Context
The Košice Region acquired the Sobranecké kúpele (Sobrance baths) with the goal of revitalizing it so that it could serve both local residents and visitors and contribute to the development of the entire region. The main objective of the participatory process was to identify the real needs of the public, namely the residents of the town, visitors to the spa, and other key stakeholders. The project was characterized by a combination of methods that were interconnected and complementary. The aim of these activities was to understand how people in the area live, what they are missing, and where they see the potential and untapped opportunities for improvement and development of the area.
How we proceeded
The participatory process involved a wide range of activities, including in-depth interviews with regional and national stakeholders, a workshop with local government representatives, local organizations, and the public, with the option for online participation. The process also included a thematic walk around the site, field surveys, and data collection through questionnaires, both in the field and online. The participation approach was based on a combination of various methods that complemented each other and provided insights from different perspectives. First, we focused on identifying key themes using open-ended questions during the field interviews. Then, these categories were verified through a larger sample of respondents via the questionnaire.
Results of Participation
The lack of experience with participation among local residents led to lower attendance at the workshops, despite the information about them being distributed through various channels. In contrast, methods such as field surveys, the participatory tent, and questionnaires during a cultural event proved to be highly effective and helped us gather valuable data. Participation in the online questionnaire was also surprisingly high. Thanks to these methods, the Košice Region gained valuable information about the local situation, the perception of the spa, the current use of the site, and ideas for the project from both residents and experts.
