For this debate I had to replace my colleague Marloes. Because the national government introduced the new Omgevingswet , which goes into effect January first 2024, every municipality needs to have a participation ordinance. Zwolle developed this ordinance together with residents, interest groups and a committee on citizen participation. The municipality wants it to be used as a template for all participation organized in the city, not only the projects that fall under the omgevingswet.

After the alderman backtracked last October on an earlier decision to prohibit any advertising for fossil fuel related products on bus stops and other municipal property we were disappointed.

GroenLinks and the SP had asked the alderman to add terms prohibiting advertising by certain fossil fuel related companies to the new contract with the operator of the bus stops and advertising pillars (big things next to the motorway) on municipal property, just as political parties in other city’s have done with success. For example: Amersfoort, Utrecht, Enschede, Leiden, Haarlem and Amsterdam.

But the alderman and his legal team came to the conclusion that commercial advertising can only be limited by law or regulation, not in a private contract because it’s protected under freedom of speech. We needed to find a different solution.