Lively citizen participation in Flensburg

In April 2024, relevant stakeholder groups were invited to the first ‘Are you in?’ workshop. The aim was to pick up the participants in terms of content, bring them up to the same level of knowledge and position resident participation as a topic. At this event, particular emphasis was placed on the level of knowledge and personal preferences of the participants in terms of how and to what extent they participate in group processes. This meant that everyone was initially able to contribute and discuss their own experiences in small groups. The special feature here was the composition of the groups. The range of experience included participants who were already well versed in participation, had already been actively involved in participation processes and wanted to continue doing so in a communicative and proactive manner. At the other end of the spectrum were participants who had little or no knowledge of participation processes and initially preferred to get involved in an observational or written capacity. The group compositions were used to create spaces of trust in which the participants started from a comparable starting point. The experiences were collected and analysed in a solution-oriented manner to determine what would be necessary for successful participation

With this preliminary work, the event moved on to a more traditional training section on how participation works in general and specifically in Flensburg. The feedback forms subsequently revealed a predominantly positive impression of the event as a whole. A team was formed from the participants to continue the lively resident participation in Flensburg, which organised the second event with Ms Tanja Kaula (Coordinator for Resident Participation, Department of Central Services) and corsus. This resulted in the barcamp ‘Flensburg – Komm mal längs’, which took place in Flensburg on 9 November 2024. This second event focussed more on the self-efficacy experience of the residents, who were both participants and contributors. In two session blocks, a wide range of topics were offered and discussed, such as open data to get to know Flensburg’s neighbourhoods better, flood protection at the harbour, abortions in the new hospital and a barrier-free city. The participants introduced their respective topics, after which the session participants clarified questions and discussed opportunities for participation.

After initial slight irritation at the very open and therefore rather unfamiliar concept, a stimulating atmosphere and lively dialogue developed in the first round, so that the participants would have liked to have had even more time. The results can be found at www.flensburg.de/beteiligung .

We would like to thank Ms Tanja Kaula, the volunteer organisation team and the Engagement and Participation team for their successful and trusting cooperation.