L'Ateneu

Data policies and democratic participation

The Barcelona Open Data Meeting is a space for debate and deliberation promoted by the Directorate for Participation and Democratic Innovation, the Municipal Data Office (OMD) the Open University of Barcelona (UOC), between Barcelona City Council, experts, organised civil society and the citizens of Barcelona, aimed at making municipal data policies more participative and open.

New forms of city life and, in particular, public administration, are increasingly reliant on the collection, processing and use of massive amounts of data generated by citizens, institutions and, more generally, city life. These processes can affect citizens as a whole. Therefore, we want to think collectively, open debates, socialise questions, and explore how we can promote public data policies that are at the service of citizens and their rights to the city. In this way, citizens should have a greater capacity to influence the processes of data collection, processing and, above all, the use of data. This meeting also seeks to consolidate stable spaces for participation around data and public policies.

Session Structure:

Introduction to the meeting. 16:00 – 16:10. Arnau Monterde.

Presentation of the Municipal Data Office (OMD). 16:10 – 16:30. Marius Boada and Pau Balcells.
Overview of the creation process of the OMD, its strategic plan, and its working methodology. Showcase of current OMD initiatives, such as the Barcelona Data Portal, and a preview of the future Data Governance project.

Working groups and open debate. 16:30 – 18:00. Facilitated by the Canòdrom Technical Team.
Participants will divide into working groups for discussion, evaluating the presentations (e.g., the OMD portal, with a particular focus on the proposed governance model). The session will include space for improvement proposals and will conclude with a dialogue on the potential structure and future consolidation of this meeting as a municipal data assembly.