Voxit participation platform will bring up residents’ views
Espoo is introducing Voxit, a digital participation platform, to improve its understanding of residents’ needs. The results will be used in the City's basic work and service planning as well as to support decision-making.
"I encounter extra challenges or obstacles in my daily life because of impediments to my functional capacity or mobility."
"A sensory disability hampers my daily life."
"I sometimes feel unsafe when out and about in the city."
"There are enough places where young people can hang out."
What do you think? Would your response to these statements be yes, no or pass? Or would you like to add your personal perspective to the discussion, a completely new statement?
This is how the new Voxit participation platform will work. Espoo is testing its use in a Sitra-funded EsVoxit project. During this project that will continue until August 2026, Espoo will organise five discussions for residents on the platform. Their results will be used to plan and develop services, prepare the City’s wellbeing plan and support decision-making.
The Voxit platform is a new type of chat room suitable for finding out about the opinions of large crowds on pre-selected topics. In these discussions, participants vote on statements concerning the topic anonymously and add their own statements about themes they find important.
The discussions take place on the participants' terms. Espoo will only select their themes and initial statements. The discussions are shaped as participants vote on the original and added statements and contribute their own ones.
The participation platform will enable multi-voiced discussions that will also bring up the views of those individuals and groups whose voices are usually not heard sufficiently.
As the discussions on the platform will be based on voting on statements and there will be no debate, the interaction will remain constructive – also when the topics divide opinions. The discussions will also be moderated.
Participation will be easy, fun and safe
The Voxit participation platform will analyse the discussions in real time and show how the participants’ views are similar or different. It will provide the City of Espoo with additional information on residents' needs and wishes as well as on what people living in Espoo have in common and what they disagree on.
The new participation tool also aims to lower the residents' threshold for participating and exerting influence. Participating in the discussions has been made easy, and it is fun and safe. The discussions will be conducted anonymously on a dedicated accessible and secure website that also works on mobile devices. There will be no need for a separate app.
People with different native languages can participate in the discussions by pressing the Google Translate button, which uses artificial intelligence.
Participants can drop in on a discussion multiple times to vote on new statements as the platform will remember which statements they have already responded to.
Five themes to discuss
Espoo will already organise the first Voxit discussions in September: the first one themed on the wellbeing of persons with impaired functional capacity and mobility will be open from 1 to 26 September, and the second one on the wellbeing of children and young people will take place from 8 September till 2 October.
Three other discussions will be organised in early 2026. They will concern residents’ views of Espoo Sports and Wellbeing Committee's decision-making and encounters between Espoo residents and staff in the services.
Please note that Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County will address its own surveys to the same target groups in September! By responding to Espoo's survey you can influence the services provided by this city. For more information on the EsVoxit project and the discussions, visit the project website.
Welcome to join the discussions and exert influence!