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This book explores the role of cities in the EU in facilitating civic participation through the commons (CPC), through the prism of constitutional principles. It fills a gap by providing a much-needed theoretical framework for commons-oriented initiatives. It focuses on democracy, participation, local governments and cities, by looking at the two legal orders of the European Union and the Council of Europe. At its core is the case study of Italy, where there is institutionalised collaboration between society and the State in over 320 cities. It shows that by leveraging the four key European constitutional principles of participation, local self-government, subsidiarity and solidarity, all EU cities can act as drivers of the commons. A fascinating and innovative exploration of civic participation through the commons that reinforces local democracy.
List of contents
Introduction
Part I: Democracy and Participation in the EU1. Setting the Scene: The Transformation of Democracy in the EU
2. The Principle of Participation
Part II: Democracy at the Local Level3. The Principles of Subsidiarity and Local Self-Government
4. From Local Governments to Cities
Part III: Civic Participation Through the Commons (CPC) in the Case of Italian Cities5. The Constitutional Roots of the Italian Case
6. The Organisational Model of Shared Administration of the Commons
Part IV: Facing the Commons Challenge in EU Cities 7. EU Cities as Laboratories for Civic Participation Through the Commons
8. Building Blocks of European Constitutional Law for the Commons Challenge
Conclusion
About the author
Chiara Salati is Researcher at Eurac Research, Institute for Comparative Federalism (Bolzano/Bozen), and a PhD candidate at the University of Macerata, Italy.
Summary
An innovative study of how EU constitutional principles can be leveraged to further civic participation through the commons.
