated with the current political scene. Anywhere around Europe a growing number of citizens – the “invisible third” – feels left behind by the political establishment. EDCAs are a low-threshold approach to involve all parts of society into a non-partisan political debate based on random selection and door to door motivation to participate.

Citizen participation in public policy is encouraged through the laboratory's activities, which aim to bring institutions and citizens closer together through open deliberation and transparent decision-making.

Research on the use of urban space in the Old Town of Szczecin led to limitations on car traffic and increased accessibility for pedestrians.

This community-led initiative supports women into politics in rural areas of Ireland, strengthening local and national democracy by increasing the diversity of political participation.

The Well-Being of Future Generations Act provides a legal link between the UNs' Sustainable Development Goals and Wales's future pathway by creating a set of seven country-level Well-Being Goals.

The Urban Lab Rzeszów involves local residents in the development of their city, improving the appearance of the city as well as the quality of life for all residents.

A novel approach to recycling sees plastic bottles exchanged for discounts on public transport tickets in Italy.

Ulm has been chosen as one of Germany's Cities of the Future, implementing digital projects using a bottom-up co-creation approach which will develop the urban environment in a more sustainable way.

An e-governance App is launched which facilitates citizen participation and helps the administration communicate with the city's residents.

A specifically designed App allows disabled parking card holders to more easily find an available parking space, while reducing the illegal occupation of these spaces by able-bodies drivers.

An interdisciplinary international project develops a generic solution facilitating communication between migrants, authorities and civil society, which can also be adapted to local needs.

A structured storage platform for biographical data facilitates the integration process for newly arrived migrants, allowing them to more easily navigate and manage the support services available to them.

Warsaw's e-service platform simplifies and automates services, providing residents with a more convenient, cost-effective and higher quality means of interacting with their administration.

The City of Prague has installed sensors on waste containers, enabling waste to be collected in a more dynamic and efficient manner.

VisualGob is a new digital system which enables the visualisation of the Government Plan, allowing citizens to monitor their government's progress in real time.

Vote Rookie promotes youth participation in politics by combining digital tools, civic education and gamification in one web-based App.

A flexible and responsive waste-collection service is designed to help businesses take control of their waste.

The Citizens' Convention on Climate, an unprecedented democratic experiment in France, aims to give citizens a voice to accelerate the fight against climate change.

Followgreen is a new service for smart cities in the European market, introducing innovative elements both in the field of recycling and in the field of citizen awareness.

A comprehensive research and development project assesses the feasibility, safety and acceptance of the first fully automated public minibus service in Hamburg.

A community thinks globally and acts locally to create sustainable changes and social transformation for a climate-friendly future.

Smart blue-green roof technology mitigates the effects of extreme weather events while increasing biodiversity and protecting the most vulnerable in society from environmental pressures.

Participatory co-design creates a residential neighbourhood around accessible urban agriculture, enhancing the quality of life for inhabitants and the rich biodiversity for all living things.

A cross-border environmental project improves the condition of special areas of conservation, resulting in cleaner water, reduced flood risk and increased biodiversity and carbon capture.

The Shop Without Money is a place where people can exchange objects and skills, but not money, thus multiplying the lifecycle of everyday objects and promoting the value of sharing in society.

A voucher scheme subsidises the costs of repairs, encouraging consumers to fix old items instead of throwing them away and buying new ones.

Businesses consult with older customers about the changes they could make to improve their services, and in doing so engage with an often neglected but expanding consumer base.

A new approach to recruiting apprentices aims to inspire the next generation of skilled workers through the use of new technologies and the creation of regional and national communication networks.

The first training centre specifically adapted to the needs of disabled people opens in Bulgaria, empowering them by increasing their skills, knowledge, and participation in the labour market.

Targeted redevelopment establishes Rural Working Hubs to meet local needs while also contributing to a more economically and environmentally sustainable future.

The first industrial-scale fossil-free steel demonstration plant will transform the steel and iron industry and facilitate the transition to a fossil-free society – both in Sweden and globally.

A new kind of shared housing provides affordable student accommodation in exchange for involvement in neighbourhood solidarity projects which improve the lives of local residents.

