Building Digital Cities from the Ground Up Based Around Data Sovereignty and Participatory Democracy: The Case of Barcelona

Primary findings

• Cities can use proximity and scale to experiment with democratic digital alternatives

  Exploratory

• Data sovereignty and citizen control are central to Barcelona’s digital city approach

  Exploratory

• Participatory infrastructures can reorient technology toward public and social needs

  Exploratory

• City networks help scale local democratic experiments beyond a single municipality

  Exploratory

Methodology

Policy essay and case analysis grounded in Barcelona’s Digital City Plan and municipal technology governance practice

Application context

Limitations

• Single-study synthesis; context may not transfer universally.

Evidence suggests association within stated boundaries — not universal causation.