Research project “We in Würzburg – survey on cohesion in the city and district”
For the research project “We in Würzburg – survey on cohesion in the city and district”, the Chair of Social Science Sustainability Research at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, in cooperation with the Smarte Region-Team of the city and district of Würzburg, is asking citizens from the city and district about their assessment of social cohesion within the population.
A representative survey of 8,000 people over the age of 15 will be conducted in February 2024. Participants will be selected from the residents’ registers of the city of Würzburg and the municipalities of the district of Würzburg. The people selected by means of a representative random sample are contacted by us via post and receive a written questionnaire, which can be completed and returned to us free of charge. On the other hand, the questionnaire can be completed conveniently online by using a personalized link. Participation is voluntary; non-participation does not lead to any disadvantages. However, as selected persons are representative of many other citizens, we ask all persons who have received a questionnaire to take part in our survey!
The aim of the survey is to use a specially designed questionnaire to gain important insights into different categories of “social cohesion in the city and district”. Important areas of the survey include (1) knowledge transfer (How well do the target groups feel they are provided with the information they need to prepare for or respond to a crisis?); (2) community networks (How much do people from the target groups feel part of a community that supports them in the event of a crisis?) and (3) social engagement and political influence (How much influence do the target groups feel they have on political decisions?). From a scientific perspective, the research project thus combines the topics of “(social) resilience” and “smart cities” with a special focus on how society deals with and prepares for crises.
The results have multiple benefits for citizens, society, and science, including …
- … the identification of successful public measures for the sustainable digital development of the city and district.
- … insights into the wishes and potential for improvement in the design of public spaces.
- … insights into local support networks, political influence, and information in the city and district of Würzburg to prepare for and respond to crises.
- … a better understanding of social cohesion in the city and district of Würzburg.
- … new scientific findings on the social resilience and attitudes of citizens in smart cities.
- … the development of a survey methodology for impact measurement in smart cities.
- … the integration of the topic of “smart cities” and “social resilience” in teaching.
On this website you will find the most important key points of the survey, as well as the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. We are available for further questions via various contact channels.
FAQ
The survey is a cooperation project between the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg and the Smarte Region-Team of the city and district of Würzburg. The project is managed by Junior Professor Dr. Ulrike Zeigermann .
The aim of the survey is to use a specially designed questionnaire to gain important insights into different categories of “social cohesion in the city and district”. Important areas of the survey include (1) knowledge transfer (How well do the target groups feel they are provided with the information they need to prepare for or respond to a crisis?); (2) community networks (How much do people from the target groups feel part of a community that supports them in the event of a crisis?) and (3) social engagement and political influence (How much influence do the target groups feel they have on political decisions?). From a scientific perspective, the research project thus combines the topics of “(social) resilience” and “smart cities” with a special focus on how society deals with and prepares for crises.
Selected persons will be contacted by post.
Your address was randomly selected from the residents’ registers of the city of Würzburg and the municipalities of the district of Würzburg.
If you have been selected for the survey, we will contact you by post. You then have two options for taking part in the survey: On the one hand, the survey documents contain a printed questionnaire, which you can return to us free of charge using the enclosed pre-paid envelope. On the other hand, an individual access to an online version of the questionnaire is printed on the first page of the questionnaire, with which you can conveniently complete the questionnaire digitally, for example via smartphone.
Participation in the survey is voluntary. Non-participation has no negative consequences for you. However, as you are representative of many other households in the city and district of Würzburg, we ask you to take part in the survey!
If you have been selected for the survey, we will contact you by post. You then have two options for taking part in the survey: On the one hand, the survey documents contain a printed questionnaire, which you can return to us free of charge using the enclosed pre-paid envelope. On the other hand, an individual access to an online version of the questionnaire is printed on the first page of the questionnaire, with which you can conveniently complete the questionnaire digitally, for example via smartphone.
You will find your personal access data on the first page of the questionnaire.
We only ask you to take part in the survey once. Please either complete the paper questionnaire and send it back to us free of charge – or use the access data printed on the first page of the questionnaire to complete the questionnaire conveniently in digital form.
No. If you took part online, it is not necessary to send in the questionnaire. In this case, please dispose of the questionnaire.
No. We will pay the postage costs for the return. To return the completed questionnaire, simply use the enclosed return envelope and drop it in one of the yellow post boxes. Alternatively, you can drop the return envelope directly into one of the letterboxes at the university locations Sanderring 2 or Wittelsbacherplatz 1.
If you require an English version of the questionnaire, please contact us.
The data is analyzed using statistical methods and summarized in groups. No conclusions are drawn from the data to individuals. The survey data and the address data are stored separately.
We handle your data with care and adhere to the current data protection guidelines in all respects! Further information can be found on our data protection page.
The results will be published in aggregated form towards the end of the project on this website and by the stadt.land.smart.-Team of the city and district of Würzburg. If you would like to receive the results report separately, please send an e-mail to micha.pastuschka@uni-wuerzburg.de.
If you have any questions about the questionnaire or the project, please use the various ways to contact us.
