Discussion forum

1. Starting the Co-Identification Process

a) What can realistically be promised in the “Participation Promise”?

The coordinator should ensure all the participants that, all of their needs will be examined, despite the fact that not all of them will be implemented. All of their ideas will be taken into account and the procedure of the ideas selection will be democratically. Finally, he must encourage them to invite more stakeholders, to gain more ideas and underline the specific badget they got and make them clear that for the implementation of further ideas, the cost has to be covered from other sources.

b) Which stakeholders should be involved and how? Also think of “hard-to-reach groups” (children, elderly people, ethnic minorities)

There should be no exception for the stakeholders. As we talk about a democratically procedure, the more stakeholders to come, the best.  In this way, more ideas and needs for implementation will show up. Thus, stakeholders should be residents, local artists, city administrators, advocacy and charity groups, transport service providers, club and special interest groups, schools and universities, emergency services, religious groups, media outlets, businesses and more others. Children, elderly people and ethinc minorities should be invited to join too and get involved. It must be ensured that all of these stakeholders should be hear about the invent and that they can join it. Stakeholders that are hard to reach or hard to convince them to join, need motivation.

c) How could you make your public kick-off special (e.g. more interactive, memorable)?

Here are some ideas. A great event, starts with the usage of social media to create a buzz around the event. The easiest way to do this is to begin blogging about event highlights such as guest speakers or industry insights. The event should take place not outdoor. At least not the first time. This will help the people to get in touch easier. Streets poster should be printed too. Drinks, food and small edible gifts or lottery is a good idea. Everybody should give their e-mail and their names, to arrange the next meeting. Finally, after the end of the event a thankful should be sent.

2. Neighbourhood Mobility Check

a) What do you consider to be the main strengths and weaknesses of your neighbourhood in terms of its mobility situation?

Main strengths: access to public transport, big roads and pedestrians access

Weaknesses: bad situation of the roads (asphalt), not public space for parking, illegal parking (block of sidewalks) 

b) At which locations and with which tools do you want to capture the opinion of all citizens / stakeholders about your neighbourhood’s mobility situation?

As I mentioned before, the first meeting (introduction) should take place not to an open area. A big coffee shop or conference room should be selected. This could help people get in touch easier and encourage them to participate in the discussion and give more ideas. As the meetings go by, an open area could be selected. As for the capture of opinions, a questionnaire could be chosen. The questionnaire, could be online or not and participants should have the option to write down their name or not. Encouragement of participating should be considered mandatory.

1. Starting the Co-Identification Process

a) What can realistically be promised in the “Participation Promise”?

Improvement of urban mobility based on collaboration of decision makers, experts and citizens

b) Which stakeholders should be involved and how? Also think of “hard-to-reach groups” (children, elderly people, ethnic minorities)

Contact high school directors and organize educational programme for their pupils;

Use social networks to attract citizens and NGOs to participate;

Interview elderly people about their needs.

c) How could your public kick-off become special (e.g. more interactive, memorable)?

Organize audio-visual performances in the streets with participation of different artists promoting collaboration and giving open space for everyone (to write down and optionally speak up about her/his idea);

2. Neighborhood Mobility Check

a) What do you consider to be the main strengths and weaknesses of your neighborhood in terms of its mobility situation?

Strengths: a lot of pavements/footpaths for pedestrians, easy access to all means of public transport (trams, trolley buses and buses) and to shared bike service as well;

Weaknesses: congested streets degrade air quality and traffic safety, electric scooters and bicycles ride on pavements/footpaths;

b) At which locations and with which tools do you want to capture the opinion of all citizens / stakeholders about your neighborhood's mobility situation?

Organize citizen dialogues and mapping exercises at highly frequented public spaces e.g. square in front of the Sarajevo central park.

1. Starting the Co-Identification Process a) What can realistically be promised in the “Participation Promise”?

Ans: Which can be  measured in terms of budget and can be delivered in form of physical asset based on availibility of resoureces and approval from Govt Authorities.

b) Which stakeholders should be involved and how? Also think of “hard-to-reach groups” (children, elderly people, ethnic minorities)

All the road users should be involved in the process by conducting one to one talk, group survey, online survey, spot talk, conducting workshop etc.

c) How could your public kick-off become special (e.g. more interactive, memorable)?

