About this challenge
Hungary
Challenge description
The Municipality of Budapest’s 18th District faces the challenge of embedding social innovation and participatory governance in its urban-development practice in a systematic and institutionalised way. While the District has already piloted deliberative and community-driven processes, it now seeks to refine these methods, expand their scope and anchor them within a long-term local governance framework aligned with EU principles for Sustainable Urban Development (SUD).Through its knowledge institution – InnoK Institute for Knowledge Management Nonprofit Ltd. – the District has already designed and implemented a structured social-innovation process that combines research, education and participation.
Using a mixed-method approach (qualitative and quantitative surveys across age groups), InnoK mapped citizens’ perceptions and needs. Based on these insights, selected participants were invited to take part in focus-group sessions, where they discussed local problems and co-created ideas for improvement together with municipal facilitators. This was followed by an educational day that introduced participants to key urban themes (climate adaptation, green spaces, community well-being, digitalisation) to build informed engagement. The process culminated in a Community Assembly, enabling participants to integrate their knowledge and jointly formulate recommendations for local decision-making.
By participating in a City-to-City Exchange, the District aims to develop a replicable Local Social Innovation Framework to support inclusive urban governance. The Exchange will enhance local administrative capacities, generate knowledge transfer between municipal departments and civil-society actors, and strengthen the District’s alignment with the EU’s SUD and Cohesion Policy objectives. Ultimately, it will position Budapest’s 18th District as a model for community-based innovation in Central Europe.
Using a mixed-method approach (qualitative and quantitative surveys across age groups), InnoK mapped citizens’ perceptions and needs. Based on these insights, selected participants were invited to take part in focus-group sessions, where they discussed local problems and co-created ideas for improvement together with municipal facilitators. This was followed by an educational day that introduced participants to key urban themes (climate adaptation, green spaces, community well-being, digitalisation) to build informed engagement. The process culminated in a Community Assembly, enabling participants to integrate their knowledge and jointly formulate recommendations for local decision-making.
By participating in a City-to-City Exchange, the District aims to develop a replicable Local Social Innovation Framework to support inclusive urban governance. The Exchange will enhance local administrative capacities, generate knowledge transfer between municipal departments and civil-society actors, and strengthen the District’s alignment with the EU’s SUD and Cohesion Policy objectives. Ultimately, it will position Budapest’s 18th District as a model for community-based innovation in Central Europe.
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This city is looking for
The District now seeks to learn from other European urban authorities that have successfully institutionalised social innovation within their SUD strategies and governance systems. Our main goal is to strengthen the District’s capacity to design, implement and evaluate inclusive citizen engagement models as part of its local development policy and climate-adaptation agenda.
The 18th District wishes to exchange with peer cities experienced in the following areas:
• integrating social-innovation labs or urban living labs into municipal governance structures;
• designing evaluation frameworks and impact indicators for participatory processes;
• applying innovative facilitation and communication methods to include diverse groups; and
• linking social innovation initiatives to broader strategic objectives such as climate resilience and digital transition.
The 18th District wishes to exchange with peer cities experienced in the following areas:
• integrating social-innovation labs or urban living labs into municipal governance structures;
• designing evaluation frameworks and impact indicators for participatory processes;
• applying innovative facilitation and communication methods to include diverse groups; and
• linking social innovation initiatives to broader strategic objectives such as climate resilience and digital transition.
City size
Towns (< 50,000 inhabitants)
Author
David Szebeni
Hungary
president
Hungarian Urban Development Association
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