Potsdam is one of 56 officially designated child- and youth-friendly municipalities. The Smart City Ideas Competition aims to reflect the creativity and forward-thinking ideas of young people and the general city population for planning a specific area in the state capital Potsdam. In a growing city like Potsdam, open spaces are being lost. This is noticed by young people and other groups who depend on these spaces and often lack a supportive lobby. A centrally located area in Potsdam will therefore be transformed into an open space with high-quality amenities for the young people and city population of Potsdam.
From 2024 to 2026, different participation formats will be conducted with various youth groups and the city population, such as interactive site tours and co-design workshops at the POTSDAM LAB. The results will then be evaluated by a jury based on the objectives. Participants will receive a certificate to acknowledge their involvement, documenting the methods they have learned during the workshops. The winning ideas will be implemented in cooperation with a planning office and the local administration. There will be an event at the POTSDAM LAB to present the ideas.
Die Schüler*innen stellen Mitarbeitenden der Verwaltung ihre Ideen für Potsdam vor
The goal of the ideas competition is to work with the Potsdam city population to find the best ideas for redesigning a central area in Potsdam, creating a space with the highest quality of stay according to residents' needs. The ideas sought can consist of various elements such as seating, micro-forests for shading, smart urban furniture with sensors, leisure facilities such as sports boxes, a pavilion or a community garden, etc.
Participation in the ideas competition is open to all residents of Potsdam.
The following project steps are planned:
- 2024: Development of the detailed concept for the competition, including the co-design process for all work phases
- 2025: Call for participation & communication campaign; conducting the ideation co-design workshops at the Potsdam Lab for young people and the Potsdam city population; selection of ideas by the jury; announcement of the winning ideas at the Potsdam Lab; preparation of the ideas for implementation with the planning office and local administration
- 2026: Implementation of the ideas and development of a sustainability concept
Contact AG Smart City: AG-Smart-City@rathaus.potsdam.de
