Participation Heeswijk-Dinther
The work was carried out by Zet (wijzijnzet.nl), where I was employed from 2022 to 2023. On this page, I describe the project and my role.
"Although HaDee is small, it possesses a beating heart." This became clear through the highly engaged participatory process in which we guided, supported, and executed the foundational elements for Heeswijk-Dinther's new development plan.
Heeswijk-Dinther is a village with a rich history where nature, cultural heritage, and beautiful landscapes come together. The community has a strong social fabric, with residents genuinely knowing and supporting one another. However, there are concerns about the future: how can we preserve this sense of community amid inevitable changes?
The Active Citizenship Foundation (STAB) set out to create a new village development plan in collaboration with the residents of Heeswijk-Dinther. This plan includes an agenda and an agreement with the Municipality of Bernheze. To shape this process, STAB enlisted the help of Zet to engage residents of all ages in creating a plan that would have the support of the entire community. To develop outlines for this plan, it was essential to listen to the villagers' stories, dreams, wishes, concerns, and needs.
Role
Zet had the honour to guide, support, and execute the participation trajectory for STAB. The participatory journey included the following:
Design Session — Shaping ways to involve as many (including young) residents as possible.
HaDee Quiz Question — Inquiring about what is significant for the village's future.
Online Questionnaire — Soliciting information on where and when to engage and approach young HaDee residents best. Street Intervention — Gathering insights into the thoughts and concerns of the village.
HaDee Praat Mee — Collecting solutions and ideas.
Ultimately, with immense engagement, we successfully delivered a splendid outcome, where residents, entrepreneurs and partners actively contributed ideas for the substantive building blocks. These elements will serve as ingredients for STAB to further craft the village vision, ensuring that HaDee residents are genuinely involved in the narrative.
My role included designing an intervention, creating online and offline promotional materials, and producing a visual report. Additionally, I assisted in analysing the outcomes.
The intervention on the street was explicitly crafted to obtain insights into the various types of residents residing within the village. The intervention served as an instrumental tool in facilitating conversations and enhancing the value of resident interactions. Besides, the intervention allowed for identifying key areas within the village where issues were prevalent and improvements could be made while highlighting aspects that should be preserved. The intervention was meticulously structured around the five themes from previous interventions.
