With almost 700.000 inhabitants one of the largest cities in Argentina, La Plata involves its citizens more and more in the allocation of public funds. The living conditions in La Plata have improved greatly through the introduction of the participatory budget and this has been through the active involvement of those affected.

With the 2011 Reinhard Mohn Prize, the Bertelsmann Stiftung wants to bring new momentum to the debate on how democratic systems can be made "future ready" by helping them respond to current and future challenges.