Students present results of citizen participation
- 19.02.2024
At the Expo in the auditorium of the Kufstein University, a member of the project team presented the results of the survey.
The city of Amberg has initiated a research project to improve citizen participation. The project aims to investigate the influencing factors and develop appropriate measures to promote participation.
Over a period of five months, a team of three students worked hard to analyze citizen participation in Amberg. The survey phase, which took place from December 2023 to January 2024, enabled residents to express their opinions and concerns both online and on site, thereby supporting the project. The cooperation with Kufstein University opened up new opportunities for the town of Amberg to strengthen and optimize citizen participation in the municipality.
MORE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION FOR A MORE LIVEABLE CITY
“The advantages of citizen participation are obvious: on the one hand, it enables citizens to have a concrete say in municipal projects, thus ensuring a high level of transparency and a profitable exchange of information between municipalities and their citizens. On the other hand, the city administration also benefits from this form of committed participation because it raises quality standards and significantly increases the willingness to accept individual municipal projects,” says Michael Cerny, Lord Mayor of the city of Amberg.
CHALLENGES IN DATA COLLECTION
One of the challenges of the project was the low response to the data collection. Despite extensive efforts and a targeted approach to the target groups, the number of participants initially fell short of expectations. To solve this problem, the team relied on intensive communication and cooperated with local clubs and associations to emphasize the importance of the survey and motivate civilians to actively participate. These measures made it possible to increase the number of participants and capture a greater diversity of opinions and perspectives.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
Based on the findings of the study, specific recommendations were developed for successful citizen participation. These include the promotion of transparent communication and flexibility throughout the entire participation process, the user-oriented optimization of participation opportunities and the creation of incentives. These measures are intended to ensure that citizens are actively involved in political decision-making processes and that urban development can be shaped sustainably.