Ayuntamiento de Madrid · Plaza de España
The remodeling of Plaza de España was one of the most significant citizen participation processes promoted by the City of Madrid’s Department of Urban Planning. Through the digital platform Decide Madrid, the objective was to redefine one of the city’s most emblematic urban spaces using an open, transparent, and citizen-driven decision-making model, placing public participation at the core of the process. I led the project as Project Manager, responsible for the conceptualization of the initiative, the definition of the participatory framework, and the coordination of development alongside a multidisciplinary team of collaborators.
00
problem
Plaza de España is one of Madrid’s most iconic public spaces, and its transformation required not only an architectural solution, but also social legitimacy and public consensus. The challenge was to design a participatory process capable of: • Engaging citizens at scale • Making complex urban and institutional objectives understandable to the public • Ensuring transparency and trust throughout the decision-making process • Translating citizen input into actionable criteria for an international architectural competition Traditional consultation methods were insufficient for the scale, visibility, and impact of the project.
solution
I designed and led a structured, accessible, and scalable participatory process, combining institutional objectives with citizen-centered dynamics. My responsibilities included: • Designing the conceptual framework for the participation process • Translating urban and institutional goals into clear, accessible dynamics for citizens • Coordinating technical teams, collaborators, and public stakeholders • Ensuring coherence between strategic vision, process design, and digital execution The process enabled citizens to actively participate in defining criteria, evaluating proposals, and ultimately voting on the final design.
This project was not about designing a platform — it was about designing trust.
Public participation at this scale requires more than openness; it requires structure, clarity, and a process people can understand and believe in. The challenge was turning a highly complex urban decision into a journey where citizens felt informed, heard, and empowered.
By carefully designing the participatory framework and aligning institutional goals with citizen input, the process became a bridge between public administration and collective decision-making.
The result was a binding public vote that directly influenced the final design of Plaza de España, setting a benchmark for democratic innovation and digital public processes — and proving that well-designed participation can shape cities in meaningful ways.
Impact
Large-scale citizen participation
Urban decision-making based on data, debate, and consensus
A reference case for democratic innovation and public process design in digital environments
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
010
011
012
013
014
015
016
017
018
019
see also
