What if decision-making began with trust, not consensus? Born from rooftop conversations and civic frustration, The Decision Wheel is a work-in-progress tool for collective governance. It asks not just what should we do? but how do we decide? Rooted in care, complexity and more-than-human rhythms, this wheel is less a framework than a conversation starter — one that helps people slow down, listen, and surface what really matters. Approach • Merged relational governance theory, deliberative democracy and community organising into a 2-ring decision tool • Tested in a rooftop farm project in Mexico City to build trust and surface tensions among neighbours • Developed reflective prompts and trade-off cards to guide decision-making in public, civic and institutional contexts • Currently being redesigned into a full workbook with scenarios, facilitator tools and storytelling elements Impact • Helped uncover invisible power dynamics and divergent needs in a multi-stakeholder project • Strengthened social cohesion by making values visible before decisions were made • Used in governance workshops, zine storytelling and early field testing across digital and community sectors • Continues to evolve as a flexible commons-based governance tool
2025
