Open Space Forums to engage citizens in Rennes Métropole5 December 2011 | 13h33 | 812 visits "What do you want to do to reduce your energy consumption?" This was the question asked to participants of the four Open Space Forums, participative discussion groups, organised by Rennes Métropole in November. Rennes Métropole (FR) has already had a successful experience with innovative participative approaches involving citizens in energy issues thanks to the Open Space Forum organised in 2009 for the Energy & Climate Plan. An Open Space Forum is a participative and collaborative method to lead a group of people who decide the subjects they want to discuss. On the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th of November, Open Space Forums took place in four towns of Rennes Métropole in order to involve citizens in the local ENGAGE campaign : "je change, ça change tout". About 80 people took part in these original workshops and suggested numerous ideas via this informal and collective way of sharing opinions. An important lesson learnt through these Forums is that local mobilization is necessary to attract participants. In parallel to these Open Space Forums, a bike tour enabled participants to discover energy efficient and renewable installations of inhabitants of Saint Jacques de la Lande, a town of Rennes Métropole. Insulation solutions were presented in five dwellings. Visit Rennes Métropole’s poster gallery. © photo Julien Mignot |