This new and important tool for citizen participation is already attracting a great deal of attention and receiving a warm reception from the public. Before the decision was made, Aachen residents proposed 58 topics for the first Citizens’ Assembly. Seventeen topics reached the required quorum of 125 endorsements, and an advisory committee selected six finalists for discussion in the Citizens’ Forum. These six topics were publicly debated and discussed with those present at the Citizens’ Forum. The citizens gave impressive introductions to their respective topic proposals with very personal remarks. It became clear that all topics are particularly relevant to Aachen. A spontaneous poll of the audience revealed that the topics “How can Aachen make the city more sustainable and greener?” and “How can Aachen’s downtown become an attractive shopping destination again?” received a great deal of support. After a break for political deliberation, the decision was made: the downtown topic was selected by a large majority.
Composition of the Citizens’ Assembly
: Before the summer break, 3,500 people—selected at random to be representative of the population—will be invited to participate. The City of Aachen has announced that every resident of Aachen may receive a letter. From the responses received, the Citizens’ Secretariat—which provides organizational support to the Citizens’ Assembly from within the city administration—will select 56 members by lottery based on statistical criteria that reflect the composition of Aachen’s population.
The members of the Citizens’ Council are reappointed each year.
Through discussions among people from very different backgrounds, an exciting exchange of perspectives takes place, and policymakers and administrators receive direct recommendations from the citizenry.
Active, participatory, voluntary
: The Citizens’ Assembly is an important tool for actively involving citizens in political processes to foster a participatory urban society. As a permanent, institutionalized body, the assembly goes far beyond the role of a mere discussion forum.
Anyone interested in learning more about the new Citizens’ Council can find additional information at www.aachen.de/buerger_innenrat. If you have any questions, Milan Anton and Albert Halfmann from the Department of Citizen Dialogue and Administrative Management are available by phone at 0241 432-7309 or by email at buerger_innenrat@mail.aachen.de.