Close to the end of the year, we look back at some of the highlights of 2022. One of these was definitely the citizens’ assembly in Érd, the third city in Hungary hosting such an event. Érd is the largest city in Pest county, a major gate to Budapest, located on the border of the capital and its agglomeration. Its unique situation is both a blessing and a curse. In the past few years the local services and traffic management has not been able to keep up with the rapid increase in its population which is a source of growing tension amongst locals. That is why the topic of the Érd Citizens’ Assembly, subtitled Roads and Routes for Relief, was how the city could be transformed from a rapidly growing urban agglomeration to a more vibrant, liveable and lovable, greener city.
The 50 members who participated were randomly chosen from the residents of Érd but, in a way that ensured that the assembly was representative of the adult population of the city based on certain demographic indicators (age, gender, level of education, place of residence).
The event took place over the course of two weekends. During the first weekend members learned from experts about the different aspects of city planning and traffic management, while the second weekend gave them a chance to discuss the issues in depth, ask questions and get direct answers from the people in charge as well as share their unique experience and ideas on how things could be improved.
At the end of the second weekend the assembly came up with a list of seven proposals for decision makers that could transform Érd into a better place to live in. These were the following:
- Rethinking the road system in order to enhance bicycle transportation (89 %)
- Attracting environmentally responsible companies to the city (88%)
- Introducing better rainwater management (86%)
- Creating sub-centers and community building (84%)
- Creating more green surfaces (82%)
- Developing tourism focusing on local conditions, natural and historical resources (78%)
- Dealing with the issue of city center parking (68%)
We have yet to see how these proposals will turn into action but there is reason to be optimistic. Not only because the municipality was keen from the beginning to empower citizens and supported the initiative throughout but also because they acknowledged that the list of priorities that the assembly established held new information for them.
It cannot be stressed enough: democracy is a learning process and each citizens’ assembly teaches us much about the challenges and beauty of helping citizens take active part in the decision-making process. 2022 has shown us once again that people, when provided with the appropriate forums, do want to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives and are both eager and willing to share their views and learn from each other in order to make a positive change. And so, in 2023, we will continue on this path and do our best to ensure that the common wisdom of citizens, their enthusiasm and energy isn’t left dormant but instead is channeled into the process that creates a better and more sustainable future.
Read our detailed report on the Érd Citizens’ Assembly here.
If you would like to test your Hungarian and know more about the CA experiences in Hungary, visit our subpage dedicated to citizens’ assemblies and check out our media appearances, photos, and much more: https://kozossegigyules.demnet.hu/