Design Studio WiSe 2024/25
Dr. Juliana Canedo, Dr. Moritz Ahlert, M.Sc. Qusay Amer

Engaging Berlin‘s Youth in Urban Planning
Berlin as a migrant and activist city

The modern history of Berlin is shaped by various events: war, fascism, destruction, rehabilitation, protests, social movements, activism and migration. In this studio, we would like to focus on two of these aspects: activism and migration. The city is renowned for its openness and diversity, and has been a magnet for people from across the globe, creating both a rich and conflictive territory where multiple stories and narratives co-exist. Alongside its diverse population, Berlin’s history of political upheaval and social change has cultivated a robust spirit of activism. From the resistance movements during the Cold War to contemporary advocacy for social justice, affordable housing, environmental sustainability, and human rights, Berliners are renowned for their engagement and activism. 

Photo © Luis Baumann, Emmanuelle Dubot, Jakob Honz, Elise Schreck, Omar Zenbaey

In this context, active participation of citizens in decisions regarding urban policies and city planning has been at the center of many struggles. Despite the existence of effective mechanisms and tools for societal participation, the active engagement of its citizens is not equally performed. Many issues contribute to this imbalance - cultural barriers, language, age, among others. Teenagers are often disregarded in participation processes. It is extremely important to engage them since they are the ones who will actually experience and be affected by urban transformation. By working with different groups of teenagers we aim to both understand their perspective and contribute to create self-awareness of their role in urban planning and design.
 
In cooperation with writer Ellen Schindler, author of “Metro 010”, we will explore through different collaborative methodologies the spatial experience and imagination of teenagers from different social groups. During the Studio we will co-develop spatial narratives and re-design a manifesto for participation of teenagers in urban planning and design. 

During the PIV students will learn about how to map socio-spatial practices. They will also experiment and develop tools of visualization that will be useful for the field work of the Studio. The PIV includes inputs and workshops from experts. It is a cooperation with SFB – Refiguration of Spaces, Dr. Jamie Scott Baxter and Dr. Séverine Marguin. It will be developed in collaboration with Ellen Schindler (author of Metro 010). 

Download poster here.