Public kick-off can be special in terms of orgnising event at a large scale in super market or schools itself. Creating Marathon, some debate kind of thing on main locations etc.

All the road users should be involved in the process by conducting one to one talk, group survey, online survey, spot talk, conducting workshop etc

2. Neighbourhood Mobility Check
a) What do you consider to be the main strengths and weaknesses of your neighbourhood in terms of its mobility situation?

The main strength is the students and their parents who may be great suport in creating awareness about safe mobility in the neighbourhood. Weekness is the local authorities are reluctant in using co creation process as use to with conventional procedure.

b) At which locations and with which tools do you want to capture the opinion of all citizens / stakeholders about your neighbourhood’s mobility situation?

All the schools main gate location want to capture the opinion all road users, by conducting one to one talk, by organising some wall painting competition, debate competition etc.

1. Start of the co-identification process

a) What can realistically be promised in the "Promise of participation"?

We have decided to create a mapping of needs trying to realize the country of our dreams

b) Which interested parties should be involved and how? Also think of "groups that are difficult to reach" (children, the elderly, ethnic minorities)

The mapping takes place through a public survey that puts the citizen at the center of the active life of the community, involving all the categories present in the country, even the most disadvantaged.

c) How could you make your public kick-off special (eg more interactive, memorable)?

Organizing a public event in which everyone was invited, without exception, in which anyone had decision-making and participatory power

2. Mobility control nearby

a) What do you think are the main strengths and weaknesses of your neighborhood in terms of mobility?

Our strength is represented by the roads in an excellent state of conservation and use, while our great weakness is the almost total absence of public transport, those few that exist are not coordinated with each other

b) In what places and with what tools do you want to capture the opinion of all citizens / stakeholders on the mobility situation in your neighborhood?

We would like to make thermal baths a place where access is only possible with electric public transport

1. Start of the co-identification process

a) What can realistically be promised in the "Promise of participation"?

We have decided to create a mapping of needs trying to realize the country of our dreams

b) Which interested parties should be involved and how? Also think of "groups that are difficult to reach" (children, the elderly, ethnic minorities)

The mapping takes place through a public survey that puts the citizen at the center of the active life of the community, involving all the categories present in the country, even the most disadvantaged.

c) How could you make your public kick-off special (eg more interactive, memorable)?

Organizing a public event in which everyone was invited, without exception, in which anyone had decision-making and participatory power

2. Mobility control nearby

a) What do you think are the main strengths and weaknesses of your neighborhood in terms of mobility?

Our strength is represented by the roads in an excellent state of conservation and use, while our great weakness is the almost total absence of public transport, those few that exist are not coordinated with each other

b) In what places and with what tools do you want to capture the opinion of all citizens / stakeholders on the mobility situation in your neighborhood?

We would like to make thermal baths a place where access is only possible with electric public transport

1. Starting the Co-Identification Process
a) What can realistically be promised in the “Participation Promise”?

The "participation promise" will stipulate that all (as much as possible) stakeholders will be heard and their opinions will be recorded, analysed and taken into account. There can never be a hard promise that everything desired or proposed by stakeholders will be implemented, but gathering of specific and sometimes contradictory input will be used for improving the decision-making process and for allocating resources where most needed. Further, involving different interest groups will increase the cohesion in the neighbourhood and the participatory process will open the door for a constructive and open dialogue between different stakeholders. 

b) Which stakeholders should be involved and how? Also think of “hard-to-reach groups” (children, elderly people, ethnic minorities)

As discussed in the previous tasks, since the area is not a residential neighbourhood, but a business and knowledge district, the stakeholders are less "traditional" that in other cases, where people live, shop and raise their families in the area that is the subject of the project. 

