15 Dec The EGTC Rio Minho and the cross-border municipalities open a citizen participation process to approach everyday problems in their neighborhood

As part of the revitalization of the Arbo-Melgaço-As Neves, Caminha-A Guarda-O Rosal and the Tomiño-Cerveira Eurocity Cross-border Urban Agendas, they are launching a survey to give citizens a voice

The survey will be available until January 15, at the be address https://aectriominho.eu/axendas-urbanas-transfronteirizas/enquisa/

The preparation of the Rio Minho Cross-border Urban Agendas consists of a joint planning project between the municipalities of both banks, promoted by the EGTC Rio Minho in collaboration with the municipalities of the territory, in which they have been working since the end of last year. After an extensive training process and the development of several working tables with local agents, it is now the turn to open a new participation process that allows citizens to have a voice in decision-making of issues that affect their day-to-day life.

Specifically, the technical teams of the municipalities of Melgaço-Arbo-As Neves-A Cañiza-Crecente, Caminha-A Guarda-O Rosal and the Tomiño-Cerveira Eurocity have designed in recent months several proposals for intervention on different issues and problems that affect the each of these territories based on the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Now all of those interested people will be able to give their opinion through an online survey available on the EGTC Rio Minho website https://aectriominho.eu/axendas-urbanas-transfronteirizas/enquisa/ until next January 15.

Each cross-border working group prepared a different questionnaire focused on the topics selected by the municipal technical teams. So, in the case of Melgaço-Arbo-As Neves-A Cañiza-Crecente the survey focuses on housing and mobility. In the survey of A Guarda, Caminha and O Rosal, the questions are focused on mobility, culture and heritage. At last, the Tomiño-Cerveira Eurocity questionnaire includes questions about recycling and circular economy, mobility, consumption habits, equality and cultural programming.

The implementation of Cross-border Urban Agendas in the territory of the Rio Minho will allow the cross-border area to be more inclusive, resilient and sustainable. The importance of this joint planning tool lies in its innovative nature; and it’s a cooperation initiative which wants to conceive the territory as a functional space and look for new ways to solve problems that directly affect people’s lives.

The training program “Cross-border Urban Agendas of the Eurocities of the Rio Minho” is part of the project “Support Network for Local Dynamics of Cooperation in the Cross-border Rio Minho” – REDE_LAB_MINHO, promoted by the EGTC Rio Minho and co-financed by the Interreg V-A Program Spain-Portugal.