Case study · City of Mechelen
City updates that get through. Close to home, in the neighbourhood.
More than 16,000 households in Mechelen have joined Hoplr. The city shares neighbourhood 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 neighbourhood you live in.
Roadworks on your street, a neighbourhood event or a new local initiative: Mechelen uses Hoplr to keep residents informed about their own surroundings.
These city updates appear alongside neighbours’ 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 neighbourhoods.
Mechelen started with a pilot project in 2016. The city now has 28 digital neighbourhoods, from the centre to the surrounding villages.
Residents register with their name and address and join their own neighbourhood. The city also directs newcomers to Hoplr through its ‘Nieuwe buren?’ page.
The city shares updates. Neighbours’ conversations stay private.
The city can target posts to a specific neighbourhood. 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 neighbourhood 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 neighbours? 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 neighbours. 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 neighbourhood approach. The city also supports neighbourhood days, benches outside homes and other local initiatives.
What can your municipality learn from this?
Share posts at neighbourhood level.
Mechelen uses neighbourhood 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 neighbours stay private.
Useful for neighbours, valuable for the city.
Hoplr gives Mechelen a direct line to more than 16,000 registered households. Neighbours use the network to help each other, share something or organise an activity. In the same app, the city can deliver targeted information about their neighbourhood. Since starting in 2016, Mechelen has built a large local audience. Its approach shows what years of investment in neighbourhood 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