Abstract
This paper presents a practice-based approach to designing a platform for creative and deliberative citizen participation, grounded in observations of how people deliberate face-to-face. Insights from these observations informed the design, enabling the platform to mirror and extend in-person dynamics. Because deliberative processes are diverse and serve multiple purposes, taking them online requires a modular architecture, diverse deliberation tools, and flexible moderation. Participation processes also evolve during execution, so the platform was designed for adaptability, allowing moderators to respond to emerging dynamics and changing needs. The paper discusses and evaluates several practical cases demonstrating the platform’s application. Finally, it reflects on how integrating generative AI can strengthen deliberation by managing information overload, supporting moderation, and improving accessibility—for example, through automated translation—and by helping participants stay informed through document and dialogue summarisation.
Keywords
Citizen Participation, Online Deliberation, Civic Technology
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2374
Citation
Quanjer, A., Karimi, N., and van Leeuwen, J.P. (2026) Public Dialogues: A citizen participation platform for adaptive deliberation, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2374
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Public Dialogues: A citizen participation platform for adaptive deliberation
This paper presents a practice-based approach to designing a platform for creative and deliberative citizen participation, grounded in observations of how people deliberate face-to-face. Insights from these observations informed the design, enabling the platform to mirror and extend in-person dynamics. Because deliberative processes are diverse and serve multiple purposes, taking them online requires a modular architecture, diverse deliberation tools, and flexible moderation. Participation processes also evolve during execution, so the platform was designed for adaptability, allowing moderators to respond to emerging dynamics and changing needs. The paper discusses and evaluates several practical cases demonstrating the platform’s application. Finally, it reflects on how integrating generative AI can strengthen deliberation by managing information overload, supporting moderation, and improving accessibility—for example, through automated translation—and by helping participants stay informed through document and dialogue summarisation.