February 1, 2024. Redesign your own city in a 3D model, contribute your wishes and ideas to planned projects via citizen participation: The co-design tool U_CODE from a research group at TU Dresden makes it possible. A roadshow through schools has now shown that children and young people can also benefit from it.
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The roadshow was made possible by winning a major research award. In 2021, WISSENSARCHITEKTUR – Laboratory of Knowledge Architecture was awarded the Ralf Dahrendorf Prize for the development of U_CODE as an “outstanding project in the European research area”. The application is intended for co-design participation processes and had already proven its worth in urban planning projects, e.g. for the redesign of Dresden’s Fritz-Foerster-Platz.
The research team developed a workshop for children and young people to test a new focus. In schools in Dresden and Hamburg, among other places, the participants took a close look at their route to school: What are striking places? What do you find beautiful, loud or dangerous about the area? Then they were allowed to change their school environment or their district in a 3D model: Which houses would you build here? Should green spaces be created? Cycle paths? A football pitch? The class was then able to evaluate the designs and present “Eco”, “Safety”, “Smart”, “Beauty” or “Funny” awards.
“The entries and designs repeatedly showed a remarkable wealth of ideas and vision,” says Andreas Wilde from the U_CODE team. “And they provided an extremely exciting insight into the students’ imaginations.” Fears and needs came up, for example for security or space for personal development. This is where educational discussions with the class can begin, including about how they can participate in shaping their city.
U_CODE is currently being spun off as a start-up and will continue to be used in schools, even though the funding has now come to an end. “This is an important impetus for political education,” says the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Prof. Gesine Marquardt. Interested schools and other institutions are cordially invited to contact the team (information and contact at: https://urban-codesign.com).
The WISSENSARCHITEKTUR – Laboratory of Knowledge Architecture is an interdisciplinary think tank that conducts research, design and consulting at the interface of design and social sciences. The laboratory explores the manifold interconnections between environmental structures (spaces, buildings, cities) and knowledge processes (innovation, creativity, cooperation). To explore knowledge dynamics in space, we develop visualization and modelling tools and apply them in both academic education and professional practice.
Website: https://tu-dresden.de/bu/architektur/wa
Markus Jüngling
Communications Manager WISSENSARCHITEKTUR
markus.juengling@tu-dresden.de
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Photo: Andreas Wilde
