The Citizens’ Assembly will begin its second round this fall. A call for topic suggestions for this session was very well received by the people of Aachen: by the May 1 deadline, Aachen residents had submitted a total of 61 topics that they believed the Citizens’ Assembly should address. Thirty-three of these topics ultimately received the required number of votes—125 supporters.
After verifying that the topics met the criteria, the selection of the five finalists was entrusted to the Citizens’ Assembly Steering Committee, which—for the first time—included not only members of the Citizens’ Assembly Initiative but also members of the first Citizens’ Assembly. In a constructive and productive meeting, the Steering Committee engaged in an in-depth discussion of the selection and gave careful consideration to all the topics. In the next step, the five topics will be put to a vote in the Citizens’ Forum, where the final topic will be decided on June 4.
The steering committee has agreed on the following questions:
- When making transportation policy decisions, it is essential to strike a balance between the needs of different road users. What specific measures are effective in achieving this balance?
- How can the city engage and involve its residents in implementing climate protection measures to achieve climate neutrality by 2030?
- What should a "House of Curiosity" offer, in addition to the city library and the adult education center, to make it appealing to many Aachen residents?
- Aachen needs effective cooperation between politicians, the government, and civil society. What structures need to be changed or created to achieve this?
- How can Aachen become more attractive to families with children?
Mayor Sibylle Keupen was pleased with the topics submitted and said: “One of the unique features of Aachen’s Citizens’ Council is that the topics come directly from the public. This process proved very successful during the first Citizens’ Council. The many topics submitted reflect the diversity of our community and people’s willingness to help shape our city.”
The five finalists will be presented by the steering committee at the public meeting of the Citizens’ Forum on June 4 at 6:00 p.m. at the Eurogress. One of these topics will be selected on the spot. All interested individuals are cordially invited to attend the meeting and join the discussion.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Aachen Citizens' Council can find additional information at www.aachen.de/buerger_innenrat.
If you have any questions, please contact Albert Halfmann from the Department of Citizen Dialogue and Administrative Management by phone at 0241 432-7223 or by email at buerger_innenrat@mail.aachen.de.