Our experts in an interview on the topic of the participation process in municipal heat planning

What do we at ZDE do in the context of municipal heat planning?

Carina: At ZDE, we approach municipal heat planning with two key components. The first component consists of stakeholder workshops, which we conduct on-site in coordination with our clients. All individuals involved in heat planning are invited to these sessions. We typically organize three workshops in total, with a focus on introducing stakeholders to the topic of municipal heat planning and actively involving them in the development and planning process.

The second component is citizen dialogue. Here, we engage directly with citizens, explain what municipal heat planning means for them, and manage expectations accordingly.

Let’s talk about the first component — the stakeholder workshops.Why is it important to engage in dialogue with stakeholders?

Carina: Stakeholders have very different views and perspectives on the topic of heat. For example, there’s the industry that produces and uses heat, the housing sector that needs it, the policymakers who define the legal framework for heat planning, and finally the municipal utilities that generate heat and act as energy providers. All these actors are brought together in the stakeholder workshops to share their perspectives. The great thing is that these workshops often lead to valuable insights for everyone involved.

Alexander: With the workshops, we naturally also aim to incorporate knowledge about specific local conditions. We need the perspectives of local stakeholders in order to tailor measures to the local context and to integrate these insights into municipal heat planning.

Johannes: We’re in a situation where, on the one hand, the legislation requires a highly standardized process. On the other hand, we must respond to the unique conditions of each municipality to truly engage all stakeholders and give them the opportunity to contribute constructively and reliably to the process.

What does the political framework say?

Carina: The political framework is in place, and everyone is obligated to act. In the first step, all large cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants are affected. In the next step, smaller municipalities will follow. It’s a major task for everyone involved — something that becomes very clear to participants in our initial stakeholder workshops.

Johannes: It’s a collective, monumental task that lies ahead — not just for municipalities, but also for many other local stakeholders. The process doesn’t end at the municipal level. Some of the technical details even extend to individual citizens’ homes. That’s precisely why it’s so important to involve the public in the dialogue.

Carina: Municipal heat planning is, at first, just infrastructure planning. What follows is implementation planning, which must be carried out by many different stakeholders. The goal of the stakeholder workshops is to involve them early in the infrastructure planning process — to raise awareness about what will be required of them during implementation.

What sets ZDE apart?

Alexander: We are already involved in many projects — some of them highly technical — where participation is partially mandatory. As a result, we have broad expertise that we can now apply to topics like climate and heat planning.

Participation is by no means just a mandatory task for us. Rather, we want citizens to feel taken seriously, and we are fully committed to creating a comprehensive and honest culture of participation. In doing so, we provide transparency about the structures and include citizens on the journey.

Participation is a crucial step toward project success. In our projects, we need people to get involved because the input from workshops and citizen dialogues helps us bring the project to a successful conclusion.

Let’s now move on to the second component mentioned earlier — the citizen dialogues. What does a citizen dialogue look like?

Carina: A citizen dialogue usually begins with a welcome and opening remarks from the mayor. During this, citizens are introduced to the broader context of heat planning and the reasons behind the municipality’s involvement. This is followed by several keynote presentations — depending on the project’s stage — addressing expectations, the next steps, or when certain results can be expected. Municipal utilities can use the opportunity to share their vision for how the heat transition can succeed and what contributions they can make toward that goal. Additionally, there are neutral partners who offer general input, such as putting the legal framework into perspective for citizens.

We use the citizen dialogue to address the topics that concern citizens, provide impulses for reflection, and offer a platform for exchange between those affected and those actively involved in the planning process.

Alexander: The dialogue primarily serves to answer citizens’ questions using expert knowledge. Although the event is time-limited, it is important to us to offer additional opportunities beyond the event itself for citizens to submit personal questions and receive answers.

At what stage are citizen dialogues conducted? Is there a recommendation here?

Carina: This depends heavily on the project and can be defined individually together with the client. We also like to orient ourselves based on how active the citizens are and whether it is important to involve them from the very beginning — or if it might be sufficient to engage with them at the end of the project. Currently, we have many projects where we conduct citizen dialogues both at the beginning — to manage expectations — and at the end, when results, heat demands, and implementation measures are clearly defined.

Does continuous communication form part of the municipal heat planning process?

Johannes: It is by no means enough to involve citizens just once at the very beginning. Rather, it is essential to build communication with citizens and other stakeholders throughout the entire process. This is part of the communication culture we aim to establish.

Carina: From a municipal perspective as well, it is important to maintain dialogue. The municipality is not only a point of contact for citizens during the planning phase but also during the subsequent implementation. To be able to answer citizens’ questions throughout the process, continuous dialogue with them is essential.