Tallinn will organize a Green Capital Citizens' Assembly

From October 7th to November 4th this fall the first Tallinn Citizens' Assembly will take place. With the help of experts and stakeholders, the European Green Capital 2023 Tallinn invites their citizens to discuss over the question: "How can we link Tallinn's green spaces into an inviting whole?"

“Tallinn is the green capital of Europe this year and it gives a good opportunity to co-operate more meaningfully with city residents, companies and organizations. And to raise awareness about nature, greenery and climate change. The Citizens’ Assembly is a format of involvement that has not been used in Tallinn before, and the year of the green capital is a suitable time to test it," said Deputy Mayor of Tallinn Vladimir Svet.

"Different international research of recent years clearly proves that we need more nature in the city, and nature must be easily accessible to everyone. Direct contact with nature, both in the city and in the countryside, supports mental health and increases well-being," Svet explained why the topic of greenery was chosen for the Citizens’ Assembly.

The program of the Green Capital Citizens’ Assembly follows an internationally established structure. At the end of the summer, a representative sample of Tallinn’s citizens aged 15 and older will be formed for the assembly. 60 people will be selected to the assembly which will form in October. All the members will have the necessary background knowledge to make high-quality and thoughtful proposals that will be presented on November 4st. Then a voting process will take place and every proposal with at least 80% support is considered accepted by the Citizens’ Assembly and are handed over to the Tallinn City Government.

"The proposals of the Citizens’ Assembly help to specify several action and investment plans for greenery, mitigation of climate change and urban planning. The proposals are examined carefully, and we will find the best ways to incorporate them into the city's plans," said Raido Roop, strategy director of Tallinn.

The Green Capital Citizen's Assembly is the fourth People's Assembly in Estonia and the third on climate change. The city is consulting with Domus Dorpatensis SA Centre for Democracy in organizing the assembly. The Democracy Centre is developing and testing the format of the Citizens’ Assembly for sustainable development. The cooperation with the City of Tallinn will be carried out through a grant for the activities of non-profit organisations (MTT).

Find more information about the Green Capital Citizen's Assembly here.