70 Assembly Members Discussed and Designed the Future of Bogotá
- Nov 19, 2025
- 3 min read
70 assembly members discussed and designed recommendations for solid waste management in Bogotá: the 2025 Deliberative Cycles conclude
The Deliberative Cycles are a citizen participation exercise led by the Bogotá Planning Secretariat, with support from Fundación Corona and Extituto de Política Abierta.
After six days of work, the 70 assembly members reached 19 solutions related to waste management and city cleanliness.
The proposals include source separation, differentiated collection, environmental education, and dignifying recycling.
93% of participants trusted the representativeness of the selection process, and 65% strengthened their deliberative skills.
Bogotá, November 19, 2025.
After six days of dialogue and collective learning, Bogotá concluded the 2025 Deliberative Cycles, a citizen participation initiative led by the District Planning Secretariat, Fundación Corona, and Extituto de Política Abierta. The process brought together 70 assembly members selected by lottery to deliberate and build proposals on one of the city’s most urgent challenges: solid waste management and cleanliness.
“Bogotá’s Deliberative Cycles continue strengthening democracy in the District. This year, the process on solid waste was an example of how to build trust between citizens and government, and of how to share decision‑making power on issues that affect the entire population,” said Diana Dajer, Democracy Manager at Fundación Corona.ona.
During the six days of work, the assembly members analyzed, deliberated, and prioritized collective solutions aimed at improving waste management, strengthening civic culture regarding public space cleanliness, and promoting shared responsibility among citizens, the administration, and waste management service providers.
“We are very happy, very excited, because we are closing the 2025 Deliberative Cycles with a very positive balance. This marks the beginning of joint work based on the results the assembly members are giving us, and on everything the Administration will begin doing with the recommendations delivered today,” said Úrsula Ablanque Mejía, District Planning Secretary.
The set of citizen recommendations points to concrete interventions combining infrastructure, civic culture, and strengthening of recycling practices. Among the proposals made by the assembly members are:
Installing differentiated waste containers in neighborhoods, plazas, and community spaces, with clear signage to facilitate source separation.
Maintaining permanent environmental education campaigns in schools, gardens, and social organizations, with experiential methodologies adapted to each territory.
Strengthening the use of organic waste through community initiatives and partnerships with recyclers, markets, restaurants, universities, and neighborhood networks.
Implementing differentiated collection pilots to improve traceability and reduce the amount of recyclable material ending up in the landfill.
Dignifying the work of recyclers through incentives, integration into the recycling chain, and greater visibility of their contribution to sustainability.
Promoting shared citizen responsibility in caring for public space through educational tools, incentives, and community actions.
The District Administration received the recommendations to assess their feasibility and potential incorporation. These inputs will be key to strengthening public policies and strategies related to waste management and sustainability, reinforcing the District’s commitment to a cleaner, more participatory, and more sustainable Bogotá.
“The Deliberative Cycles are the clearest example that democracy can be more participatory, closer, and more useful when people have a real role in decisions that affect their lives. This strategy shows how local governments and civil society can pursue public innovation together, strengthening trust, transparency, and public effectiveness,” said Nicolás Díaz Cruz, Executive Director of Extituto de Política Abierta.
In addition to the recommendations, the process generated learnings about how to deliberate in public matters. The assembly members strengthened skills such as active listening, argumentation, and openness to disagreement: 65% reported improvements in these capacities.
Trust also increased on three levels:
In other participants, recognizing diversity as a strength.
In institutions, thanks to clear and verifiable information.
In the process itself, by seeing their work reflected in the outcomes.
93% considered the lottery selection to be an inclusive and representative mechanism, reinforcing the legitimacy of the deliberative model.
The Deliberative Cycles process began with a call to more than 45,000 citizens of Bogotá, of whom 2,640 expressed interest in participating, and 70 assembly members were selected through a public lottery.
With this conclusion, the District Administration reaffirms its commitment to deliberation as a democratic practice, recognizing that the city’s greatest challenges are best addressed when the voices of its citizens are heard and integrated.
Media Contact:
Fundación Corona
Luis Carlos Pérez Gómez
+57 310 4447521
