Citizen participation allows Mainz residents to directly influence decisions in their city. In Mainz, citizen participation is understood as a supplement to representative democracy at the municipal level. Citizen participation gives all residents—regardless of their nationality, age, etc.—the opportunity to contribute and represent their interests, suggestions, and skills in municipal decision-making processes.

Citizen participation in Mainz is intended to appeal to and involve everyone. It is therefore aimed at the residents of Mainz. For this reason, the Mainz city administration uses the term "resident" or, synonymously, "Mainzer" on these pages.

However, since the term "citizen participation" has become more widely used throughout Germany than "resident participation," it is also used here for better understanding. The term "citizen participation" refers to and explicitly includes all gender identities. 

The foundation of citizen participation is ensuring that Mainz residents are informed about current projects. This is done through the list of projects, which you can find on these pages. Depending on the project, different levels of participation are possible or planned. These range from gathering residents’ opinions (e.g., conducting opinion polls) to opportunities for participation (e.g., planning workshops) and even co-decision-making (e.g., voting on various implementation options).

Formal or statutory citizen participation refers to citizen participation that is required by law. Such regulations exist, for example, for urban land-use planning, regional planning procedures, approval procedures, state and regional planning, and environmental impact assessments.

Informal or voluntary citizen participation includes all procedures that are not regulated by law. However, informal citizen participation can also precede formal procedures.

Examples of legally regulated citizen participation:

• Local Government Act (GemO) § 16 Residents' meeting
• Municipal Code (GemO) § 16 a Question time
• Municipal Code (GemO) § 16 b Suggestions and complaints
• Municipal Code (GemO) § 16 c Participation of children and young people
• Municipal Code (GemO) § 17 Residents' petition
• Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) § 47 Clean Air Plans, Plans for Short-Term Measures, State Regulations
• Building Code (BauGB) § 3 Public participation

Civic engagement and citizen participation are essential elements of a vibrant democracy and encourage citizens to voluntarily participate in shaping their environment.

Civic engagement means that people volunteer their time and energy for others or for the common good, for example, as a reader in a daycare center or as a board member of an association.

Citizen participation, on the other hand, enables residents to actively participate in urban projects and contribute their opinions and ideas without requiring a long-term commitment. Examples of current opportunities for participation can be found on the project list www.mainz.de/vorhabenliste (opens in a new tab) and in the participation calendar of the city of Mainz www.mainz.de/beteiligungskalender. (opens in a new tab)

As a resident of Mainz, you can participate in any project on the project list for which public participation is planned. If public participation is not planned for a project, you can suggest it—provided that participation is possible. The only requirement is that you live in Mainz.

There are many different methods of public participation. The relevant department decides which specific form and method will be chosen for a project. You can find current dates for public participation on our website.

In the state capital of Mainz, residents can actively submit proposals for citizen participation. Do you have a project for which you’d like to propose a new citizen participation initiative? Or do you have ideas or suggestions regarding existing projects on our project list? We’d be happy if you reached out to the Coordination Office for Citizen Participation. Only one proposal for citizen participation may be submitted per project. Please check in advance to see if your idea is already on our project list. We’d also be happy to let you know at the Coordination Office for Citizen Participation whether an application for your project has already been submitted.

Since the end of 2018, a working group consisting of eight residents, eight city council members, and eight city administration employees has been developing the "Guidelines for Citizen Participation in Mainz." On April 6, 2022, the city council adopted these guidelines. With them, the state capital is creating a binding framework for all participation processes in Mainz. Early and continuous information, transparency about planning processes, the inv" On April 6, 2022, the city council adopted these guidelines. With them, the state capital is creating a binding framework for all participation processes in Mainz. Early and continuous information, transparency about planning processes, the involvement of all Mainz residents, and reliable handling of the results form the foundation of a successful culture of participation.

The Advisory Council for Citizen Participation is composed of equal numbers of representatives from the local population, the city administration, and the city council factions. Since its inaugural meeting on February 2, 2023, it has met regularly four times a year. The current dates and all further information on the Advisory Council for Citizen Participation can be found here on these pages.

The Coordination Office for Citizen Participation of the state capital Mainz is the interface between residents, city administration, and city council for all questions relating to citizen participation. It is located in the mayor's office and coordinates participation processes in Mainz. It is the administrative office of the Citizen Participation Advisory Board and maintains the pages on Mainz.de relating to citizen participation. You can find an overview of the tasks and contact details of the Coordination Office for Citizen Participation here on these pages.