Nyon 2050 (PDCom)

A municipal master plan articulates the municipality’s intentions and goals for land management and development, covering urbanization, mobility, the environment, agriculture, nature conservation, landscape preservation, and community life. It serves to anticipate needs, guide projects, plan public facilities, and allocate the corresponding financial resources. In other words, it provides strategic direction for the transformation of the municipal territory. In Nyon, a revision of the master plan is currently underway.

See also: Nyon 2050 - Development of the Municipal Master Plan

Citizen Engagement: A Key Contribution

Citizen engagement (the general public, as well as relevant socioeconomic stakeholders) is key to ensuring the quality and relevance of this document for Nyon’s future and must be approached as a shared endeavor. To this end, a participatory approach guides the entire process.

The Nyon 2050 Participatory Process

The PDCom participatory process aims to incorporate the Nyon residents’ in-depth knowledge of the local area into the revision of the PDCom, as well as to verify the relevance of the proposed guidelines. The lessons learned from this process will inform the discussions led by multidisciplinary teams of professionals.

Participatory Workshops: “Imagine the City of Tomorrow”

In 2023 and 2024, residents were invited to participate in seven participatory workshops to reflect on their environment and propose ideas for change. The first four workshops took the form of walks through the city’s neighborhoods and writing workshops. Participants shared their experiences and expectations for Nyon 2050. 

The themes and ideas that emerged during these workshops were highlighted on June 1, 2024, during a public theatrical performance featuring eight participants. This performance was directed by Joëlle Fontannaz.

Participatory Workshops: “Experience the City of Tomorrow”

Three workshops were also dedicated to the theme “experiencing the city of tomorrow.” They provided an opportunity to explore in greater depth the ideas, themes, and locations identified during the initial workshops. The goal was to begin sketching out citizen-led projects that could quickly make the city more pleasant, attractive, and inclusive, in parallel with the longer-term implementation of the PDCom.

Residents have thus selected several sites with proposals for improvements, such as the development of walking routes, public squares, or benches in strategic locations. Each project is led by a committed individual. Residents were invited to participate in walking tours along the routes of these citizen-led projects. The opinions and comments collected on-site through a survey helped prioritize the locations, needs, and urgent issues to be addressed in the PDCom, thereby reinforcing the ideas generated during the workshops with residents.

"Nyon 2050" Municipal Master Plan (PDCom) – Special Event on June 1, 2024, featuring urban walks, theater, and an information booth. Photo: Matthieu Moerlen

Participatory Budgeting

A participatory budget of 100,000 francs is allocated for the implementation of one or more of these citizen initiatives, deemed most likely to improve the common good and quality of life. Other proposals, if they cannot be implemented immediately, will be included in the PDCom.

For the year 2025, the participatory budget was allocated to a “cozy” shelter project, which emerged from workshops conducted with high school students. This project proposes the creation of welcoming gathering spaces in underutilized public areas. Construction of the “cozy” shelters is scheduled for 2026.