Participation Policy in Amsterdam

Openresearch editorial board

In Amsterdam we make new plans every day. How do we ensure that we devise and do this together with the city?


In Amsterdam we make new plans every day. From the design of a playground in the street to a vision of the future for the whole of Amsterdam. In order to properly arrange the involvement and cooperation with residents, entrepreneurs and organizations for all these municipal plans, the municipality has drawn up a participation policy. This way you know how you can participate and think when the municipality makes plans for your neighborhood, your district or the entire city.

We think it is important that in all municipal plans, it should be clear to everyone from the start whether, when, what and how they can think about, discuss or participate. It is also mandatory nationally. The government is working on new national legislation, requiring municipalities to properly arrange participation. The most important are the Strengthening Participation at the Decentralized Level Act, the Environmental Act and the Open Government Act. That is why we have had a participation policy since 2021. In 2024 we will record the participation policy in a participation regulation.

In this collection you will find, among other things, the participation regulation (in draft), in which the participation policy has been formalized.