Residents’ council

A citizens’ jury is one of the methods of deliberative democracy. The purpose of this method is to gain additional insight, increase local knowledge, and ensure genuine participation in the issue under consideration. Through the citizens’ jury, the aim is also to increase participants’ (and their close circles’) understanding of the complexity of decision making, underlying factors, economic realities, and other similar considerations.

Participants in the citizens’ jury are recruited through random selection.
Quota-based participant profiles and compensation for the disadvantages of participation (such as remuneration and support) ensure more genuine representativeness than methods based on voluntary participation (surveys, open events, etc.).

The citizens’ jury method is being piloted in Porvoo together with residents living in the Gammelbacka area, and for this reason the method is referred to as a residents’ council in this project.

Over the years, various forms of participation have been tested in the development of the area, including workshops and information and discussion events.

The residents of Gammelbacka form a more heterogeneous group than is often assumed. Participation has been skewed: Finnish speaking, middle aged, and well educated residents have been overrepresented, while the voices of other groups have either not been heard at all or have received less emphasis.

The recruitment of participants for the Gammelbacka residents’ council was carried out at the end of 2025. Residents of Gammelbacka had the opportunity to volunteer to join the residents’ council. The council members were selected from among the volunteers through random sampling using the Panelot system, which ensured a fair and representative composition of the Gammelbacka population.

The residents’ council consists of 18 people and represents Gammelbacka on a small scale.

The council meets three times during spring 2026. The spring meetings have focused on what kinds of services would be desirable in Gammelbacka and which services would best support smooth everyday life, community cohesion, and the development of the area. The third and final meeting of the spring will take place in May, when the council members will prepare a joint statement to be submitted to the decision makers of the City of Porvoo.

The council will continue its work in the autumn, focusing on how infill development in Gammelbacka should be implemented.