Across the country, Americans increasingly agree on at least one thing: our democracy isn’t delivering for ordinary people. Trust is collapsing, polarization is deepening, and too many public decisions seem driven by insiders or organized interests — not by the people themselves.
This moment demands new approaches. Elected officials and civic leaders can double down on business as usual, or step into new opportunities to make decisions with the public — not just for them.
That’s what the Fort Collins City Council chose to do this spring.
Faced with a years-long, polarized debate over what to do with 164 acres of land (the former site of Hughes Stadium), they didn’t retreat to backroom deals or defer to the loudest voices. Instead, they commissioned a Civic Assembly, trusting everyday residents to help lead the way forward.
The city invested $150,000 in a structured public deliberation process. While that might sound steep, it’s a fraction of what cities often spend on planning consultants, legal battles or public meetings that rarely resolve controversy, and far less than the cost of continued community division.
Twenty residents were selected by civic lottery to reflect the full diversity of Fort Collins across age, geography, income, education, and housing status. They included a librarian, a chef, a homemaker, a small business owner, a retired engineer, and two pregnant mothers. The youngest was 18; the oldest, nearly 80. They didn’t come as activists or lobbyists. They came as neighbors.
Over 30 hours across two weekends in April and May, these delegates gathered to answer one powerful question: How can this land best serve the long-term vitality of Fort Collins?
What unfolded was remarkable: Not a fight, but a shared sense of responsibility. Delegates didn’t posture or talk past each other. They listened. They asked tough questions. They disagreed respectfully. And they rolled up their sleeves to solve a complex problem together.
What made this possible wasn’t magic. It was careful design, grounded in decades of research on effective public deliberation. Small-group conversations gave everyone a voice. Neutral facilitators built trust and ensured fairness. A balanced learning agenda, shaped with public input, provided delegates the context to make informed decisions.
This wasn’t just consultation. It was power-sharing. Delegates could request new information or bring in outside experts. It was, in effect, a temporary legislature rooted in the people.
“There were people I didn’t agree with,” said one delegate. “But we talked, asked questions, and got past the tribalism. There was never an argument, just calm, healthy discussion, genuine curiosity, and learning.”
Another added: “This is the purest form of democracy. It’s good to be reminded that it’s still alive, and maybe we’re not in as much trouble as we’re being told.”
From the beginning, the City Council committed to taking the assembly’s work seriously. Any recommendation with 75% support would be formally presented. The delegates delivered: 22 recommendations met that threshold, with four receiving unanimous support. Nearly 90% backed a multiuse vision for the land — blending recreation, open space, habitat restoration and cultural education — transcending the either-or debates that had divided the city for years.
These weren’t lowest-common-denominator compromises. They were a shared vision, forged through civic labor.
The impact rippled beyond the assembly itself. Stakeholder groups shifted toward more collaborative proposals. City council members, some initially skeptical, were moved.
“I believe the recommendations capture the zeitgeist of what many people in this city want,” said one council member. Another remarked, “If you walked into that room, you would say, that’s Fort Collins.”
The recommendations may be adopted by council this summer or form the basis of a ballot initiative in the fall.
Fort Collins didn’t invent civic assemblies. Around the world, governments are turning to them to address complex issues, including youth homelessness, climate resilience, electoral reform. Ireland used them to chart paths forward on abortion and same-sex marriage. Here in the U.S., interest is growing. Delegations from Denver, Houston, New York City and Utah traveled to Fort Collins to witness the assembly firsthand.
The pattern is clear: When governments give people the time, information, and trust to wrestle with real problems, they rise to the occasion. They collaborate. They face disagreement with respect. And they solve problems that feel impossible within the normal political process.
We need more city, county, and state governments to follow Fort Collins’ lead — inviting residents not just to vote, but to help govern. Not only to solve pressing issues, but to rebuild faith in democracy itself.
Civic assemblies aren’t a feel-good experiment. They’re practical, proven, and urgently needed. Yet despite growing momentum, they remain rare in American democracy.
In a time of deep division, they offer something invaluable: a way forward together.
Fort Collins proved that citizens and leaders are ready. The question isn’t whether civic assemblies work. It’s which community has the courage to go next.
Rahmin Sarabi, of San Francisco, is the founder and director of American Public Trust, a nonprofit that helps cities, counties and states apply democratic innovations to tackle their toughest challenges.
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