The “Zukunftsstadt 2030+” project in the Verbandsgemeinde Sprendlingen‑Gensingen aimed to strengthen citizen participation and foster local development through a combination of self‑organized working groups and a digital platform. Over the course of the second funding phase, which ran from late 2016 to mid‑2018, the project delivered a functional online portal, a marketing campaign, and an action plan that together laid the groundwork for continued community engagement.
The technical core of the initiative was the “Marktplatz der Ideen” portal (www.marktplatz‑sg.de). After a public tender, a young regional company built the site using open‑source software, allowing other municipalities to reuse the source code. The portal was designed to let citizens register, browse existing projects, and submit their own ideas. Users could choose their level of involvement, ranging from passive information seekers to active project developers who could set up their own “market stands.” Although the portal was launched successfully, budget constraints meant that some planned features—such as advanced project‑management tools and a citizen‑budget allocation system—were omitted. The project team therefore identified these gaps for a future Phase 3 upgrade, which will include a dedicated project‑management module and a voting system for the municipal budget.
In addition to the portal, the project produced a comprehensive action plan that outlined recommendations for sustaining and expanding the citizen‑participation model. The plan was handed over to the municipality at the end of the second phase and is intended to guide future initiatives, including the integration of the portal into the municipality’s long‑term digital strategy. The action plan also highlighted financing options for citizen projects, addressing a key barrier identified during the project’s implementation.
The marketing campaign, launched under the slogan “Bissje Held is jeder!” (Every citizen is a hero), promoted the portal through posters, events, and social‑media outreach on the municipality’s Facebook page and website. The campaign’s visibility was further amplified by a poster presentation at the BMBF forum in Leipzig (April–June 2018), where the portal was showcased to other participating communities.
The project’s scientific and technical design drew on comparable platforms such as Frankfurt Gestalten and Liquid Friesland, ensuring that the portal’s architecture aligned with best practices in civic technology. The IfaS (Institute for Municipal Affairs) leveraged its long‑standing experience in municipal consulting to guide the overall project design, the participatory process, and the marketing strategy. The municipality’s “Stabstelle Beteiligungsmanagement und Nachhaltigkeit” coordinated the citizen‑participation activities, while the expanded “Zukunftsstadtteam” served as the interface between the project and municipal administration.
Collaboration extended beyond the core partners. Working groups on mobility, elderly care, and local supply engaged external experts: a mobility group consulted a bus‑service specialist for its “Bürgerbus” idea; a senior‑care group brought in community‑health professionals to discuss alternative care models; and a local‑supply group partnered with Foodsharing.de to develop swap‑shelf projects. These collaborations enriched the project’s content and ensured that the portal reflected a broad spectrum of community needs.
Overall, the project demonstrated that a combination of digital tools, targeted marketing, and stakeholder collaboration can create a sustainable platform for citizen engagement. While the initial portal launch faced budget‑related limitations, the open‑source foundation and the detailed action plan position the Verbandsgemeinde Sprendlingen‑Gensingen to expand and refine the “Marktplatz der Ideen” in future funding rounds, thereby advancing the municipality’s Vision 2030+ for inclusive, participatory urban development.