Press releases

• Residents of Aachen selected at random come up with ideas for keeping public spaces cleaner
• Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons: “Participation thrives on people sharing their diverse experiences and perspectives. That is precisely what makes the Citizens’ Council what it is.”
• The results will be summarized in a report and subsequently submitted to the Aachen City Council.

This marks the fourth time a Citizens’ Assembly has convened in Aachen. This year, the Aachen residents—selected at random—are addressing the question of how to achieve greater cleanliness in public spaces. At the kickoff event in the White Hall of Aachen City Hall, Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons welcomed the participants, thereby kicking off the 2026 Citizens’ Assembly.

“Participation thrives on people contributing their diverse experiences and perspectives. That is precisely what makes the Citizens’ Assembly so special. The participants know their city from their everyday lives and bring perspectives that are valuable to policymakers and public officials. I’m eager to see what ideas and recommendations emerge in the coming weeks,” says Ziemons.

After getting to know each other, we dove right into the topic: What does cleanliness actually mean? What are the different perspectives on it? And how can we work together to make public spaces clean and livable?

Perspectives from Urban Society
The members of the Citizens’ Council were selected by lottery based on specific criteria and come from different city districts and walks of life. They bring a diverse range of experiences and perspectives to the table and are invited to work together to find solutions. The Aachen Permanent Citizens’ Council is a deliberative participatory forum. This means that participants learn about different points of view, exchange arguments, and deliberate together before developing recommendations. The focus is on the question of what contribution citizens can make and where the city administration and urban society can work together. The process is supported by professional facilitation and expert input from city administration. At the kickoff event, Indra Balsam, Director of Aachen City Services, and Heiko Thomas, Department Head for Climate and Environment, City Services, and Buildings, provided insights into the topic. They explained the challenges facing Aachen’s municipal utilities and the areas where the perspectives and ideas of the Citizens’ Council are needed.

Dialogue on Equal Footing
The Citizens’ Assembly creates a space for open exchange among people with different experiences and perspectives. The work is conducted with an open-ended approach and on equal footing. The goal is to jointly develop concrete and viable recommendations. “Four Citizens’ Assemblies, four different topics, and time and again entirely new perspectives on Aachen: that’s exactly what makes this format so appealing. People who may not have met before engage in conversation, discuss issues, and jointly develop ideas for our city. I’m delighted that we’re able to facilitate this dialogue again this year,” says project manager Albert Halfmann. The Citizens’ Council is thus a forum for democracy in action and a form of collaboration between citizens, the administration, and politicians.

What’s next?
The Citizens’ Assembly will continue its work in three additional working sessions on September 12, 19, and 26. The participants will delve deeper into their discussions and use them to develop concrete recommendations for policymakers. The results will be summarized in a report and subsequently presented to the Aachen City Council. In this way, the participants’ experiences and perspectives will be directly incorporated into the political process.

Aachen is the first city in Germany to establish a permanent citizens’ assembly. It was launched in 2023. In the Citizens’ Council, 56 Aachen residents meet once a year to discuss an interesting municipal issue—this year’s topic. This year, Aachen residents selected the topic “Improving Cleanliness in Public Spaces” through a public online vote. A total of around 2,000 people participated in the vote on the City of Aachen’s participation portal, underscoring the relevance of this issue to the daily lives of many citizens.

More information: www.aachen.de/buergerinnenrat