The B.RIGHT SPACES Cartography of Civic Spaces
Why a Cartography of Civic Spaces?
Across Europe, civic spaces are the beating heart of democracy: the spaces – physical, social, digital – where people and groups meet, organise, create, protest, collaborate and imagine new futures together. Yet these spaces are constantly evolving. Some flourish; others shrink under political, social, or economic pressure.
Understanding them requires more than isolated stories or static reports. It requires a map as a living, shared and navigable landscape.
The B.RIGHT SPACES CARTOGRAPHY has been created precisely for this purpose.
Developed through the extensive research and onsite visits and observations, this online platform brings together a diverse constellation of civic experiences from across the EU. It offers an accessible and dynamic way to visualise, compare and learn from the many ways in which civic actors defend, activate and reinvent civic spaces.
Here, you can explore case studies, discover innovative practices and see how communities respond to today’s democratic challenges. Each case is mapped not only geographically but through the lens of some of the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and referring to participation, inclusion, collective action.
In our view, this cartography is more than a repository! It is a shared “knowledge commons”, a tool for mutual learning, a space for cross-border exchange, and a source of inspiration for all those working to promote and protect civic space in Europe.
Whether you are a PRACTITIONER, POLICYMAKER, RESEARCHER, or CITIZEN, we invite you to navigate this landscape and to recognise the many ways civic space continues to shape Europe’s democratic life.
The B.RIGHT SPACES project team
Why “Civic Spaces” in the Plural?
In the B.RIGHT SPACES consortium we have chosen to speak of “civic spaces” (in the plural form) because the idea of civic space, as defined at EU level and enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, refers to a set of principles, rights and values that become real only when they are put into practice, materialised in different contexts, and lived by people in their everyday lives.
Using the plural allows us to highlight precisely this diversity. Across Europe, civic space takes multiple forms: a community-managed library, a participatory council chamber, a neighbourhood cinema, a digital platform, a feminist collective, a migrant self-help centre. Each of these spaces interprets and enacts the EU definition of civic space in its own way, as shaped by local histories, social dynamics and the needs of the communities involved.
By speaking of civic spaces, we recognise that:
- Civic principles are operationalised differently in different places;
- Rights and freedoms are embedded in concrete environments and practices;
- Participation, inclusion and democratic life are experienced through a variety of social, cultural, institutional and physical settings.
The plural form helps us map this richness. It suggests a landscape rather than a single model, namely a living ecosystem of practices that shows how democratic values take shape on the ground.
In short: we say “civic spaces” because we are interested not only in the concept, but in its many real-world manifestations, as lived, shaped and co-created by citizens.
What is ‘Civic Space’ in B.RIGHT SPACES?
Civic space takes the form of spaces where stakeholders can participate in governance discussions and practices on issues that affect their communities. They are the breeding ground for democratic progress, inspiring collective action and fostering a sense of shared responsibility.
Civic spaces’ attributes:
- They can be designated for specific purposes or repurposed, permanent or temporary, formal or informal, public or private, or characterised by shared public-private ownership. They can also be physical/offline, online, or hybrid spaces. Civic Spaces can encompass diverse settings that can coexist and go from the local to the international level.
- Allow all individuals, regardless of age, background, or group affiliation, along with civil society organisations and private and public actors, to meaningfully and collectively engage in governance practices and co-design policies, co-implement projects and co-manage the civic space per se. This inclusive environment fosters political, economic, social, environmental, and cultural progress, ensuring equal access to services of general interest, freedom to choose an occupation and right to engage in work, freedom to conduct a business, and access to fair and just working conditions.
- Require an institutional setting that respects democratic rights, such as those addressed in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and include freedom of expression and information, freedom of assembly and association, non-discrimination, equality, the right to engage in a transparent and democratic dialogue in an open, inclusive, secure and safe environment that is free from all acts of intimidation, harassment and reprisals. Civic spaces also operate under principles of environmental sustainability
How to Navigate the Cartography of Civic Spaces
There are several ways to explore the cartography, depending on what you are looking for:
- Browse freely
Click on any mapped practice to read the short abstract and open the relevant pdf with additional insights, key information, context and description. - Search by attributes
Use the search functionality to select one or more criteria (such as Country, Scale of implementation, Fundamental rights and freedoms addressed, or Keywords describing the civic value of the practice). This will display a curated selection of practices that share the features you are interested in. - Choose your format
You can explore the practices’ abstract directly online (HTML view), or download each individual and extensive “practice sheet” in PDF format. - Download the full collection
If you prefer an offline version, you can also download the complete set of practice sheets compiled in the project’s official PDF deliverable. Click HERE to download the 30 experiences and practices identified and described until the end of 2025.Enjoy your exploration!