Reshaping local democracy through participatory governance

Brief of the April 2004 issue of E&U. Are local governments able to give more power to poorer groups? And support their capacities for action and partnerships? Can the urban poor make creative contributions to better urban management? The last ten years have seen many local governments, citizen groups and social movements developing more participatory ways of working together. Much has been made possible by more democratic and decentralized government structures and by bottom-up pressures. Even more has been made possible Also by citizens and civil society organizations demonstrating coherent and realistic alternative approaches to development approaches. This Brief describes some of these new approaches and assesses their effectiveness.