What/Next

The Japanese word for "space" , 間 ( ma ), carries layered meanings. It can be translated as "interval", invoking the space between two or more things, which can be both spatial or temporal in nature. In Japanese cities, sound and civic technologies play a role in how this interval is produced, navigated, and governed. Das japanische Wort für "Raum", 間 ( ma ), trägt...

Even when our intentions are not to seek out time as a topic of contemplation or in the case of this episode, conflict, it is at the heart of how communities make sense of the changes in their surroundings. Through this fifth episode, Miriam Jensen shares her experiences in becoming familiar with and articulating attunement as a key capacity to reconciling and responding to the environmental chang...

In the future-oriented discipline  of urban planning, the influence of the past on current decisions is chronically underrepresented. Yet,  time  plays a key role. The analysis of social phenomena and their transformation provides a structural perspective on urban space in temporal terms. There is a strong connection between today’s approach to planning and the evolution of planning as a disciplin...

Informed by multiple disciplinary debates including critical theory, relativity theory and quantum physics, and musicology, Temporal Urban Design is a comprehensive new theory and methodological approach to the aesthetics of time and rhythm in the city. In this third episode of Time/Out, Filipa Matos Wunderlich shares her path to conceptualizing place-temporality and learning how to map and repres...

In order to initiate and implement conversion on a much larger scale, we need a change in our current culture - in planning, in building, and also in the way we use, think about, and imagine space. In this discussion we continue the debate on planning cultures of conversion. University and institutional research meets practice. We are building on the impulses and discussions of our jointly organiz...

There is currently a lot of discussion about conversion (culture) , building and spatial change. There are many reasons for turning to and using existing material as well as social and cultural resources in existing buildings and settlements. These include the ongoing consumption of resources, the release of CO2 and the production of waste in the construction industry, the unchecked consumption of...

The Temporary University Hambach is an innovative format for cooperation and collaboration, mutual learning, encounters and the organisation of people, initiatives and institutions that are committed to the long-term success of structural change in the Rhenish lignite mining region. Under the motto "Do something, join in!", the tu! 2024 project days will take place in June - a joint init...

Small and medium-sized cities were both the subject and the site of research and development in the Research Training Group "Medium-Sized Cities as Co-Participation Cities ". In addition to the group of twelve doctoral students, a network of 40 small and medium-sized cities was established and developed into a space of discussion and resonance for the specific concerns and resources of t...

In urban development , new forms of governance are constantly being called for in order to develop cities sustainably. In recent years, there has been an increase in cooperation between city makers from organised civil society, urban planners and developers from administrations and researchers – a trialogue rather than just a dialogue. But what exactly does this trialogue look like on the ground?...

From Future Anticipation to Deep-time Thinking: Asserting the production of time inherently implies acknowledging the diversity of temporal experiences that are embedded in different cultures, geographies, economic and political systems. In this second episode, we talk with Hannes Langguth who analyses Time as an (infra)structuring element in the future-making of the urban that allows for crucial...

Science Underpinning Change: Understanding and showing the relevance of time to people of diverse ages and backgrounds can be not only a theoretical but a creative and cultural challenge. In this inaugural interview with Saska van Stein, the Time Out team uncover the initial processes and thinking that enabled and inspired the International Architecture Biënnale Rotterdam to organize, curate, and...

Senf.koeln is a platform for participation founded in Cologne by a multidisciplinary team of students united by their love for the city and motivation to make it even better. Senf.koeln ist eine Beteiligungsplattform, die von einem multidisziplinären Team von Studierenden in Köln gegründet wurde. Sie sind vereint von ihrer Liebe für die Stadt und von der Motivation, sie noch schöner zu machen. You...

Storytelling is becoming increasingly important for citymaking. But what exactly are so-called narratives and what possibilities arise from working with them? In this podcast, three guests from Bonn, Hamburg and Berlin are getting down to the essence of storytelling. They report on their own planning and research projects, discuss their concept of planning and provide tips for use in practice. Ges...

