Forum of the Territory x Odemira Municipality, Portugal

2021 - present
Odemira, Portugal
Citizen participation | Prototyping workshops | Facilitation processes

*All photo credits: Odemira Municipality

Action Dialogue

System Dialogue

Highlights

Since 2021, the Municipality of Odemira has been opening up collaborative civic spaces to strengthen connection and engagement across its 14 parishes. The goal: to activate the local ecosystem by listening to its people, fostering shared responsibility, and co-creating a sustainable future through participatory governance.

The Forum of the Territory (Fórum do Território) is a multi-year democratic innovation initiative, co-designed by The Dialogue Lab, that has been influencing public policy by gathering citizens, civil society, and institutions into an ongoing participatory process.

The Dialogue Lab has been a methodological partner since its inception, designing and facilitating the Forum’s formats — from annual gatherings, to decentralised parish forums, to co-creation labs, school forums, and immersive experiences that build trust and generate impact.

Challenge: Activating Civic Ecosystems in a Rural Context

Odemira, Portugal’s largest municipality by land area, is also one of the most sparsely populated in Europe, with just over 26,000 residents. Its demographic complexity – marked by strong migratory flows and a dispersed rural population – presents structural challenges to participation, representation, and inclusion.

The Forum was born from the need to connect the disconnected: to create inclusive, accessible spaces where every voice matters. By combining local knowledge, social innovation, and participatory dialogue, it aims to co-design a Territorial Agenda 2030,
while reimagining governance from the ground up.

In 2025, a budget was allocated to support citizen-led proposals, developed and voted on in the Forum – a clear commitment to participatory funding and civic innovation.

An Innovative Format in Participatory Governance

The Forum is not a one-off event – it is a participatory ecosystem in constant evolution. Its methodology includes:

  • Annual Gatherings – large-scale public forums to present outcomes, foster collective reflection, and define next steps.

  • Parish Forums – decentralised sessions in all 14 parishes, rooted in local priorities and participation.

  • Co-Creation Labs – thematic working groups developing citizen-led proposals for implementation.

  • Forum in Schools – youth-centred sessions in collaboration with teachers and civic education programmes.

  • Immersive Experiences – participatory spaces using creative and embodied methods to engage participants.

What Makes the Forum Unique

  • Territorial lens – decentralised and place-based participation rooted in local realities

  • Cross-sectoral design – engaging citizens, civil servants, elected officials, youth, and organisations

  • Methodological innovation – using SPIRAL, systemic co-design, dialogue methods, and immersive facilitation

  • Inclusive engagement – targeted outreach to youth, elders, migrants, and underrepresented voices

  • Scalable model – adaptable and replicable for other municipalities and contexts

Why Engaging the Community through Dialogue Matters

The Forum of the Territory shows that trust-building, citizen participation, and collective imagination are not abstract ideals — they are practical tools for shaping more democratic, inclusive, and resilient territories.

With its hybrid structure — part forum, part lab, part movement — it offers a robust model for municipalities looking to go beyond consultation and engage their communities in meaningful, long-term collaboration.

  • 4 Annual Forums (2022–2025)

  • 14 Parishes engaged

  • 500+ Active Participants involved

  • School Forums conducted

  • Community proposals developed

  • Participatory funding allocated

  • 9 Strategic territorial challenges identified

  • Embedded into Odemira’s governance strategy

The Results

1st Annual Gathering: 2022

  • Launch of the Forum’s Charter of Principles

  • Identification of 5 strategic priorities:
    Water, Sustainability, Health, Education, and Family Wellbeing

  • Foundation for the Territorial Agenda 2030

  • Strengthened inter-parish and youth participation

  • Presentation of outcomes from decentralised sessions

  • Innovative group dialogue formats

  • Direct engagement between citizens and municipal leaders

2nd Annual Gathering: 2023

  • Presentation of results from local consultations across all
    14 parishes

  • 9 major territorial challenges identified, including Health, Housing, Mobility, Inclusion, and Environmental Regeneration.

  • Co-creation of proposals with real funding – 4 winning projects selected and co-financed: Mobility, Environmental Regeneration, Health and Entrepreneurship.

  • Showcase of the Forum in Schools outcomes

  • A hands-on set of Co-Creation Labs connecting citizen action
    to a territorial diagnosis.

3rd Annual Gathering: 2024

Partners on this project