With the research project “Willkommene Perspektiven – Migrants4Cities“ (Welcomed Perspectives – Migrants4Cities) the City of Mannheim is seeking new ideas for a sustainable urban development. By integrating the diverse perspectives of migrants, the project aspires to create a climate friendly, socially balanced, economically prospering and culturally diverse city of Mannheim.

 The Urban Design Thinking Team Mannheim

How do migrants assess communities in today’s cities and how will it change our tomorrow and the day after?
How do they want to live, work in and move through Mannheim?
What talents and expertise do they provide through their personal view on creating their future city?

Within three years, about 25 migrants will work together in culturally, ethnically and professionally mixed groups of 5-7 participants. They will be assisted by local experts from fields such as mobility, housing and governance. In 9 UrbanLabs the participants will put their most valued topics on the agenda and discuss, develop, test and present solutions to their fellow citizens.

The city of Mannheim is keen to implement individual ideas and projects. This could include new city services and design proposals scaping public spaces in Mannheim. Both sides will benefit from the research project: The city from perspectives introduces by its diverse citizens and the new ‘Mannheimers’ of the possibility to actively participate in the process of shaping the city with their personal knowledge.

Research design

Is Urban Design Thinking a chance to rethink cities and urban transformation processes?
The urban researchers of the Technische Universität Berlin will develop and moderate the series of UrbanLabs and furthermore enhance the idea of an urban co-creation by citizens and experts.

Is there a special perspective by migrants on the city they are living in?
The transformation researchers of inter 3 Institute for Resource Management are specifically focussing on the transferability of solutions developed in Mannheim to other cities. A variety of partner cities and multipliers will be involved within several transfer activities accompanying the project.

Sponsor

“Willkommene Perspektiven – Migrans4Cities” is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the programme “Transformation of urban areas”.

Project: 1st of July 2016 until the 30th of June 2019.