The Hansaforum in Münster has become a brand . With its origins in the B-Side, an up-and-coming socio-cultural center in the Münster harbor, the initiative, which is funded by the Federal Institute for Building, Urban and Spatial Research, activates the community spirit in the neighborhood. Das Hansaforum in Münster ist mittlerweile eine Marke. Mit seinen Ursprüngen in der B-Side, einem aufstreben...

A city is developed by many – individuals, groups and organizations with different experiences, backgrounds and demands. Awareness of the diversity of stakeholders seems to be growing among planning practitioners. What does this imply for urban development and for the design of processes? Lea Fischer and Agnes Förster explore these and other questions, representative for the Research Training Grou...

In order to be able to cope with the complex transformation tasks of our time, it is necessary to strengthen local links. By promoting a moderated exchange between different institutions and civil society, a breeding ground for change is created in small medium-sized cities. This requires places and formats of encounter to jointly develop new ideas and alliances. In the future, these synapses must...

With Quartier U1 in Nuremberg, the Urban Lab team is pursuing the goal of introducing actors from urban and civil society to help shape the city. The core business is imparting knowledge and practical guidance on all aspects of promoting low-threshold offers in the district. The reason for the project was pilot funding from the national urban development policy “Shaping the city together!” in 2018...

The public urban space – made of open spaces and the corresponding ground floor zones – is available to residents and users in a certain way. Now these spaces are no longer used, or they are used in a different way. Stefan Rettich is researching the potential of obsolete functions and their relations to public spaces and how we can develop the city to make it less vulnerable in the future. De...

How do we know where to look for understanding what is happening in and to our urban societies? Right now, as urban researchers, we find ourselves presented with a huge experiment whose outcomes are yet hard to guess. Simone Egger, cultural scientist, is an active participant and observer of the urban community. What/Next spoke to her about what she sees, where to look und how this moment can be a...

Neighborhoods take on important social functions: As a place to live and identify, as an everyday and focal point, as a place of learning, of experience and care, quarters can satisfy a multitude of basic human needs. But lively and livable neighborhoods don't just grow out of nothing. Their creation and development must be supported. The team of What/Next spoke to Prof. Marcus Menzl. At the inter...

We know now : Google and Amazon are the big winners in the pandemic. At the same time, vacancy rates in the cities continue to unfold. The intergenerational contract is in danger of being desocialized, and the culture of physical encounter in our cities comes close to a standstill. What/Next spoke to Philippe Cabane, urban sociologist based in Basel, Switzerland, reflecting on those developments a...

The Corona crisis triggers reflection on existing projects and activities: Which activities really fit into the neighborhood? Are the existing projects sustainable and targeted and do they reach the people they are supposed to reach? The team of What Next spoke to Robert Ambrée from the Montag Foundation about the progress of the projects in Corona times. Die Corona-Krise und der damit verknüpfte...

What are the central functions and properties of quarters that are particularly relevant for the people who live there? How can future residents be involved in neighborhood planning at an early stage? Is there a recipe for success for functioning neighborhoods? The team from What/Next spoke to the architect Natalie Schaller about these and many other questions. Was sind zentrale Funktionen und Eig...

Cities like Berlin are teeming with innovation. CityLAB Berlin is a space dedicated to tapping into the digital expertise of citizens and start-ups who want to contribute to their city. Städte wie Berlin sind reich an Innovation. CityLAB Berlin soll die Digitalkompetenz von Bürger:innen und Startups erschließen, die zu ihrer Stadt beitragen möchten. You can find the blog What/Next at www.planung-n...

The nuances are missing. The team of What/next spoke to the architect Andreas Wirz about the effects of the crisis on the living environment. Although the digital may be able to drive processes that have stalled due to the crisis, a lot is lost due to the lack of analog exchange. Social coexistence needs social proximity in order to function well - how do we continue when the crisis keeps us at di...