Citizen Lab (now operating as Go Vocal) is a digital democracy and civic engagement platform designed to help governments and local authorities tap into the collective intelligence of their residents. Founded in 2015 in Brussels, Belgium, the platform enables citizens to co-create their cities through intuitive participation mechanisms. The platform features virtual discussion forums, participatory budgeting tools, idea collection and surveys, and community voting systems that allow residents to propose ideas, collaborate on projects, and collectively prioritize community initiatives.
The platform leverages artificial intelligence and natural language processing to analyze community feedback, detect trends, and provide actionable insights. It includes advanced content moderation capabilities, gamification features (earning points and badges), and comprehensive analytics dashboards. Citizens can participate through multiple methods including idea submissions, discussions, voting, and surveys—all designed to be accessible and engaging across desktop and mobile devices.
Citizen Lab operates as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform with a strong social mission, serving over 20 municipalities across Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as government bodies in Denmark and Flemish and Walloon regional representatives in Belgium. The recent transition to open-source reflects the organization's commitment to transparency in digital democracy infrastructure.