![[Translate to Englisch:] Bei „Deutschland besser machen“ treffen sich Bürgerinnen und Bürger zu Tischgesprächen.](/fileadmin/_processed_/9/e/csm__c__Isadora_Tast_2_064b4eb762.jpg)
Whether waste avoidance projects, city greening or photovoltaic systems – citizens of Eichstätt can actively contribute their ideas for local climate projects in dialog with the city administration and politicians in the coming months. On May 22, the City of Eichstätt, together with the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and the sustainability network fairEInt, will launch the participation project "Making Eichstätt better!" in cooperation with the Körber Foundation with a public kick-off event. It will start with a workshop for all volunteers interested in leading table talks. Interested citizens can join free of charge at 3 p.m. in the meeting room of the town hall. The workshop will be followed by a partnership kick-off ceremony at 6 p.m. in the foyer of the Altes Stadttheater. All interested citizens are also welcome here.
"The fight against climate change will only succeed if we all pitch in", emphasizes Mayor Josef Grienberger, "and often it's not about the big strategy papers and plans – but about small but effective ideas that everyone can come up with. I'm very much looking forward to also being out and about in the local districts during the table talks and coming up with lots of exciting ideas – but also discovering together what's already happening in terms of sustainability and resource conservation."
"Being a committed University, it is of special importance to us to strengthen and promote local commitment to climate protection. For many years, we have been specifically expanding our skills in the area of sustainability in research, teaching and transfer and developing offerings for active citizen participation. Successful cooperation with administration, politics, the church and civil society is therefore particularly close to our hearts", says KU President Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien.
A central component of the initiative is the "Table Talks" dialog format: Following the kick-off event, all citizens are invited to develop and implement project ideas for Eichstätt together with local politicians, the city administration and University representatives at meetings on site and online. The website www.deutschlandbessermachen.de offers interested parties the opportunity to organize their own table talks and provides an overview of all dates.
The City of Eichstätt will also provide more detailed information on its exact plans and cooperation with the Körber Foundation in the Social Affairs Committee meeting on May 15.
Five cities try out a different approach to urban development
In addition to Eichstätt, Litzendorf, Schwelm, Buchholz in der Nordheide and Sulz am Neckar are also taking part in the "Making Germany better - with the sustainable city" initiative this year. Each year, the Körber Foundation selects cities for the participatory format to focus on promoting democratic participation. Since 2019, over 20 cities and counties have already participated. The project is supported by the Association of German Cities.
In the 2023 project year, the initiative will address the social topic of the future "local climate projects". "It's often not just the big climate protection concepts, but the low-threshold projects that are quick to implement that have a positive impact directly on site. To this end, we want to leverage regional strengths and nationwide synergies", says Hannes Hasenpatt, program manager at the Körber Foundation, explaining the initiative.
About the Körber Foundation
Social change needs dialog and understanding. With its operational projects, in its networks, and with collaboration partners, the Körber Foundation is facing up to current challenges in the action fields "Innovation," "International Understanding," and "Vibrant Civil Society”. Established in 1959 by the entrepreneur Kurt A. Körber, the foundation is now active nationally and internationally from its locations in Hamburg and Berlin.
About the Association of German Cities
The Association of German Cities pools around 3,400 cities and municipalities with almost 53 million inhabitants. As the voice of the cities, the Association of Cities respects the municipal self-administration guaranteed in the Basic Law and, as the leading municipal association, represents the interests of the cities vis-à-vis the Federal Government, the Bundestag, the Bundesrat, the European Union and numerous other organizations.