Main stakeholders should be (not in the order of importance): 

• companies employees and management, unions
• university staff
• students
• hospital representatives, patients and families
• local, regional and national public administration representatives
• local and regional elected politicians
• public transport operators
• representatives of adjacent neighbourhood that might be affected by transport to/ from the neighbourhood (possible through traffic, new roads development, etc.)
• nature protection agencies
• climate protection agencies
• local NGO's   

There are however several vulnerable groups, due to various reasons: 

• local students that have limited financial resources and need to commute
• international students (that get limited transport related benefits - no gratuities, high rental prices, temporary stays)
• visitors of the UMC (Medical Centre) -  patients or families of patients which have different mobility needs, but sometimes also different financial possibilities

The ways to involve stakeholders will be creative and diverse, using both online and offline methods, to reach all groups. For example, it is advisable to conduct a extensive online information campaign, which will be more suitable for the younger people - students, researchers, young urban professionals (yuppies). On the other hand, patients of the medical centre and their families can be reached on site. In order to increase active and direct participation, it is desirable to install a few information points (tents) in key locations in the neighbourhood: at the entrance of the medical centre, at the entrance of main university buildings, major crossings and public transport hubs). 

c) How could you make your public kick-off special (e.g. more interactive, memorable)?

The public kick-off event can be organised in a form of a friendly competition/ debate between several mixed team. The idea is to put together in one team people from various stakeholders/ interests groups. They need to find a way to work as a team and to define a common vision/ strategy for the mobility in the neighbourhood. The team that comes up with the best/ most feasible/ inclusive idea, can be rewarded with a small, symbolic prize. This will increase the cohesion and the dialogue between various groups. 

This, of course, next to the regular kick-off activities with public presentations, information sessions and dialogues. 

2. Neighbourhood Mobility Check
a) What do you consider to be the main strengths and weaknesses of your neighbourhood in terms of its mobility situation?

Strengths: 

• area is already served by good public transport connections with bus, new high capacity tram system is already built and in the testing period, providing fast connection between Utrecht Central Station and USP(Utrecht Science Park)
• The cycling infrastructure has been improved a lot in the last years, providing direct connections to some other neighbourhoods in the city
• Good pedestrian infrastructure within the neighbouhood
• Integrated payment system for all means of public transport in The Netherlands (single payment method via OV-chipkaart) 

Weaknesses:

• a high number of companies that offer a company car to their employees
• high availability of parking places for companies
• easy accessibility by private car (via two main motorways  A27 and A28), therefore the use of cars is attractive
• there is a high level of congestion on the roads during morning peak hour and evening peak hour
• low public transport accessibility from other areas except going via Utrecht Central Station (that create a very big pressure on the main train station)
• no intercity train station available at short distance
• public transport is exploited efficiently in only one direction, depending on the moment of the day -  buses are overfilled going TO USP during morning peak hour and completely empty leaving FROM USP and vice vers, during evening peak hour
• there are no special transport provision for patients of UMC and their families
• public space is not that attractive and does not invite to stay/ spend time - it is a too "functional" area meant to serve it's work/ study purpose and not encourage spending time outside
• high car and public transport traffic is affecting also neighboring areas

b) At which locations and with which tools do you want to capture the opinion of all citizens / stakeholders about your neighbourhood’s mobility situation?

A combination of online and offline tools is desirable, so that all groups can be reached (as discussed also above). 

1.a) That all opinions and ideas will be taken into account and those that will not be able to be implemented will be further communicated.

b) All road users should be involved. Formal invitations should be sent to authorities, universities, organizations etc. Informational meetings should take place in schools and other places of interest in order to reach “hard-to-reach groups. Internet and social media can be used to promote the project.

c) Organize a public event and promote it through posters, flyers, social media, radio. Key-note speakers should also be invited. Virtual reality mapping of the neibourhood could be a nice touch.

2.a) Strengths: flatness of the city, pedestrian streets, the river that flows through composing a blue and green corridor through the center, rental bikes and EVs (although the rental place is located in the central square, it should be put peripheral to the center)

Weaknesses: congestion, narrow sidewalks, poor bicycle infrastructure, illegal and not environmentally friendly traffic behavior

b) Several types of questionnaire surveys both on the road and online. Workshops and public events promoting co-creation.

