Hoyerswerda is located in Lusatia in Saxony and has a population of 31,000. From the 1960s onwards, Hoyerswerda underwent massive structural expansion to provide housing and living space for thousands of employees of the "Schwarze Pumpe" lignite-fired power station. At its peak, 70,000 people lived in the town. Today, Hoyerswerda is characterised by a very active civil society and numerous socio-cultural meeting places.
In 2022-2023, Hoyerswerda was a partner municipality in the pilot project "Municipal development councils - shaping the future together locally" funded by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb).
In Hoyerswerda, the Municipal Development Advisory Board focussed on the sensible use of green and demolition areas in the city. The aim is to create a "green fringe" that connects the old and new town and is used as a sustainable experience space. The Municipal Development Advisory Board worked on linking the ideas of politics/administration, civil society and business on inclusive design and putting them into practice.
