It Takes A City

About It Takes A City

It Takes a City is a podcast about participation and democracy. We believe that greater participation is key to making democracy work and to making people feel better about it. Through conversations with practitioners, we explore stories from communities with limited resources, where people are trying to reach beyond the usual voices, tackle difficult challenges, and sometimes fail along the way. We are Stefania Kapronczay and Flavio Proietti Pantosti, find us at https://takesacity.com/.

Publisher

Stefánia Kapronczay and Flavio Proietti Pantosti

Category

government

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Mar 2026

Latest episode

13 May 2026

Latest episodes

10 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 May 2026

   9. The Case For Participation: Crisis, Governance And Opportunity

   Host Stefania Kapronczay and guest Mitch Stripling explore how participatory programs can address democratic crises, using the 1985 Mexico City earthquake as a case study for systemic transformation.

2. 

   6 May 2026

   8. A Scalable Recipe: Bringing What Works To Different Cities

   Stefania Kapronczay and Flavio Proietti Pantosti interview Dino Cantú-Pedraza about implementing participatory programs effectively across different cities, emphasizing discipline over design.

3. 

   28 Apr 2026

   7. Participatory Budgeting: From Experiment To Institution

   Stefania Kapronczay and Flavio Proietti Pantosti interview Graça Fonseca about how participatory budgeting transformed Lisbon into a thriving city.

4. 

   21 Apr 2026

   6. Social Audits: What Happens When Citizens Audit Government Spending

   Hosts Stefania Kapronczay and Flavio Proietti Pantosti interview Sowmya Kidambi and Suchi Pande about how citizens in Delhi used social audits to hold government spending accountable, revealing the power of direct participation.

5. 

   14 Apr 2026

   5. Rebuilding On Transparency: Integrated Participation

   Stefania Kapronczay and Flavio Proietti Pantosti interview Vasilika Laska, Director of Strategic Projects for the Municipality of Lezhë, Albania, about integrated participation in rebuilding the city's governance after a debt crisis.

6. 

   7 Apr 2026

   4. Digital Democracy: Bridging Or Widening Divides?

   Stefania Kapronczay and Flavio Proietti Pantosti interview Amalia Zepou about how digital tools bridge divides and foster inclusive participation in Athens.

7. 

   31 Mar 2026

   3. What Children Know About Cities: Intergenerational Participation

   Host Stefania Kapronczay interviews Nina Asterina and Bima Pratama Putra of Kota Kita Foundation about how seriously considering children's needs in Surakarta, Indonesia, reveals simple urban improvements for all.

8. 

   18 Mar 2026

   2. Dramatic Democracy: How Legislative Theater Transforms Confrontation

   Stefania Kapronczay and Flavio Proietti Pantosti interview Nyasha Frank Mpahlo from Green Governance Africa about how legislative theatre transforms confrontation into dialogue on local climate challenges.

9. 

   18 Mar 2026

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

   Stefania Kapronczay and Flavio Proietti Pantosti interview Tessza Udvarhelyi, Vice Mayor of Budapest’s 8th District, about how participatory processes drive electoral success and strengthen democracy amidst authoritarianism.

10. 

    2 Mar 2026

    It Takes A City - Trailer

    Hosts Stefania Kapronczay and Flavio Proietti Pantosti explore real-world participation tactics and strategic dilemmas in communities facing resource scarcity, offering practical guidance for improving democracy.

Who has been a guest on It Takes A City

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Mitch Stripling
• Carl Henrik Knutsen
• Dino Cantú-Pedraza
• Graça Fonseca
• Sowmya Kidambi

Contact It Takes A City

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.