Mini – Maxi Forest/Vorst: A neighborhood reimagined with residents, not just for them

With the support of the King Baudouin Foundation.

Design / Strategy

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The "Altitude 100" roundabout in Forest/Vorst has long been a flashpoint for the tensions that come with shared public space. Pedestrians, cyclists, families, shopkeepers, drivers, schools: everyone uses it, and not always in compatible ways. Elsewhere in the Brussels region, similar projects have too often run into opposition rather than agreement; several municipalities have had to backtrack in recent years on mobility plans that were designed with the best of intentions.

The Municipality of Forest/Vorst is trying a different approach. Together with Démocratie XXL, Divers Gens and What about Dem, it is launching Mini-Maxi Forest/Vorst, a process that brings together two forms of democracy rarely combined: deliberation and a preferendum.

Combining the best of two democratic worlds

Mini–Maxi Forest/Vorst was born from this challenge… The project brings together two complementary democratic approaches. On the one hand, a citizens’ assembly (the “Mini”) allows a small but representative group of residents to take the time to understand complex issues, listen to experts, deliberate and search for balanced compromises. On the other hand, a popular consultation through a preferendum (the “Maxi”) gives all residents of Forest/Vorst the opportunity to rank the proposals and give them strong democratic legitimacy.

Each tool has its limits on its own. Deliberation produces nuanced discussion but reaches few people; a popular vote reaches everyone but leaves little room for deliberation. Mini-Maxi tries to hold both together by combining depth of thinking with democratic legitimacy at scale.

Two phases, one process 

Phase 1 – The Mini (autumn 2026)

24 residents of Fores/Vorstt, selected by lot to mirror the commune's diversity (age, gender, neighbourhood, education level, mode of transport), meet over three full days and one evening. Supported by professional facilitators and balanced, pluralistic information, they hear from experts (from the municipality and other stakeholders), discuss, challenge one another's views, and build concrete proposals for the roundabout's redesign.

Phase 2 – The Maxi (spring 2027)

The assembly's proposals go to all residents of Forest/Vorst aged 16 and over, estimated at around 48,000 people, both online and at physical polling stations. Everyone gets to weigh in, informed by months of work carried out by a handful of their neighbours.

Reaching beyond the usual voices 

One of the project's explicit challenges is making sure the conversation doesn't default, as it often does, to the same familiar faces. The team is paying particular attention to residents who are usually distant from decision-making processes. This includes younger residents: the area is home to eight schools and roughly 9,000 pupils, who experience public space differently from the adults who typically speak on their behalf.

A real commitment behind it 

What sets Mini-Maxi Forest/Vorst apart from a standard consultation is the commitment made upfront: the municipality has expressed its intention to take the outcome of the vote into account when deciding on next steps, the final decision on what to implement ultimately belongs to residents.

How success will be judged 

The team isn’t measuring success solely by the technical quality of whatever solution emerges. The central criterion is buy-in to the process itself : whether residents, even when they disagree with the final outcomes, recognise that the path to get there was fair and transparent.

The turnout in the maxi phase, the absence of contestation once implementation begins, and whether other municipalities go on to adopt the method will all be tracked closely.

Who’s behind it 

The consortium brings together complementary roles. 

The Municipality of Forest/Vorst provides the political framework, logistical support and institutional commitment. On their side, Démocratie XXL and Divers Gens bring their expertise in facilitation and democratic design.

Finally, What about Dem contributes to the overall process design, the lottery procedure, contact with and follow-up of the participants, to ensure high standards of inclusiveness, transparency and democratic quality. 

Together, we aspire to test a model that could inspire other municipalities facing similar challenges.

Looking beyond Forest/Vorst

The ambition doesn’t stop at one roundabout. If the model proves itself, it’s designed to be replicated in other municipalities and, potentially, across the wider Brussel-Capital Region, a scale that could eventually reach 1.2 million residents. 

At a time when democratic fatigue and polarisation are on the rise, Mini-Maxi Forest/Vorst is betting on the opposite: that well-informed, well-supported citizens can engage with complex issues and that political authorities can share decision-making power without losing legitimacy.