City Council Members Receive Book on Citizen Participation
Citizens are on board; now it’s up to the government. That is the provocative subtitle of the book *Citizen Participation in Public Administration* by Rob van Engelenburg and Peter van Hoesel. Yesterday at City Hall, Aldermen René Zoetemelk, Hans van der Elst, and Paul de Bruijn received the first copy.
Rob van Engelenburg and Peter van Hoesel believe that politics is primarily preoccupied with itself and pays too little attention to and does too little for society. In their book on citizen participation, they explain why things need to change and how they can be done differently. This is better for residents and strengthens government policy and governance. This call to action is directed at civil servants, administrators, and politicians. But the authors are just as much addressing constructive residents.
Promoting the Learning Process and Dialogue
The book is no fewer than 313 pages long. “It got a little out of hand,” Rob laughs. “Peter van Hoesel, professor emeritus of public administration, and I have gained a great deal of knowledge and experience in the field of citizen participation throughout our careers and in practice. We wanted to share that with others who are interested, in the hope of promoting both the learning process and the dialogue between citizens and the competent authorities.”
Residents' expertise
Rob emphasizes how important it is not to underestimate the knowledge available within the community. “Residents themselves have an incredible amount of know-how. And if they don’t have it themselves, it’s available within their network, or they can find it with a little outside help—such as administrative support or a small budget.” The aldermen agree, although the municipality must, of course, comply with regulations, public participation procedures, zoning plans, and so on.
Do even better
Councilmember René Zoetemelk will be the first to read the book. “I think we’re getting better and better at reaching out to engaged residents. For example, we’re starting discussions earlier about construction plans and the development vision for the city center. We also support initiatives such as the sustainability roundtable and the sports and prevention agreement. With this book, we’ll be able to do an even better job going forward.”