What They Needed #
In 2016 , Barcelona’s city government faced a question: how do you actually involve hundreds of thousands of citizens in making decisions together?
They could have bought software from a vendor. Plenty of companies sell “civic engagement platforms.” But the city saw a problem with that approach: if the software that enables democracy is owned by a company, what happens when that company changes its terms, raises its prices, or disappears?
Democracy shouldn’t depend on a vendor contract.
What They Built #
Barcelona decided to build their own platform—and make it open source so any community could use it.
They called it Decidim, which means “We Decide” in Catalan.
The platform lets communities run participatory processes: collecting proposals from citizens, deliberating together, voting on priorities, and tracking how decisions get implemented. It’s designed for transparency—every proposal, every comment, every vote is visible.
But here’s what makes it remarkable: Barcelona didn’t keep it for themselves. They released Decidim as free, open source software that any city, organization, or community can use and adapt.
What Happened #
Today, Decidim is used by over 450 organizations in more than 30 countries .
Cities using Decidim include:
- Helsinki, Finland
- Mexico City, Mexico
- New York City, USA
- Bordeaux, France
- Dozens of cities across Spain
The numbers in Barcelona alone:
- Over 40,000 registered users
- More than 1.5 million visits annually
- Thousands of citizen proposals debated and implemented
But the numbers don’t capture what matters most. Decidim changed how Barcelona makes decisions. The city’s strategic plan was shaped by over 10,000 citizen proposals . Neighborhood budgets are decided by residents. Policy isn’t just announced—it’s developed in the open, with input from the people it affects.
What They Learned #
Open source enables trust. When citizens can see exactly how the software works—when there’s no hidden algorithm deciding which proposals get visibility—people trust the process more. Transparency in the tool enables transparency in democracy.
Communities adapt tools to their needs. Because Decidim is open source, each community can modify it. Some add features for their context. Some translate it into new languages. Some build integrations with other tools. The software evolves through collective contribution.
Giving it away made it stronger. By releasing Decidim as open source, Barcelona gained contributors from around the world. The platform is now maintained by a growing community, not just one city’s IT department. It’s more robust, more tested, and more capable than any single city could have built alone.
What This Means for You #
You don’t need to be a city government to use Decidim. Community organizations, cooperatives, nonprofits, and neighborhood groups use it too.
If your community needs to:
- Collect ideas and proposals from members
- Deliberate and discuss together
- Vote on priorities or budgets
- Track how decisions get implemented
…Decidim might be what you’re looking for. It’s free. It’s open. And there’s a global community ready to help you get started.
Learn more: decidim.org
Barcelona could have bought software. Instead, they built a commons. That’s the difference between consuming technology and owning it together.