In autumn 2020, together with the Regional Council of Satakunta (Satakuntaliitto), we organised a deliberative citizens’ dialogue on the future of Satakunta. The dialogue was part of the PALO research project funded by the Strategic Research Council. The dialogue supported the preparation of Satakunta’s new regional plan.
The regional plan is Satakunta residents’ shared view of the desired long-term direction for the region’s development. People with different backgrounds and opinions were invited to the citizens’ dialogue to deliberate information related to the topic. The purpose was to enable residents to influence the development of the region’s future. The results of the discussions became part of the background material used to prepare the regional plan.
From a research perspective, the pilot examined the impact of deliberative citizens’ dialogue on participants’ views and conceptions of the future. In connection with the dialogue, a further aim was to explore—using an imaginative “future” exercise—whether citizens’ dialogue could promote consideration of future generations in decision-making.
A random sample of 6,000 residents of the region were invited. Ultimately, 55 people participated from among those who expressed interest, in a way that reflected Satakunta’s population fairly well in terms of gender, age, and place of residence.
The dialogue was originally intended to be held in spring 2020 in Pori, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was conducted remotely. The discussions took place in small groups. The dialogue covered various goals for Satakunta’s future development as well as future scenarios for the region prepared by the Regional Council of Satakunta.
Demokratian uudistamisen tutkimusryhmä, Turun yliopisto
Filosofian, poliittisen historian ja valtio-opin laitos
Yhteiskuntatieteellinen tiedekunta
20014 Turun yliopisto
Vastuullinen tutkija professori Maija Setälä maija.setala@utu.fi
