The challenge

How can public participation become a real driver for livable urban spaces?
In Lenzburg, this question became central when planning the future of the city forest.

The forest needed to serve as a recreational area while also meeting ecological and infrastructural requirements – a complex balancing act that demanded early involvement and broad public support.

The solution

From formal e-participation to true citizen involvement with BrainE4.
Instead of simply collecting feedback, BrainE4 enabled an open and interactive dialogue:

• Citizens could submit, evaluate, and prioritize ideas

• Decision-making became transparent and evidence-based

• The needs of the entire population emerged clearly

Within just a few weeks, several hundred proposals were collected and prioritized through more than 12,000 anonymous interactions – representative, unbiased, and actionable.

The results

Citizen participation built trust and provided a solid foundation for decision-making.
The City of Lenzburg now has a development plan that reflects the real needs of all relevant groups – not just the loudest voices. Infrastructure, leisure, and ecological aspects were weighted based on evidence rather than assumptions.