Launch of the Lemesos Commons

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1st meeting of the Lemesos Commons team

On Tuesday, July 17th, the "Lemesos Commons" initiative began, involving 25 officials from the Municipality of Limassol, professionals from the built environment, and the EU project team "Lemesos City Cooling Challenge - LC3." 

The first meeting was focused on the city's green routes, a topic that emerged in the participatory co-creation solution workshops with the Municipality staff that were completed by the end of May.

The proposals resulting from the workshops are further discussed in the "Lemesos Commons" to design realistic and sustainable solutions to be included in the City's Climate Contract.

A highlight of this session was the intervention of Mayor Mr. G. Armeutis. In his intervention, he emphasized the importance of constructive dialogue and inclusive citizen participation to sustain the project’s results.

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The role of the Lemesos Commons

" Lemesos Commons consists of a group of 25 citizens with a six-month rotation - a total of 4 groups are expected to operate throughout the project implementation period. 

The overall design is based on the logic of "bottom-up" governance and is rooted in the idea that it is a democratic right for those who influence and are affected by a decision to participate in its planning and decision-making processes from the outset.

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How the "Lemesos Commons" team will operate

Participants will discuss and intervene in specific projects proposed by the co-workshops that are ready for implementation, focusing particularly on:

- Data collection

- Conflict resolution

- Decision making

- Project implementation problems

- Policy-related issues

Their commitment: Volunteering for two to three hours monthly, asynchronous online contributions, and in-person meetings. Their reflective learning will be disseminated throughout the broader society. Former members who have been replaced continue to participate online as "public opinion." The minutes of the consultations are published online and are open for everyone to read, along with moderated comments.