1. The Thread Of Participation: From Campaigning To Governing A City

Episode One takes us to Budapest, Hungary. In conversation with Tessza Udvarhelyi, Vice Mayor of Budapest’s 8th District, we explore how participatory processes can become a winning edge in local elections, boost voter turnout, and help secure a second mandate in a district where that once seemed unthinkable. All this unfolds under increasingly authoritarian national politics, raising a central question: could participation be part of the antidote?---We’re living through a global democratic crisis, and elections around the world are sending a clear message: the system isn’t working. It Takes a City is a podcast about participation and democracy, hosted by Stefania Kapronczay, a human rights advocate working on resilient democracies from Budapest, Hungary, and Flavio Proietti Pantosti, a social innovator and entrepreneur focused on public administration from Rome, Italy. Through conversations with practitioners, we explore lesser-known stories of participation, often from communities with limited resources. Each episode unpacks real tactics, strategic dilemmas, and honest failures, with the goal of offering practical insights.For more about us, visit https://takesacity.com/ or get in touch at [email protected].