Citizen Participation
Kerkrade, that's all of us! With over 45,000 Kerkrade residents, we make up this diverse and lively municipality. Together with residents but also businesses, foundations, institutions and visitors, the municipality wants to get to work. By talking, thinking or acting together, the community gets a voice in what happens on the street, in the neighborhood or in the town. Involving the community in plans, projects and policies is called citizen participation.
What is civic participation?
Citizen participation has many terms and interpretations. For the municipality of Kerkrade, citizen participation is a way of making policy whereby residents, independently or together, are given the opportunity to influence the conception, implementation and assessment of policy and projects. This can be done by participating in discussions, thinking along or making decisions.
Why is civic participation important?
Of course, the municipality does not bet on citizen participation lightly. We do this because it has many advantages for both the municipality and its residents. It allows us to increase the involvement of our Kerkrade community. Moreover, our residents are the ones who gain daily experience in the neighborhoods and districts. We would like to make use of their knowledge and experience. In this way, we also hope to strengthen the municipality's relationship with the community.
Our vision of civic participation
In 2019, a survey on participation took place in which Kerkrade residents had their say. The results of this survey prompted the town council to commission a vision document. This document explains the goal of the municipality and lists a number of promises and preconditions. The city council adopted this document on Nov. 15, 2022.
Participation Regulation
In 2023, the City Council adopted a participation ordinance. An ordinance contains rules that apply to everyone and is a legal document. The vision document is the basis for the participation ordinance.
View the Participation Ordinance Municipality of Kerkrade 2023 | Local laws and regulations (overheid.nl)
Citizen Initiatives
Want to see your ideas become reality? At the City of Kerkrade, we are open to all suggestions that
benefit our community. Whether it's a safer play area, greener streets or a new event, your
initiative is the key to change. Get in touch, submit your idea and we will engage in conversation.
Read more about "Making Kerkrade Together.