'Consumption-free places for children'
From 20 September to 22 November 2025, the second Citizens' Jury of the German city of Lüneburg took place. The topic to be addressed by the 30 participants was: consumption-free places for children in the city centre. The citizens' report of the mini-public was presented to the city council on 12 February 2026.
Especially in the summer, some places in Lüneburg's city centre are lively - but, according to some critics, they impose a ‘consumption obligation’. They say there is only room there for people who buy an ice cream or a coffee. There is a lack of public, consumption-free places to stay, especially for children, young people and their families.
Questions
Which place in the city centre is suitable as a public, consumption-free place? What conditions must be met? What could a place for young people look like? Is Schrangenplatz suitable for the young target group? These were questions that the mini-public addressed.
The participants developed proposals on how public places such as Wandrahmpark, Schrangenplatz and Neue Sülze could be made more child- and youth-friendly. In addition, ideas were developed for indoor play areas and mobile facilities that would enable spontaneous play and exercise in the city centre. Feedback from nurseries, primary schools and the youth forum was incorporated directly into the proposals.
Nine recommendations
The Citizens' Jury recommends
1. Making the Wandrahmpark more attractive in cooperation with the Lüneburg Museum.
2. Utilising existing premises to offer free play facilities for children and young people aged 0-12 and providing financial support for existing facilities (e.g. Spielerei, mosaique, etc.).
3. Creating an activity area/meeting place at the ‘Neue Sülze’for young people to complement the ‘Haus der Jugend’ youth centre in the Vierortenhaus.
4. Setting up a playground at Schrangenplatz for children up to approx. 10 years of age.
5. Installing many small measures throughout the city centre to provide low-threshold opportunities for children to exercise.
6. Setting up a mobile construction trailer as a flexible, consumption-free meeting place for all age groups in locations throughout the city centre.
7. Providing toy boxes in several locations in the city centre that can be borrowed as needed.
8. Setting up a self-organised youth café where young people (aged 12-17) can spend their free time without consumption and without being under constant supervision.
9. Setting up a youth innovation and education hub where young people and young adults can discover their interests, develop future skills and receive career guidance in a non-consumerist environment – in close cooperation with business, young entrepreneurs, Leuphana University, schools and local associations.
The recommendations of the Citizens' Jury are to be presented and discussed in the Committee for Building and Urban Development and in the Committee for Social Affairs, Health, Equality and Volunteering. The specialist committees will make a recommendation to the Council of the Hanseatic City on how to deal with the citizens' report.
‘Many valuable ideas’
Mayor Claudia Kalisch emphasised: ‘The results impressively show how concretely and constructively people in Lüneburg get involved when they are given the opportunity to do so. The group has provided many valuable ideas, for which we are very grateful. I am delighted that the recommendations will soon be discussed in the council committees.’
‘In addition to the recommendations on content, the process itself also provided important insights,’ explained Eva Kern, coordinator of the Citizens' Jury. ‘The feedback is extremely valuable for us in the administration. We can see specifically where information is not yet sufficiently known or where there is great interest. These insights help us to improve, and citizens learn where to find information
Youth Forum survey
The Youth Forum, the results of the children's conferences and the primary schools were involved in the organisation and implementation of the meetings.
With the support of the city's youth welfare service and in close coordination with the Hanseatic city's green planning department, the Lüneburg Youth Forum launched a survey: What is important to young people in playgrounds and parks? The survey was aimed at young people aged 12 and above. Among other things, they were asked about their favourite places in the city and the times when they most frequently visit parks and playgrounds.
Citizens' Jury received survey results
Following the survey, the results were evaluated, presented to Lüneburg politicians and made available to the city administration for long-term planning. The Citizens' Assembly also received insight into its work.
The Lüneburg Youth Forum has been in existence since 2020. It is a committee for young people aged 12 to 22 that meets regularly and is supported by youth welfare workers. The Youth Forum promotes the interests of young people in Lüneburg and advises politicians and administrators on youth issues. It has its own funding for youth projects and attends political meetings to report on them on its own Instagram channel.
Introduction of citizens' juries decided in 2024
In September 2024, the council of the Hanseatic city of Lüneburg decided to introduce citizens' juries as a new instrument of citizen participation. According to the decision, a Citizens' Jury with 30 randomly selected citizens is to be held annually.
For the second mini-public, the citizens of Lüneburg were called upon to submit topic suggestions in February and March 2025. Participation was possible online, by post or in person. A total of 39 suggestions were received. After grouping them by topic, the administration had 27 different topics to consider.
These suggestions were subjected to a formal and technical evaluation by the administration. The results of this evaluation were made available to the inter-party working group on citizens' juries, which considered the proposals in May 2025.
Two topics to choose from
The working group unanimously agreed to present two topics to the council for selection for the 2025 Citizens' Jury:
a) Consumption-free places for children in the city centre (with recommendations for Schrangenplatz)
b) Measures against loneliness
The city council decided on the first topic in June 2025.
600 randomly selected people invited
On 7 July, the city administration sent invitations to participate in the Citizens' Jury to 600 randomly selected people aged 16 and over. A group of 30 people was assembled from the 53 positive responses. This group reflected the composition of the population of Lüneburg in terms of age, gender, education, place of residence, migration background and households with children. The youngest participant was 18, the oldest 86.
The mini-public met on five weekends. Participants received an expense allowance of 35 euros per session.