Mannheim launches survey: How satisfied are citizens with their city?

Mannheim launches survey: How satisfied are citizens with their city?

In Mannheim it is now about the opinion of the citizens. The city has launched a new citizen survey aimed at measuring population satisfaction with local transport, citizen participation and public green spaces. Around 5,000 citizens were contacted in writing by the IFAK Institute for Market and Social Research. This is a significant change because, unlike in previous years, the survey is not carried out by telephone, but in writing. The results of this survey are intended to show how far Mannheim has progressed towards achieving the seven strategic goals from the “Mannheim 2030 Mission Statement”. This mission statement, which was adopted in 2019, outlines the way people will live in Mannheim in 2030.

The people contacted were randomly selected from the population register, which gives the survey additional neutrality. Participation in the survey is voluntary and anonymous, ensuring that citizens can express their opinions without hesitation. A good knack for the needs of the citizens is required, because it's about querying exactly the topics that are important to the people in Mannheim. The list includes, among other things, satisfaction with public transport services and citizen participation in city decisions.

An important step towards citizen participation

In addition to the current written survey, the city also plans to conduct a telephone survey to provide significant information. The annual Mannheim citizen survey will be carried out until the end of June 2023, in which around 1,200 selected citizens aged 18 and over will be interviewed by telephone. Here too, the subjective views of citizens on various topics are recorded. Such surveys are not only important for collecting opinions, but they promote active citizen participation and ensure that the city administration's decisions are in line with the wishes of citizens. As a citizen participation portal aptly puts it, citizen surveys enable municipalities to receive feedback on important issues and make informed decisions. The city of Mannheim therefore relies on modern forms of citizen participation in order to keep the well-being of the community in mind.

The Mannheim 2030 mission statement, which was developed in a broad participation process, is the central framework that sets the direction for the future development of the city. The citizen surveys flow directly into the top key figures that reflect the progress of this mission statement. Therefore, every feedback from citizens is important in order to check whether the set goals are being achieved and where improvements may need to be made.

With this active involvement of citizens in decision-making processes, Mannheim shows that their voices have weight. The surveys are an important part of urban development and give the population the opportunity to actively address their concerns and their satisfaction with city life. There is still a lot to do, but one thing is certain: the citizens of Mannheim are invited to clearly express their opinions.

Further information about the citizen survey can be found on the website rheinpfalz.de and mannheim24.de. If you would like to conduct a citizen survey yourself, 2ask.com useful templates and approaches for this.