On the Development of Citizens’ Activity in Solving Local Issues in the Municipalities of the Kaliningrad Region

Abstract

The practice of municipalities of the Kaliningrad region of citizen involvement into the joint solution of local issues is described in the article. The authors concluded that existing practices of civil participation need to be expanded in the conditions of digital technological development. Changes should be based on the introduction of digital technologies, new approaches to communication with citizens, including those who are engaged in management and business activities in the area of residence. The “Active Citizen / Kaliningrad Oblast” portal with its corresponding refinement can become the resource that will allow implementing modern mechanisms for involving citizens in solving local issues. Among these mechanisms are participatory budgeting, crowdsourcing, targeted opinion polls and public discussions. The portal can also enable citizens to offer their own initiative solutions of problems in the life of the local community.

Keywords

• municipality
• local governments
• local community
• civil participation
• digitalization
• proactive budgeting
• crowdsourcing
• kaliningrad region