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Short Abstract

Urban ReLeaf has set up an inclusivity monitoring system to ensure the participation of socially vulnerable groups in citizen science on inclusive green transitions. The collection of minimal, voluntary demographic data balances participant safety with social enquiry into democratic representation.

Abstract

The Urban ReLeaf project invites citizens of six European cities to participate in data-driven decision-making processes to promote inclusive and green urban transitions. The project specifically engages socially vulnerable groups, i.e. citizens who are disproportionately exposed to and affected by environmental health hazards, and who lack the capacity to cope with or adapt to them. Through an open and targeted recruitment strategy, the following groups are more likely to participate in the project: women, older adults, children and young adults, people living in grey areas, and those with a lower socio-economic status.

To assess democratic representation, the project has defined two key performance indicators: participation by minimum 50% of females and 30% of vulnerable groups. To achieve these targets, the six cities are provided with inclusivity guidelines and inclusivity rates are frequently monitored during their citizen science campaigns. To safeguard ethical compliance and privacy laws, the following data collection protocol has been implemented: (i) voluntary provision: all demographic questions are optional and include a ‘prefer not to say’ option, (ii) minimal data collection in the Urban ReLeaf apps: only essential demographic information is gathered to achieve the intended purpose of inclusivity, (iii) representative response options: questions are inclusive of diverse identities, and (iv) analysis of de-identified datasets: personally identifiable information is excluded.

We believe this approach strikes a balance between creating a safe and non-intrusive environment for participants and addresses the importance of social enquiry into democratic practices and representation in citizen science.