The Barn i by project began in 2014 and aimed to inspire municipalities to use the Kids Tracks as a tool to ensure children and young people have a genuine say in planning processes. Now that the project has come to an end, the final report is available. Download the report here (the report is available only in Norwegian).
“What we learned in this project is that municipalities need systems that capture the results of participation processes. Participation is not integrated into routines and working methods and the responsibility is not placed within the organisational structure,” explains Karoline Birkeli-Gauss, Project Manager for the Barn i by project.
Pilot municipalities
The following routines, for example, were identified and carried out as part of the project:
- Kids Tracks registration has its own map overlay in GIS
- Resources are allocated to follow up on Kids Tracks and general long-term participation
- Kids Tracks is incorporated into internal checklists and templates for start-up meetings
- Kids Tracks registration and reports are available on the municipal intranet
Attitudes and culture
But participation is not just about routines and systems; it also involves attitudes and culture and how we talk and think about participation.
“Thanks to the efforts of Giske, Ski and Bodø, we are well on our way. However, considerable efforts still need to be made to ensure that participation is a natural and integral part of municipal city and urban development processes. DOGA will therefore follow up on this project with further efforts aimed at participation in the future,” says Birkeli-Gauss.
These further efforts include the Folketråkk (Citizens Tracks) project, which aims to get residents of all ages involved in municipal planning processes.