The focus of this article is the emerging phenomenon of citizen participation in civil society movements at the municipal/city level. In various parts of the world, ordinary citizens have been engaging in social movements so as to more purposively engage with and exert influence on public policies regarding important issues like the improvement of quality of life and sustainability of their cities. The overall goal of the article is to understand a network called the ‘Latin American network of cities’, which in 2011 linked more than 50 Latin American cities, including Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, Quito and Rio de Janeiro. One of the most important components is a movement located in Sao Paulo, Brazil, called Nossa Sao Paulo, which mobilizes citizens representing more than 600 organizations of varying types. From a management perspective, this study describes and analyses the means employed by Sao Paulo civil associations to create a space for debate and action that leads not only to adoption of common principles and goals, but also to concrete influence on municipal programmes and political decisions.