Public Participation - how to awake the people?

1. Project meeting ENWAMA in Budapest, 28. September 2009 Public Participation - how to awake the people? Leonie Goll & Andrea WolterDipl. Ing. Water Management Dipl. Ing. of Landscape Management and Engineering and Nature conservation

2. Project meeting ENWAMA in Budapest, 28. September 2009 • Structure: • Introduction • Three Possibilities • Information Days • Participation workshops • Interactive Computer game • Résumé

3. Introduction • Imagine: you are running a great project to improve the urban waters, which is interesting and important for many people, but nobody knows about it • without support and relevant information from the residents it is much more difficult • Therefore you do want to get them involved in the project, but how? pilot project panke

4. Introduction • River Development Concepts are the most important basic instrument for implementing the EU-Water Framework Directive (WFD) • first pilot project: the river „Panke“ (federal state Berlin & Brandenburg; planning between April and December 2008 ) • intense cooperation in the process of planning was very important for the water management administration of Berlin pilot project panke

5. Interested citizens Nature organisation Local residents Information day (3) participation workshops (4) Information Participation management group of administration (6) Meeting with local politicans (2) Nature park District offices pilot project panke Fishery Forest admin. Nature conservation authority preservation of sites of historic interest water authority water company

6. Public Participation series of information days„Tag der Panke“ public participation pilot project Panke participation workshops pilot project panke interactive computer game

7. content and aims • Early publication of the project in a capital of 3,5 million citizens (citizens in the drainage area: ca. 250 000) • Promoting awareness and understanding of the WFD in general • Information about the specific implementation of the WFD in Berlin • Transfer of know how: presentation of interesting scientific topics concerning the river Panke and the river basin (nature conditions in the area, biologic quality elements, pressures, rainwater management, river maintenance, etc.) • Discussion with affected and/or responsible persons • Testing and improvement of the participation  a new challenge for all people involved Information days

8. In detail • Repeated half day information events (1st Day in 2003, following dates 2005, 2008, in planning: autumn 2009) • changing location close to Panke (Berlin-Pankow, Bernau in Brandenburg ) • Points of focus • analyses of the characteristics of the river basin, evaluation method and question of management • Examples of design of urban surface water • Process of river development concept • Other plans and activities in the area Information days

9. Résumé of the organising team • continuously increasing number of participants (from 70 in 2005 to 170 in 2008), considering the number of citizens concerned, a still greater response would be desirable • adaptation to a citizen friendly event time was a right decision (initially 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., now 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.) • information event for interested citizens, local residents as well as experts • problem of finding an adequate level of communication • lots of information and a big debate can not substitute the participation of citizens directly concerned Information days

10. Résumé of the participants • positive • diversified, informative and well organised • nice atmosphere and good catering • negative • presentations partly too scientific, too long • Partly no direct reference to the river Panke (in 2005) • not enough time for discussion • suggestions • Organisation of a similar event for local residents Information days

11. Content and aims • active participation and possibility to take influence in the planning process • Transfer of information and background knowledge concerning WFD and renaturation of rivers using the example Panke • First participation workshop • Gathering of worries, concerns and wishes of the participants • Making local and detailed knowledge accessible for the concept • Collecting suggestions of measures • Second participation workshop • Feedback from first workshop • Presentation and discussion of river development concepts participation workshops

12. In detail • local (in 2 districts) • two dates • time frame: 3 ½ hours • Promoting two weeks in advance via flyer and internet (press) • Order of event • talk about WFD in general and the current situation of the Panke • „active” teams (max. 10 persons) • Presentation of the results and discussion in plenum participation workshops

13. Impressions participation workshops

14. Résumé of the organising team • Major difficulty: to attain the attention of and to activate the public of Berlin (competition with cultural programme, to reach a special target group) • Major benefit: important local information and possibility to get a feedback concerning the river development concept • Presentations in the beginning are important to get a common level of information • „active break“ – precious to make contacts • working in small teams makes it possible to listen to everybody participation workshops

15. Résumé of the participants • positive • Good possibility to get to know the details of the concept • Good way of participation • well organised, informative, friendly und competent • variety of opinions and faire chance to gain influence • negative • Time frame to short • suggestions • better announcement/advertising participation workshops

16. Aims • Target group: schools and families • Presentation on water exhibition ‚Wasser Berlin‘ • established in an information center WASsERLEBEN from a nature conservation center • Available for free (download and cd) Straight was yesterday – the computer game

17. Contents • Easy access to special knowledge • „designer of the future“ – do it yourself • Different information levels – game and pages with background Straight was yesterday – the computer game

18. impressions Straight was yesterday – the computer game

19. Résumé – computer game • specific material available for environmental education on renaturation of urban rivers according to WFD • visualisation is important for understanding • By looking through the eyes of the dragonfly you can imagine the non-human world • Good base for understanding the necessity of river development Straight was yesterday – the computer game

20. perspective • in progress: Panke booklet • Planned: 4th Information Day in November 2009 • Continuing process of planning will be supported by further public participation • Same procedure for future concepts pilot project Panke

21. Résumé – in general • It is difficult to reach the broad public • Participants are amazed about the possibility to get involved • Participation increased the action area • We enjoyed the constructive work with many interesting people • How do you awake the people??? pilot project panke