An interview with Alessandro Bechini, Deputy Mayor of Cecina, on how dialogue between citizens, associations, and public administration can make participatory processes truly effective.
Who takes part in shaping local environmental governance and how can participatory processes become truly effective?
We put these questions to Alessandro Bechini, Deputy Mayor of Cecina, who reflects on the actors that carry the most weight in local decision-making: organised civil society, professional associations, and trade associations. Those with less organisational capacity, he notes, tend to have a weaker voice, making it all the more important to actively pursue shared pathways that make individual citizens feel included.
For Bechini, the skills most needed by public officials are the capacity to listen, a deep knowledge of the territory, and the ability to reconcile community needs with administrative and bureaucratic constraints. Without these, participatory processes risk becoming an end in themselves rather than a driver of real change.
A concrete example from Cecina: during the pre-adoption phase of the municipal operational plan, over twenty public meetings were held with citizens, trade associations, and environmental groups, making participation a genuine part of designing the city’s future.
Watch the full interview below.
Last Update
24/07/2026
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