Giving citizens a voice in green policy: The GREENGAGE project

12/16/2025 - 15:48

What if everyday citizens could help shape environmental policy by collecting data themselves? The European HORIZON2020 project GREENGAGE set out to answer this question, exploring how 'Citizen Observatories' can bridge the gap between public concerns and government action on sustainability. After three years of innovative experiments across Europe, the project is now drawing to a close.

Expertise

Since early 2023, BUas has collaborated with governments, universities, technology developers, and civic organisations from over seven countries. Five pilot projects in Bristol, Noord-Brabant, Copenhagen, and two Italian locations tested a simple but powerful idea: when citizens work alongside local authorities to gather environmental data, better policymaking follows.

Cyclists take the lead in North Brabant

BUas and the Province of North Brabant focussed their pilot on something close to Dutch hearts: improving cycling infrastructure. When members of the Fietsersbond (Dutch Cyclists' Union) expressed frustration about bike path maintenance, Het Burgerlab Fiets was born.

The challenge? Government assessments use objective criteria to evaluate paths, whilst cyclists rely on their day-to-day experiences. Could citizen observations add value to official protocols? And what could reasonably be expected from volunteers?

From pavement to data

Armed with the GREENGAGE App and Fietsersbond App, citizens evaluated bike paths that had already undergone official maintenance assessments. They scored objective features but could also explain their ratings, capturing the 'feel' of cycling these routes. Students joined the effort, collecting data around Heusden, Vlijmen, and on provincial paths.

Surprising discoveries

The results challenged assumptions. Citizens rated path maintenance more positively than government evaluations but they flagged different concerns entirely. Overgrown grass, traffic safety issues, and environmental factors emerged as priorities that official protocols had missed.

Citizen data acted as a 'searchlight', illuminating what matters most to actual users. It also revealed a need for clearer data categorisation distinguishing 'maintenance', 'safety', and 'environment'.

The road ahead

The GREENGAGE experience has enriched BUas' understanding of participatory projects. Students gained hands-on experience in Copenhagen and presented findings at an international conference in Italy. The lesson? When citizens contribute to planning processes, everyone benefits and this is just the beginning.