Case study · City of Mechelen
City updates that get through. Close to home, in the neighborhood.
More than 16,000 households in Mechelen have joined Hoplr. The city shares neighborhood updates about roadworks, events and local initiatives. In the reported quarter, city posts received almost 300,000 views.
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New case study · English · 6 pages · 0.4 MB
Flanders · Belgium
90,355 residents
in Europe
- 16,000+
- households registered
- 53%
- of households on the network
- 296,505
- views of city posts in the reported quarter
Figures from the Hoplr case study of 27 November 2025. Views do not represent unique residents; the exact quarter was not specified.
Information about the neighborhood you live in.
Roadworks on your street, a neighborhood event or a new local initiative: Mechelen uses Hoplr to keep residents informed about their own surroundings.
These city updates appear alongside neighbors’ questions and posts. Residents also use Hoplr to lend things, share activities and ask each other for advice.
From a pilot project to 28 digital neighborhoods.
Mechelen started with a pilot project in 2016. The city now has 28 digital neighborhoods, from the center to the surrounding villages.
Residents register with their name and address and join their own neighborhood. The city also directs newcomers to Hoplr through its ‘Nieuwe buren?’ page.
The city shares updates. Neighbors’ conversations stay private.
The city can target posts to a specific neighborhood. Residents receive local updates, for example about roadworks or an event nearby.
Mechelen’s website also explains what the city can and cannot see: it sends neighborhood updates, but has no access to residents’ conversations with each other.
“Good communication is the foundation of trust between a city and its residents.”
Excerpt from the source
Read how Mechelen explains Hoplr to residents.
From the city’s approach
New neighbors? Join online, meet at the doorstep.
Alongside Hoplr, Mechelen offers introduction cards. New residents can pick them up or print them and deliver them to their neighbors. Both options are listed on the ‘Nieuwe buren?’ page.
Almost 300,000 views of city posts in one quarter.
In November 2025, Hoplr reported more than 16,000 registered households in Mechelen: 53% of all households. City posts received 296,505 views in the reported quarter.
These are post views, not unique readers. One resident can view several posts.
Hoplr is part of Mechelen’s broader neighborhood approach. The city also supports neighborhood days, benches outside homes and other local initiatives.
What can your municipality learn from this?
Share posts at neighborhood level.
Mechelen uses neighborhood boundaries to share local information about roadworks, events and initiatives.
Help new residents get started.
The ‘Nieuwe buren?’ page helps residents both register on Hoplr and meet people on their street.
Explain the city’s role.
Mechelen tells residents that the city can share official updates while conversations between neighbors stay private.
Useful for neighbors, valuable for the city.
Hoplr gives Mechelen a direct line to more than 16,000 registered households. Neighbors use the network to help each other, share something or organize an activity. In the same app, the city can deliver targeted information about their neighborhood. Since starting in 2016, Mechelen has built a large local audience. Its approach shows what years of investment in neighborhood communication can achieve.
Share this story with your team.
Download the English case study with Mechelen’s approach and key figures. Useful for sharing internally or discussing with colleagues.
Download the case study