An online platform connects local businesses with consumers and offers them the opportunity to have their goods delivered by bike, thus supporting a local and sustainable economy.

A publicly-owned company combines startup ecosystem support with urban cultural development, applying an interdisciplinary and integrated approach.

A small but well-connected town attracts young remote workers to the area by offering them a year in discounted accommodation and access to a co-working space.

Big business subsidises the cost of cargo e-bikes so that entrepreneurs can take advantage of the multiple benefits of delivering goods using this sustainable form of transport.

This new coding school gives young people in Estonia’s northeast an opportunity to learn skills that are in high demand, opening the way to new career paths.

A new sewing academy is launched in a building confiscated from the Mafia, with the aim of giving new skills to young people from marginalised groups.

A digital toolbox helps teachers plan outdoor lessons, facilitating a holistic approach to action-oriented learning, as well as bringing children and young people closer to nature.

An online learning-assistance platform allows final-year school students to prepare for their final exams with the help of pedagogy students.

An interdisciplinary team of students and recent graduates take on the challenge of building a solar-powered car.

A series of events promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, particularly among girls and young women, inspiring the next generation of change-makers.

TeachMillions is an initiative that was established at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns to support teachers and learners in need of distance-learning tools.

All secondary school students in Warsaw are invited to participate in workshops that give them a basic understanding of how the city functions, showing them how they can have an impact on local development.

The Citizens’ University of Larissa promotes a culture of learning in the city, helping to improve the knowledge, skills and future prospects of all of the city’s residents.

Parent-teacher mediators are familiar with the school systems in both their country of origin and in Germany, allowing them to assist newly arrived families in adapting to the changes.

A series of targeted measures offer support to victims of bullying, as well as raising awareness and providing training on dealing with bullying, both on and offline.

A playground adapted for children with special needs allows all children to play together, regardless of their abilities.

The City of Milan develops an app to enable newsstands to securely provide citizens with certificates issued by the registry office on demand.

A project to help migrant children integrate into local schools, providing them not only with an education and new skills, but also with friends, fun, and enriching experiences.

A programme for preventing all forms of violence and exploitation aims to protect children by developing their understanding and practical skills.

Netzwärk is a social startup that empowers people with refugee or migrant backgrounds to develop new professional perspectives for themselves.

A small Swedish town paints its road signs in rainbow colours, calling on residents to respect LGBTQ rights and reminding them that it is okay to be different.

A small local authority attracts new, permanent residents by creating a welcome and support centre for repatriates.

The first social laundrette in Crete provides socially vulnerable citizens with the facilities to wash their clothes and take care of their personal hygiene, as well as a sense of self-worth and belonging.

The Violence Algorithm establishes a coordinated institutional response to domestic violence and supports integrated prevention mechanisms.

Hamburg adopts the DB Rad+ app which employs gamification techniques and incentives to encourage cycling, and enables the city to make targeted infrastructure developments and promote local businesses.

Pink Boxes found in public institutions across the city provide women and girls with sanitary products in order to end period poverty and break menstruation taboos.

A social enterprise facilitates the transition from urban to rural living by working with rural communities to help them integrate new arrivals.

The City of Gothenburg celebrates its 400th anniversary by making the most of one of its most abundant assets – rain – in a creative, playful and sustainable way.

An adaptive lighting system uses sensor technology and insect-friendly LED lights to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists while protecting insects and minimising light pollution.

The Street Moves project reimagines and redesigns streets with the needs of pedestrians, sustainable modes of transport, and the local community in mind, transforming them into multifunctional and inclusive spaces.

Experts and volunteer residents join forces to collect data in an environmentally friendly fight against mosquitos.

The first social supermarket in Poland provides high-quality goods at low prices, supporting the most socially and financially vulnerable residents while also reducing food waste.

An outdoor adventure playground gives children the opportunity to explore nature with their peers under the supervision of specially trained play workers.

An innovative crowd-sourcing approach is implemented in response to Ireland’s housing crisis, allowing local residents to register vacant homes in their area and help create new homes from the existing housing stock.