  Trust and confidence in democratic institutions is at an all-time low. At the
same time, many of the complex issues faced by city administrators and
politicians remain unresolved. To tackle these concerns, many argue that
citizens should, through the use of digital platforms, have greater involvement
in decision-making processes. This paper describes research into two such
platforms, 'Decide Madrid' and 'Better Reykjavik'. Through the use of
interviews, questionnaires, ethnographic observation, and analysis of platform
data, the study will determine if these platforms provide greater participation
or simply replicate what is already offered by numerous other digital tools.
The findings so far suggest that to be successful platforms must take on a form
of deliberative democracy, allowing for knowledge co-production and the
emergence of collective intelligence. Based on this, we aim to identify key
features of sustainable models of online participation.
