The Civic Bond: Cities for and with Citizens

Abstract

Present and future citizens are the political stakeholders of cities in a multipolar and interconnected world. They have the right to consultation and involvement and the duty to exercise democratic scrutiny of policies. Active citizenship means participation in and responsibility for decisions on the future of a city. New governance architectures seek to enhance the potential of all invisible hands of urban societies and economies and build a social consensus on a future vision to be realized with the efforts of all. Citizen empowerment is increasingly considered as ethically correct and a recognized driver of change.

This chapter examines the emergence of new models of citizen participation in responsible cities, a sine qua non condition for sustainability. Innovative partnerships can maximize the potential of synergies, enrich the content and the methods of cooperation, and serve as catalysts of change. Institutional alliances are enriched with a variety of participatory schemes. A world bond involving coalitions of cities, both from the developing and the developed world, can play a major role in addressing global common challenges and achieving the millennium goals for the renaissance of the planet. It can build on the C40 alliances.

9.1 Watercolour 9 Paris, A Living Cultural Heritage and Legacy