Frankfurt shines in new splendor: Citizens can now actively participate!

Frankfurt shines in new splendor: Citizens can now actively participate!

The city of Frankfurt has taken a big step towards more active citizen participation with the revised participation platform “Frankfurt asks me”, which went online in spring 2025. The app, which has been around since 2014 and offers citizens the opportunity to actively participate in shaping their environment, now shines in new splendor. With a fresh design and numerous technical adjustments, the platform is modern and user-friendly. Commune21 reports that the app is available for Android and Apple devices and can be downloaded via popular platforms.

Under the motto “Get involved!” Citizens can use the app to take part in city projects, report defects and contribute their own ideas. The head of the department for citizens, digital and international affairs, Eileen O’Sullivan, emphasizes how important low-threshold participation opportunities are for all city residents. The redesign comes at just the right time, as a survey showed that citizens were demanding clear and transparent information about participation options.

New features and improvements

The relaunch not only brings with it a new design, but also the list of projects. This allows users to keep an overview of urban projects in which they can participate. The “Participate” section summarizes all current participation options such as surveys, workshops and discussion groups. The city of Frankfurt This shows that it is committed to modern and transparent citizen participation and is already planning further innovations.

The previous functions, including the well-known defect reporter and the ideas platform, remained untouched and were supplemented by the improvements. A new participation logo identifies projects in which citizens can participate directly. These measures are in line with the trend of digital citizen participation at the municipal level, as is also practiced in other cities. For example, in Bonn there is the citizen participation portal “Bonn joins in!”, which has existed since 2014 and gives citizens the opportunity to contribute ideas and suggestions.

A look into the future

The example of Frankfurt shows how digital citizen participation is increasingly taking shape. In addition to simple membership in citizens' assemblies, which often only allow limited participation, many municipalities rely on social media and platforms to involve citizens. Important objectives are to increase citizen participation and create more transparency in political decisions. One example or another shows how strong citizen involvement can lead to creative solutions.

With the new and revised app “Frankfurt asks me” the city is well on the way to enabling its citizens to play an active role in urban development. The commitment of the city administration and the ongoing work to improve the platform give reason to be optimistic about the future.