Cologne calls for participation: bring your ideas!

Cologne calls for participation: bring your ideas!

On April 29, 2025, the Cologne team set a clear sign of their connection with the city. In a comprehensive survey, you have the opportunity to bring in your ideas and suggestions to improve Cologne. This commitment is particularly important with regard to the upcoming new elections of the city council and the successor to Mayor Henriette Reker on September 14th.

The survey is part of an initiative that aims to collect concrete proposals and to actively involve the citizens in the political process. Cologne citizens are invited to express their concerns and to raise a voice in local politics. Voting is not only a fundamental right, but also an essential component of democracy.

survey and competition

In addition to the possibility of actively participating in the design of the city, the participants also have the chance to win 5 x 2 tickets for the popular musical cat. This will take place in the Philharmonie as part of the 36th Cologne summer festival on August 9, 2025. Participation in the survey is also rewarded with a cultural highlight.

The Council of City Cologne has already proven in the past that the opinion of the citizens is of great importance. On September 27, 2018, quality standards for public participation were decided, which have been gradually developed since then. A pilot phase has been running since spring 2019, which is pursuing the goal of testing guidelines for public participation in the district council of Nippes and in the Committee on Environment and Green.

systematic public participation

The knowledge from this pilot phase opened new perspectives on the implementation conditions of the participation and their effects on the citizens. As a result, the continuation of the measures was decided on June 18, 2020 and an expansion to further district representatives and the traffic committee was determined. From September 2022, the guidelines for public participation in all Cologne districts apply to enable even broader participation.

Another step towards transparent administration was decided on December 12, 2024. The Council announced the introduction of a funding program for political participation from November 1, 2025. This will include all political bodies in Cologne and is intended to promote increased public participation and participation in the areas of urban planning, urban development as well as mobility and climate protection.

The funding program, which is to run by December 31, 2026, is directed by a joint office for public participation, which includes both urban and social components. The urban society part is formed by a receiver of funding that has set itself the task of developing and supporting low -threshold offers for political participation.

The application deadline for this new funding program ends on February 24, 2025 and offers interested citizens and organizations the opportunity to actively contribute to the political landscape of Cologne