1. Starting the Co-Identification Process
a) What can realistically be promised in the “Participation Promise”?

- that all suggestions, complaints and ideas will be recorded and taken into account for the following stage of the project. It will be good to create a list of quick win sollutions, something that can be easily implemented with low cost,  to show the will that opinion of participant is important and to encourage future cooperation.
b) Which stakeholders should be involved and how? Also think of “hard-to-reach groups” (children, elderly people, ethnic minorities)

- All stakeholders should be involved, but it is necessary to develop communication strategy, since it's not possible to reach all stakeholders on a same way and with same approach. 

For "hard-to-reach-gropus" is good to think is there already some kind of network, eg.Association of people with disability, Association of people in retirement, Assotion of housewives or handcraft etc.for ethnic minorities try to find is there a community center or group leader or NGO, specialised for communication and realisation of projects with/for ethnic minority group (think about cultural characteristics).

c) How could your public kick-off become special (e.g. more interactive, memorable)?
Maybe organize kick-off event during some special date or as a part of bigger manifestation (eg. European Mobility Week). Create an friendly atmosphere that will be attractive for children, with some simple furniture and with small presents. For example we've created spot for public survey, with lazy bags, with some sweets, we had a mascot and chalk for drawing on a street. The mascot attracted many people, not only kids. Everybody wanted to take a photo. And that was the opportunity to talk and take a survey.

2. Neighbourhood Mobility Check
a) What do you consider to be the main strengths and weaknesses of your neighbourhood in terms of its mobility situation?

Strengths: 

-proximity to the city centre, existence of Community centre, an ambulance office, kindergarten in settlement, primary school nearby (children go to school on foot), existence of residential communities in residential buildings, developed road network, green areas, public spaces, creek passes through the settlement, local business operators, big shopping centre nearby, covered by public bus lines

Weaknesses:

- railroad passes through the settlement, railway (non electrified) and unsafe railroad crossings, aging of population, young people leave the settlement, because of lack of opportunity to find a job and for higher education, lack of cultural, social and sport events, lack of cycling infrastructure and alternative car solutions and service, low frequency of public transport lines, noise pollution, lack of equipped public green spaces, air pollution, existing road infrastructure is in bad condition, bad condition of sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure, cars occupies public space, lack of parking space, architectural barriers for people with disabilities, public spaces are not equally used related to age and gender perspective, lack of sense of public safety due to existence of illegal and social unacceptable  behaviour on some spots, substandard Roma settlement on the outskirt.

We have organized survey and workshop with field visit to collect the problems in settlement and to create a modal split analysis. It's important to organize activity within the settlement, so we've used the premises of primary school, kindergarten and comunity center. 

Around 30 participants were involved in field visit. The age and gender were taken into account. (more info can be found here )

Face-to face communication is very important, but It is also important to publish the information on social networks and to create on-line tool. 

1.    Starting the Co-Identification Process
a) What can realistically be promised in the “Participation Promise”?

The promise should be that all the stakeholders` opinions will be recorded, analysed and prioritized according to their feasibility of being implemented. In addition, all the stakeholders will receive this analyses – practically getting an official answer to their input. All the material – ideas+analysis – will be published online in a report, available for everyone.

b) Which stakeholders should be involved and how? Also think of “hard-to-reach groups” (children, elderly people, ethnic minorities)

Each group of stakeholders will be reached differently:

-       Institutional stakeholders (local councillors, public administration, small companies that operate in the area, cultural institutions and NGOs, public transport operator) – send official letters, emails (using the official channels)

-       Children and teenagers – contacting their schools and organizing short, interactive, funny presentations of the intentions;

-       Elderly people – display posters in places where elderly people usually go (churches, shopping places, market, opera and philharmonic houses)

-       People with physical disabilities – contacting their specialized associations and the public transport operator that provides transport services for them

c) How could you make your public kick-off special (e.g. more interactive, memorable)?

Organizing an open-air event, casual, informal, mixing an interactive cooking show with music, in a Sunday afternoon.

