This case study explores how citizen participation in Udaipur’s governance landscape unfolds through two distinct yet overlapping realms: Invited Spaces created by the government, and Created Spaces initiated by citizens. The analysis, covering 29 such spaces, reveals a critical imbalance between formality and effectiveness.

Government-initiated Invited Spaces, though institutionalised, often remain procedural or symbolic; nearly half exist only in an ‘inform-only’ mode, with limited citizen influence or follow-through. Digital initiatives such as Action Udaipur show promise but lack sustained engagement and continuity.

In contrast, Created Spaces, such as citizen-led clean-up drives, legal interventions, and awareness campaigns, demonstrate greater vitality and public ownership. Around 73% of these forums remain active and participatory, nurturing trust, local leadership, and collective accountability despite having no formal mandate.

The study highlights that meaningful governance reform lies in bridging these two worlds by recognising citizen-created spaces as legitimate governance actors, and by inviting government agencies to participate in them as equals. Institutionalising this synergy could transform citizen engagement in smaller cities from fragmented activism into a more durable form of co-governance and shared responsibility.

Nāgrika-Connect is a nationwide movement towards reimagining the future of small-cities by tapping into the collective insight and imagination of citizens, citizen-groups and other city-based actors.It is initiated with the objective to learn from and support organisations engaged in citizen-focused work in small cities of India. Keeping them at the centre, unlocking local knowledge that can build unique and resilient cities.We aim to achieve this by creating platforms for communities to raise their voices, foster peer learning and find pathways to influence policymakers. Through it all we stay committed to provide research through fieldworks, city-based case studies and a network for inter-city learning and growth.