The future of citizen engagement in cities-The council of citizen engagement in sustainable urban strategies (ConCensus)

Efforts by European cities to engage residents in sustainability efforts began in earnest in the 1990s with the initiation of Local Agenda 21. While these efforts have heightened citizen awareness and facilitated exchange of information between citizens and decision-makers, most have not achieved broad, genuine, and continuous engagement in policy formulation. In no case has a local administration ceded responsibility for oversight to citizens. We prescribe a process for municipal administrations to effectively engage citizens in policy development and implementation for sustainability through the use of social networks, traditional media channels, and technical support for developing long-term policies.