SEVILLE PRACTICE OF “SMART COMMUNITIES” AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN CITY MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Currently, the role of various social groups and also of particular citizen in local policymaking in accordance with democratic principles is decisive. At the same time, in order to ensure the maximum possible consideration of the interests of representatives of the local community, local government bodies carry out a targeted policy to provide the involvement of citizens in decision-making process, including at the strategic level. At the same time, in some cases, there is a lack of desire of the local community to participate in the participating management. The article examines the issue of local community involvement in city management and also development and adoption of strategic documents processes at the municipal level on the experience of the city of Seville (the capital of Autonomous Community of Andalusia). In order to ensure methodological coherence, the author analyses existing approaches to the concepts of "local government" and "civil society", including the expertise of published municipal law and local practices experts’ reviews and articles. Additionally, the author determines the complex mode of civil society participation, including youth involvement, in local policymaking in Seville and makes a conclusion about the partial applicability of the considered experience in the Russian local government execution. Based on the content analysis the strategic documents and local practices of civil society involvement are examined by the author to make proposals of possible implementation of such experience. In conclusion the author considers some of the Seville local government approaches to civil society involvement useful and applicable in Russian municipal administration practice.