2. Neighbourhood Mobility Check
a) What do you consider to be the main strengths and weaknesses of your neighbourhood in terms of its mobility situation?

Strengths: a good public transport network (tram, bus, trolley-bus, vaporetto, bike-sharing), an extensive area of parks and green areas (good for walking), a large pedestrianized central area

Weaknesses: long waiting time for public transport, public space not accessible for disabled people (in wheel chairs, visually and audio impaired), poor cycling infrastructure, abusive parking on sidewalks

b) At which locations and with which tools do you want to capture the opinion of all citizens / stakeholders about your neighbourhood’s mobility situation?

A melange of online and offline tools – social media is very popular among young people, and should be intensively used. In addition, popular spots as public transport stops, bike-sharing docks, sport fields, parks, concerts and festivals s.o. – should be used to reach more people (questionnaires, postal cards, interviews)

1. Starting the Co-Identification Process

a) What can realistically be promised in the “Participation Promise”?

The whole process will be transparent throughout its duration, the opinion of each participant will be equally respected, we take care of the opinion of all participants

b) Which stakeholders should be involved and how? Also think of “hard-to-reach groups” (children, elderly people, ethnic minorities)

All stakeholders should be involved, which I mentioned earlier. For "hard-to-reach-gropus" for example children, in schools and kindergartens we have a network of mobility coordinators. They are teachers and educators from the kindergartens and schools. They help us to make contact and have different workshop with children and their parents.

c) How could you make your public kick-off special (e.g. more interactive, memorable)?

Much earlier, people need to be informed about the kick-off event, through the media, posters, facebook and other social networks. The event should be made on a public space. Need to provide appropriate propaganda material with a recognizable logo. So far, it has not been a practice in our city to involve citizens in the decision-making process, so I belive thah any activity where citizens are involve will be a matter of interest.

2. Neighbourhood Mobility Check
a) What do you consider to be the main strengths and weaknesses of your neighbourhood in terms of its mobility situation?

Strengths: 

-proximity to the city centre, creek passes through the settlement, Community centre, ambulance office, kindergarten in settlement, primary school nearby, green areas, public spaces, big shopping centre nearby,  public bus lines

Weaknesses:
- railroad passes through the settlement, railway (non electrified) and unsafe railroad crossings,  lack of events, low frequency of public bus lines, noise pollution, lack of equipped public green spaces, air pollution,  bad condition of sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure, cars occupies public space, lack of parking space, architectural barriers for people with disabilities, decision makers do not understand the need for arrangement public space in a settlement and include citizen in that process, the car is a status symbol.

b) At which locations and with which tools do you want to capture the opinion of all citizens / stakeholders about your neighbourhood’s mobility situation?

We have organized survey and workshop with field visit to collect the problems in settlement and to create a modal split analysis.

We can organize different activity for different participant. Talk spot, interactive workshop, open facebook page, or internet page...

1. Starting the Co-Identification Process
a) What can realistically be promised in the “Participation Promise”?
- Input from all stakeholders will be considered, but not all can be implemented. It has to align to the project's principles. Government officials have to be careful not to raise the community's expectations, before implementing any measures.

b) Which stakeholders should be involved and how? Also think of “hard-to-reach groups” (children, elderly people, ethnic minorities)
- Schools, teachers and parents
- Residents associations
- Businesses (Bruce Grove is a retail hub)
- Ethnic minorities, but in this instance, black Christian families as there is a large community here

c) How could your public kick-off become special (e.g. more interactive, memorable)?
- Close some residential streets and host the event there (e.g. School Streets, Play Streets, Car Free Day) to show people the potential of what the area could look and feel like.

2. Neighbourhood Mobility Check
a) What do you consider to be the main strengths and weaknesses of your neighbourhood in terms of its mobility situation?
- S: local population are receptive to sustainable transport as air quality in the area is poor
- W: deprivation in the area, little trust in the authority

b) At which locations and with which tools do you want to capture the opinion of all citizens / stakeholders about your neighbourhood’s mobility situation?
- At key transport interchanges (Underground, rail stations etc.)
- At schools
- In the retail area to capture opinions of business owners and visitors
- Libraries