Citizen-Led Foresight for Spatial Redesign

The Comparative Research Network (CRN) provides a structured methodology for integrating long-term foresight into the immediate design of urban spaces. Our approach moves beyond current needs to help communities and planners anticipate future social, demographic, and climate dynamics. By fostering "Futures Literacy," we enable citizens to act as co-creators of resilient neighborhoods that are designed to evolve.

Established Experience and Frameworks

Our foresight practice is built on a foundation of European cooperation and local urban experimentation. We focus on bridging the gap between high-level strategic planning and the everyday lives of residents.

• Futures Literacy workshops (Citizens Foresight Europe): In our recent work, we have utilized foresight to engage citizens in long-term thinking about European integration and local resilience. We provide the pedagogical frameworks that allow non-experts to analyze multiple future scenarios and translate them into spatial requirements.

• Gamified Spatial Prototyping (Justurbanities): We use simulation games to allow participants to test how their spatial designs hold up under different future "stressors," such as extreme heatwaves or shifting economic conditions. This makes the consequences of design choices visible and debatable.

• Neighborhood Networking (KlimaTandemKlimatyczny): Through cross-border exchanges between cities like Berlin and Wrocław, we have compared how different local administrations approach future-proofing their districts. This experience allows us to facilitate transnational learning, a core requirement for Horizon Innovation Actions.

Contributions to a Consortium

CRN acts as the lead for the participatory foresight and co-design work packages. Our role ensures that the spatial interventions proposed by the consortium are grounded in long-term community social acceptance.

• Participatory Visioning Toolkits: We offer validated workshop formats for co-creating "Community Vision 2040" documents that serve as the ethical and social compass for architects and engineers.

• Deliberative Democracy Loops: We manage the process of refining spatial prototypes through citizen juries and focus groups, ensuring that the design process remains transparent and inclusive.

• Inclusion of Vulnerable Perspectives: Using our history in migrant and youth work (e.g., CONTINUE), we ensure that the "future" being designed is not just for the majority, but accounts for the needs of diverse and changing populations.

Why CRN is a Vital Match

A successful New European Bauhaus proposal must demonstrate that beauty and sustainability are not static, but resilient. We provide the "Social Foresight" layer that prevents neighborhood designs from becoming obsolete. By bringing our established relationships with Berlin’s district offices and a network of European partners, we offer a ready-to-use infrastructure for piloting these foresight-driven designs in real-world urban contexts.