Meeting of the citizens' forum

The session starts with the selection of topics for the Citizens' Assembly, which is now being made permanent after a successful pilot phase.

This year, 38 topics were submitted by Aachen residents. Anyone interested was able to vote for their favorite topic until 27.02.2025. 24 topics reached the quorum of 125 and therefore made it to the next selection round. In addition, 4 topics were proposed by the administration.

The monitoring committee, consisting of former participants of the Citizens' Council 2023 and 2024, then discussed the 28 topics and made a shortlist of five proposed topics.

Aachen residents whose topics were selected as one of the top 5 are cordially invited to present their topics at the public meeting of the Citizens' Forum. Finally, the political committee of the Citizens' Forum will decide on the final topic.

Residents of Grachtstraße in Aachen-Brand ask politicians and the specialist administration to discuss a permanent closure of Grachtstraße between Indeweg and Krauthausen. The applicants reported that the temporary closure in 2024, due to construction work in the area of the Inde bridge, has led to a significant reduction in illegal waste disposal and animals being run over in the affected nature reserve.

In the past, road users often disregarded the passage on this route despite clear signage, with negative effects on the sensitive habitat of numerous animals and plants. It has now been shown that there are sufficient alternatives for road users that serve the same purpose without this shortcut.

Against this background, the applicants describe the permanent closure of Grachtstrasse to motorized traffic as a forward-looking step towards protecting nature and improving the quality of life in the area concerned.

The Barrier-Free Building Commission asks the Citizens' Forum to discuss improving parking facilities for people with walking disabilities and the elderly in Aachen - especially in the city center - by means of a citizens' petition in accordance with § 24 GO. It is suggested that a city-wide concept be developed to enable this group of people to participate more independently in social life.

Specifically, the motion calls for a critical review of existing parking facilities and the possibility of releasing loading zones for this group of people. The aim is to increase mobility and social participation for older and disabled people in Aachen.

The Radentscheid coordination team also addresses the parking problem in Aachen's city center in its citizens' petition in accordance with Section 24 GO NRW. The applicants are calling for the comprehensive establishment of parking and stopping zones for care and delivery services in Aachen. The aim is to enable care services in particular to plan their routes more efficiently and to make their work easier as part of the mobility transition.

For example, the applicants propose installing parking zones at a maximum distance of 200 meters with a validity period from 6 am to 8 pm. These zones should enable care staff to park for longer periods of time in order to provide efficient care for those in need. The aim is to implement this in stages, starting in the city center and neighboring districts.