In this episode, we travel once more to the city of Barcelona in Spain, this time to talk democracy with Arnau Monterde, the Director of Democratic Innovation at the Barcelona City Council.

With him, we explored the concept of democracy, citizen participation, and innovative approaches to governance, with a focus on Barcelona's efforts to engage its citizens in decision-making processes.

The Barcelona City Council and the Metropolitan Strategic Plan of Barcelona are presenting the European Capital of Democracy Program 2023-2024 on September 14th at 12:30 p.m. in the Saló de Cent. You can find out more by visiting the Capital of Democracy Barcelona website and Twitter account.

Overview of the episode:

01:28 - Teaser: If democracy were a flavour of ice cream, what would it be and why?

02:27 - Our guests' background

03:50 - What is democracy and what does it mean to Arnau?

04:38 - What does the European Capital of Democracy mean? What will Barcelona do in the next year to uphold this title?

06:31 - Do citizens know best what they need?

08:21 - What is the concept of "collective intelligence"?

09:28 - Barcelona is known for its rich history and vibrant culture. How does the city's unique heritage inspire innovative approaches to democracy in the modern era?

11:09 - Projects that exemplify the intersection of democracy and innovation in Barcelona

14:12 - How can we develop more initiatives to ensure that marginalized voices are heard and represented in the discussions?

17:29 - Surprising outcomes or lessons learned from projects and initiatives

20:42 - What bold idea to further enhance democracy and innovation in Barcelona would our guest implement?

26:26 - Trial and Error: what has been the biggest trail and error when looking at democracy in the past, and how can we ensure it doesn't happen again?

28:48 - Ending Question: To you, what is a Smart City?

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