Bonheiden (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Bonheiden municipality wants to motivate its citizens to participate actively in their long-term planning. The incoming municipality government is working to create a 6-year plan, which they are currently drafting.
The municipality of Bonheiden currently engages its citizens in helping create its multi-year planning document, which will serve as a strategic guide for the next six years. Three bright red mailboxes labeled as ‘idea boxes’ serve as collection points for ideas around the municipal area. The platform ‘2820 asks’ provides residents with an online submission method for their suggestions. The initiative provides support for residents who utilise paper-based or verbal interaction methods to ensure inclusivity.
The new municipal government of Bonheiden is making a multi-year plan.
“Of course we have plans ready, but we want to talk to residents, associations and companies to refine those plans,”
Says first alderman Mieke Van den Brande (BRUG!).
Residents can also submit ideas online via the platform ‘2820 asks’. But the municipality absolutely wants to remain accessible.
“There are still people who prefer to work on paper or even verbally, and we don’t want to miss anyone’s ideas,”
Says Alderman Van den Brande.
“To make it easier for the residents, we have placed a strip in our local newspaper,”
Says the alderman.
“That serves as a kind of template for your letter. But you can also write a whole book if you want.”
What is the history behind Bonheiden’s idea box initiative?
Bonheiden municipality has traditionally worked to integrate community members into the local government system. Through the installation of red mailboxes for residential idea-collection, the municipality maintains its dedicated approach toward citizen participation in administrative choices. The municipality of Bonheiden follows a strategic model of planning known as multi-year planning for six-year development, which repeats each cycle. The physical “idea boxes” join the digital ‘2820 asks’ platform as part of Bonheiden’s first dual approach to increase citizen participation.
Bonheiden established this initiative because they value open-door practices that welcome all residents regardless of their technical abilities. Concept collection through public consultations combined with town hall meetings used to be the municipality’s primary practice until their adoption of red mailboxes and newspaper templates for obtaining input from different types of stakeholders.
