Case study · Municipality of Puurs-Sint-Amands
Participation that changes plans. From a skatepark to a youth space.
Puurs-Sint-Amands was planning a skatepark. In a survey on Hoplr, young people also asked for a pump track. The municipality changed the plans and developed them with young people and designers. JOC WIJland now has both.
Engage5 min read
Original case study · English · 15 pages · 1 MB
Flanders · Belgium
27,389 residents
in Europe
- 500+
- young people completed the online survey about the youth space
- 200
- young people attended the participation afternoon
- 58%
- satisfied with involvement in neighbourhood changes in 2023
Participation figures for JOC WIJland from municipal reporting. Satisfaction with involvement in neighbourhood changes: Gemeentemonitor 2023.
Involving residents earlier in planning.
Puurs-Sint-Amands already had extensive contact with associations and volunteers. The municipality wanted to involve residents earlier in policy decisions and projects too, while plans could still change.
Alderwoman Hilde Van der Poorten and participation officer Tim Van Gool chose a consistent approach across departments, combining online surveys with conversations on site.
From an online response to designing together.
Through Hoplr’s participation platform, the municipality creates its own surveys. Residents who cannot attend a meeting can still share their views. Those who want to contribute further can join a working group.
For each process, the municipality explains which decisions are still open. A central staff member supports the departments. A core group with the alderwoman for participation and staff from communications and planning coordinates the approach.
Young people also asked for a pump track. They got one.
For the skatepark at JOC WIJland, the municipality used Hoplr to ask young people which features they wanted. A few skaters then met with designers.
The process also revealed demand for a pump track: a circuit of bumps and turns for bicycles, scooters and skates. There was room to build one, so the municipality expanded the plan.
“Politically, the initial focus was solely on the skatepark. But when it turns out there is a demand for a pump track, and that the space is available to build one, you take that on board.”
From the original case study
According to the municipal news article, more than five hundred young people completed the online survey. Two hundred attended an afternoon of workshops and introductory sessions. Afterwards, they could discuss the plans with the architects.
The result · JOC WIJland
A 500 m² skatepark and a 2,500 m² pump track.
The youth space has been built. The municipal project page describes both the skatepark and the pump track. Young people’s additional request found a place alongside the original plan.
One approach, supported by several departments.
The core group helps departments prepare participation projects and exchange experiences. Tim Van Gool describes what this collaboration achieves:
“By organising participation across departments, we create connections between different services and projects. This also helps participation grow internally and become an integral part of the organisation’s culture.”
From the original case study
Greater satisfaction with involvement.
In the Gemeentemonitor, satisfaction with involvement in neighbourhood changes rose from 46% in 2020 to 58% in 2023. This relates to the municipality’s broader policies; the increase cannot be attributed to Hoplr alone.
A say in the multi-year plan too.
Through #SamenDenkers, the municipality also asked about priorities for its multi-year planning in 2025. The process combined online participation with an in-person session: first choosing themes, then discussing actions and finally reporting back.
The municipality explained in advance that not every suggestion could be adopted and announced that it would explain its choices. In 2026, it published the 2026–2031 multi-year policy plan.
What can your municipality learn from this?
Let users help design the space.
Young people answered the skatepark survey and could then meet with designers. Their experience as skaters helped shape the plans.
Leave room to change the plan.
A pump track was not part of the initial idea. When young people asked for one and space proved available, the municipality included it.
Provide support across departments.
A central staff member and a core group help colleagues prepare participation projects and learn from each other.
Participation counts when plans can change.
The youth space at JOC WIJland shows what participation can achieve when a municipality leaves room for new ideas. Hoplr helped gather young people’s wishes; conversations with them and the designers turned those wishes into concrete plans. The municipality adjusted the plan, resulting in a pump track alongside the skatepark. Here, the value of participation lies in what residents were actually able to change.
Share this story with your team.
Download the original English case study with Hilde Van der Poorten and Tim Van Gool. Share the interview with colleagues who want to involve residents in their projects.
Download the case study