Göteborg Launches Citizens' Council to Shape Urban Space Priorities in 2026

Göteborgs Stads is set to organize a citizens' council in spring 2026 aimed at increasing public participation in urban political decision-making. The council will focus on determining how limited urban space should be prioritized for city life, greenery, and traffic management. To ensure broad and inclusive representation, 12,000 randomly selected residents will be invited to participate via post and SMS, with a lottery ensuring demographic diversity across age, gender, income, and political beliefs. Translation services in Arabic, Somali, and English, along with sign language interpretation, will be provided to accommodate participants.

The council will convene over four Saturdays from February to May 2026, gathering insights that will be presented as recommendations to the city environment committee for consideration in policymaking. Kristina Eberth, planning leader for democracy, highlighted that the initiative aims to deepen democratic processes by actively involving citizens in political decisions. Johan Rehngren, the city gardener, emphasized the value of understanding citizens' views on public spaces to inform sustainable urban development.

This initiative builds on a previous citizens' council held in spring 2024, which produced six concrete recommendations that influenced Göteborg’s environmental and climate policies, demonstrating the city council’s commitment to integrating citizen input into governance. Participants will receive symbolic compensation acknowledging their contribution of time and expertise.