Voicitys

Voices of diversity - connecting people and policies for more integrated neighbourhoods in European cities

Aims of the VOICITYS Project

The VOICITYS project aimed to enhance social integration by strengthening social dialogue in European neighborhoods characterized by ethnic and cultural diversity. The project sought to improve sustainable communication and integration between different social groups and deepen dialogue between policymakers, stakeholders, and citizens. This was intended to promote more efficient diversity management and create policy recommendations at both local and European levels.

Approach and Method Used

VOICITYS employed a dual research methodology combining Community Reporting and traditional social science approaches. Community Reporting was a bottom-up, qualitative research process that gathered lived experiences from residents, while stakeholder interviews provided a top-down perspective from community leaders and decision-makers. This combination allowed for a comprehensive understanding of diversity in the neighborhoods, facilitating the co-design of policy recommendations.

Neighborhoods and Citizen Involvement

The project was conducted in four diverse neighborhoods across Europe: Charlestown and Lower Kersal in Salford, United Kingdom; Historic Centre in Sassari, Italy; Józsefváros in Budapest, Hungary; and Wedding in Berlin, Germany. Citizens were actively involved through participatory events, where they shared their experiences and contributed to discussions on local diversity. Community Reporters, trained in storytelling, played a crucial role in collecting and sharing these narratives, ensuring that citizen voices were central to the project’s findings.

Concrete Results

The VOICITYS project successfully mapped the main conditions, assets, and challenges linked to diversity in the four neighborhoods. It facilitated open dialogue and collaboration among residents, stakeholders, and policymakers, leading to new connections and social cohesion. The project also provided practical know-how to partners and collaborators, enhancing their capacity to use the Community Reporting method and social research techniques in future initiatives.

Co-Created Recommendations

The co-creation process involved three main steps: Local Conversation of Change (CoC) events, crossing the recommendations with research results, and Local Consensus events. During the CoC events, participants discussed and identified key characteristics of local diversity and potential policy ideas. These ideas were then refined by integrating insights from the research results. Finally, Local Consensus events were held to confirm and finalize the recommendations. The co-created recommendations focused on areas such as education, community building, public spaces, infrastructure, and housing, aiming to foster more integrated and cohesive neighborhood development.