Würzburg
Participation project name: Würzburg Mitmachen
Broad commitment to citizen participation
In Würzburg, the decision to adopt digital participation methods through the Consul Democracy platform was driven by a commitment to open dialogue between politicians and civil society.
The city approach stretches from simple online surveys to mature conversations and binding decision-making about the future. The city's belief is firm: if political and administrative bodies take participation seriously, citizens will reciprocate with genuine engagement.
The best practices are hybrid
Würzburg's implementation of the Consul Democracy platform is highlighted by the Freizeitgelände Katzenbergtunnel project. This initiative saw 52 proposals, garnering 2500 supporters and engaging over 130 citizens online, with more than eighty people participating in in-person testing and showcasing.
The standout proposal was the "Pumptrack," a course designed for various bikers and scooter riders. The Katzenbergtunnel project exemplifies how Würzburg uses digital democracy to turn citizen ideas into tangible community improvements.
The city's success in citizen participation lies, among other things, in blending digital and analog elements. The Freizeitgelände Katzenbergtunnel project, for example, had three phases. Phase one involved public surveys and workshops for idea collection, phase two gathered over fifty proposals online, and phase three involved both physical walkthroughs and online draft presentations.
What is more, effective communication, simple language, and creative use of technical features have all been crucial in the Würzburg case in enhancing participation and ensuring transparency.
“Thanks to the hybrid event concept, we were able to connect global and local democracy experts and software developers to a network and talk to them about the future of digital citizen participation.”
Tilman Hampl, Smart City Manager der Stadt Würzburg
The Consul Conference in Würzburg
Four years after the last ConsulCon in Madrid, Würzburg hosted ConsulCon 2022, the first international Consul Democracy Conference, bringing together democracy experts and representatives from over forty cities and communities in and outside Germany.
This event, attended by nearly 120 participants globally, underlines Würzburg’s commitment to sharing its knowledge and experiences in digital citizen participation.
A visual throwback of the ConsulCon 2022 can be found here.
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