Children get involved in planning their city: TUD research group tests co-design U_CODE tool at schools

Redesign your own city using a 3D model, and contribute your hopes, visions and dreams to planned projects through citizen participation: The co-design tool U_CODE, which was developed by a research group at TU Dresden, makes dreams possible. A school roadshow has now shown that children and young people are raring to get involved. 

The roadshow was made a reality thanks to the group 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". It is intended for co-design participation processes and has already proven its worth in urban planning projects, e.g. in the redesign of Fritz Foerster Square in Dresden.  

The research team developed a workshop for children and youngsters to test this new approach. In schools in Dresden and Hamburg, to name just a few places where it was tested, the participants took a closer look at their journey to school: What are some of the distinctive places? Would you describe any of your surroundings as beautiful, loud or dangerous? The pupils then had the opportunity to change their school environment or their neighborhood using the 3D model: Which houses would you build here? Should we make more green spaces? Bike paths? A football pitch? The class was then able to evaluate the designs and present awards for the various models, such as: "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 extremely exciting insights into the pupils' imaginations." They also had a chance to talk about their fears and needs, such as safety or having space for personal development. This is where pedagogical discussions with the class can begin, and where we can inspire them to participate in shaping their city. 

U_CODE is currently being established as a start-up and will continue to be used in schools, despite the funding period now having expired. "This is an essential impetus for political education," says the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Prof. Gesine Marquardt.  Any interested schools or institutions are cordially invited to contact our team (further information and contact details: https://urban-codesign.com). 

WISSENSARCHITEKTUR – Laboratory of Knowledge Architecture  WISSENSARCHITEKTUR - Laboratory of Knowledge Architecture is an interdisciplinary think tank that researches, designs and consults at the interface of design and social sciences. The laboratory explores the diverse interconnections between environmental structures (spaces, buildings, cities) and knowledge processes (innovation, creativity, cooperation). To explore knowledge dynamics in various spaces, we are developing visualization and modeling tools and applying them in both academic education and professional practice. Website: https://tu-dresden.de/bu/architektur/wa 

Contact:
Markus Jüngling 
Communication Manager WISSENSARCHITEKTUR