The challenge

How can citizen participation reflect every voice – not just the loudest?
In Bern’s Wyler district, plans for a large-scale shared space aimed to reduce traffic and create a more vibrant public environment.

But one question remained: how to ensure the project truly represented the needs of the entire community? This is where BrainE4 came in.

The solution

Real citizen dialogue – simple, anonymous, and constructive
With BrainE4, the City of Bern launched an open, structured dialogue:
• Residents, visitors, and local stakeholders submitted their ideas.
• Every contribution was anonymously rated and refined.
• The result: a clear, unbiased understanding of what truly mattered to the community – free from social pressure or bias.

Individual opinions became a collective, actionable consensus.

The results

Planning with support – instead of conflicts after the fact.
• Solid evidence for decision-making
• Broad consensus on traffic calming and public space design
• High acceptance and active participation from the community

The shared space project is now being developed on this foundation – with strong citizen backing from day one.