When young people shape their city: Potsdam brings urban planning into the classroom

How can young people be inspired to get involved in urban development? The Smart City Potsdam model project has teamed up with school pupils, teachers and the local government to develop the workshop kit ‘StadTräume – Jugend Macht Stadt’ (Urban Dreams – Youth Shapes the City). Young people can use creative methods such as meme design, WhatsApp storytelling and prototyping to develop their own ideas for their city – and contribute these directly to municipal planning processes.

Collaboration as a recipe for success

The kit was developed in a multi-stage co-design process: from needs analysis and prototyping workshops to several test phases, the young people actively participated in the concept and materials. The result is a comprehensive collection of analogue and digital elements, ranging from method cards and collage materials to digital templates. Teachers can use the kit independently or organise workshops together with city administration staff.

The project shows how successful participation can be achieved in everyday school life. Young people not only contribute fresh ideas, but also learn how urban development works. For Smart City Potsdam, the kit is an important step towards greater digital and democratic participation – and an example of how creative methods can build bridges between the administration, schools and urban society.

The material can be downloaded from the Smart City Potsdam website.

Smart City Potsdam: Innovative. Green. Fair.

Potsdam is one of 73 model Smart City projects funded by the German federal government. The state capital's goal is to become a liveable and lovable city by 2026 while also mastering the transition to the digital age. Under the motto "Smart City Potsdam – Innovative. Green. Fair," the city has discussed the principles of a smart city with citizens, administrative staff and experts and developed a joint strategy.

This strategy has resulted in six key areas of action: urban networks, digital participation, neighbourhood development, climate protection and climate adaptation, integrated transport transition and Smart Region – i.e. inter-municipal cooperation. These areas of action form the foundation for digital urban development in the coming years.

Smart City as a concept for the future

Potsdam is currently facing major changes: the city is growing, new space is needed, mobility needs are changing and the consequences of climate change are becoming apparent. At the same time, digitalisation is opening up new opportunities, but also requires forward-looking strategies. With the ‘Smart City Model Projects’ funding programme, for which Potsdam was awarded the contract in 2021, the city can develop new technologies and methods to actively address these challenges.

In the first project phase in 2022 and 2023, the smart city strategy was developed and the first pilot projects were launched. The second phase, from 2024 to 2026, will see the implementation of concrete measures, including a climate dashboard, a citizen-oriented tree register, the establishment of an urban data platform and a comprehensive LoRaWAN sensor network.

A key element is the broad participation process: numerous voices, ideas and suggestions have been collected so far in over 22 formats, ranging from strategy workshops to a market of opportunities. A citizen survey of 6,600 randomly selected Potsdam residents showed that the majority not only enjoy living in the city, but also want to actively participate in shaping it. Liveable neighbourhoods and a green, carbon-neutral future were particularly important to those surveyed.

More about the Smart City project in Potsdam: smartcity.potsdam.de