URBACT promotes active citizenship
Edited on
05 September 2022Last week, Dinslaken was the location for a transnational meeting on the topic of citizen participation. Around 30 guests from seven European cities had come to the Rhine as part of the URBACT project "Active Citizens" to spend two days together discussing ways to improve citizen participation in small and medium-sized cities.
"Active Citizens" is part of URBACT, an EU funding programme for sustainable urban development. The programme ends in August 2022, at the end of which each city will submit an "Integrated Action Plan" outlining the way to develop a culture of participation. This action plan will then be presented to the respective city councils for decision-making, which is planned for Dinslaken in September.
"Active Citizens" deliberately fosters exchange and cooperation between European cities. In each city there is a local working group in which committed citizens, administrators and members of the city council work on the topic. They meet once in each city to exchange experiences and to agree on the next steps.
In addition to the internal working sessions, excursions through Dinslaken were also on the agenda. After all, such a meeting also offers the opportunity to get to know the respective cities and their special features. The group went on a tour of the city centre with city guide Eduard Sachtje and Silvo Magerl informed them about the mining past and the challenges of structural change on the former coal mine site. Mayor Michaela Eislöffel welcomed the European guests together with representatives of local politics in the Kathrin-Türks-Halle.
Submitted by Barbara Gautherie on