Starting small is better than hitting the big time

The URBACT project "Active Citizens" takes a different approach. It relies on "Small Scale Actions". Small, manageable actions that first try out new ways of citizen participation and then later see whether they have what it takes to find their way into urban action on a larger scale. The motto is: "There is no one right solution to our challenges. We are on a path together and we should use every opportunity to try out possible solutions first."

The Dinslaken Action Group had tried out three of these activities. First, there was a "photo safari" in which young people from Lohberg wandered through the Bergpark and the district together with the street workers and the active members of the URBACT group. Equipped with their smartphones, they documented their favourite places, but also the places for which they called for improvements. The results were transferred to an online map and thus serve as suggestions for the city administration to improve the living environment in Lohberg.

Secondly, a "hackathon" was organised. A long weekend where computer experts and committed citizens worked on creative solutions to upcoming problems at the P-Dorf youth centre. A sensor, for example, that shows the fill level of the old clothes containers in the city area and can be called up on the internet. This enables the DIN service to empty the containers with pinpoint accuracy, and citizens can quickly find out where they can most easily dispose of their discarded clothing.

The third Small Scale Action related to the re-planning of the former outdoor swimming pool site in Hiesfeld.  Here, an online survey was tried out for the first time, where citizens could submit their ideas for the redesign and make critical-constructive comments via computer.

The experiences of all three campaigns are now being carefully evaluated. Whether they will then find their way into the municipal measures for improved citizen participation remains to be seen.