Virtual Participation in Austrian Biosphere Reserves

The pandemic has forced many people, regardless of age, gender or profession, into the use of digital communication channels. It can be assumed that online conferences, virtual classrooms, video calls or electronic polls will continue to (co-)determine everyday life in the future. Among other things, this will have an impact on how and to what extent citizens can get involved in shaping their neighbourhood, their community or their region. In the SMART_BR project, a team of researchers from different scientific disciplines wants to explore the possibilities and opportunities, but also the challenges and limitations of digital participation. Of particular interest is whether certain groups of people, such as young people, feel more addressed and involved through the use of digital media. This will be investigated using the example of three Austrian UNESCO biosphere reserves. Biosphere reserves are internationally recognised model regions for sustainable development, in which participation and co-design by the local population on a wide range of topics, such as mobility issues, are very important. The project has the long title SMART_BR: Transdisciplinary research on virtual participation processes in Austrian UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. Representatives from the biosphere reserves Großes Walsertal, Wienerwald and Salzburger Lungau & Kärntner Nockberge will work together with researchers from the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences and the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna. In the research project, the science team and representatives from the three biosphere reserve regions work together on an equal footing. Both the research questions and the research path will be determined jointly by all those involved in the project. In the further course of the research, a common picture of the situation, the problems and possibilities, and also the future possibilities for solutions is to be developed. Such research projects, which reach beyond the world of science and into everyday life, are called transdisciplinary. Transdisciplinary research is challenging, but it always brings surprising and interesting results and solutions. The course for the project was already set in a two-day virtual workshop in November 2020. The preparatory workshop was supported by the #Connecting Minds funding programme of the Austrian Science Fund FWF.