How do we reactivate vacant buildings in inner cities? In this article, I go into four steps for revitalizing vacant downtown spaces with some examples from my work.
I was interviewed for an article about gender mainstreaming in urban design and planning for The Parliament that came out this month. Read more here!
I have not one but two new Ten Minute Talks in my Gender& series, this time exploring fear in public space. Check them out here!
Come see me discuss sustainable urban development on May 26th at the Urania.
I am excited to announce that I am increasing the amount of content I am offering in both German and English! More details here.
I was on Jan Böhmermann on Friday! In this post, I give a bit more background to why women move differently through our cities.
My Ten Minute Talks continue – this year auf Deutsch! Today’s video kicks off my Gender& series with the question: what does gender equality have to do with urban development?
I’m excited to share our final network product, which summarizes three years of work on the GenderedLandscape Action Planning network into just nine minutes.
What unites Lenin, Karl Marx and Robert E. Lee? They all have memorials to them that are contested. In my fourth Ten Minute Talk I explore different types of memorials and how their interpretation can change over time.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed our use and perception of urban public spaces? Find out in this, my third Ten Minute Talk, in which I explore expanded outdoor dining, new pedestrian zones and pop up bike lanes in my home city of Berlin.
Check out the second episode in my new monthly video series, Ten Minute Talks. Today’s talk examines housing markets, the recommunalization referendum Deutsche Wohnen und Co. enteignen, and housing commons.
Check out the first episode in my new monthly video series, Ten Minute Talks. Today’s talk examines how urban planning can be examined through the gendered lens using the examples of safety, accessibility, public bathrooms and active recreation.
Come hear me speak on October 14th and 15th! Registration closes tomorrow. #genderequalcities #urbancommons #gender #commons #EURegionsWeekUniversity
From the value of a written mission statement to the potentials and pitfalls of cooperation: the final article from Shareable’s Urban Commons Cookbook series highlights the lessons and challenges shared by the eight case studies in the book.
The next article in Shareable’s Urban Commons Cookbook series has been published! This article profiles one of the case studies from the book, Bike Kitchen Bratislava, a bike sharing platform powered by the sharing economy and an open-source app.
The next article in Shareable’s Urban Commons Cookbook series has been published! This article profiles one of the case studies from the book, Kalkbreite, an innovative experiment in collective housing.
The next article in Shareable’s Urban Commons Cookbook series has been published! This article profiles one of the case studies from the book, Holzmarkt, an innovative experiment in bottom-up urban development.
The next article in Shareable’s Urban Commons Cookbook series has been published. This article profiles one of the case studies from the book, Düsselgrün, an urban gardening initiative in Düsseldorf, Germany. Check it out here!
To mark the publication of The Urban Commons Cookbook this week, Shareable has published the first in a series of six articles derived from the book and touching on current events: Commons and crises: Community resilience from feudal Europe to today.
I’ll be giving a lecture on Participatory Processes in the Post-Pandemic City on June 9th at 16:00 CEST. Register here for free!
After some delivery delays, the print proofs are finally here! It was an amazing feeling…
Great news! The GenderedLandscape URBACT Action Planning Network has been approved for phase 2, which will run from May 2020 until September 2022!
How can cities support their creative sectors when public health demands that their traditional business models be laid still? I have a new article out on the URBACT blog which explores good practices and examines how cities can move from immediate help to sustainable new models. Check it out here.
The Urban Commons Cookbook is entering the last stage!
Can tapping the power of the urban commons make the difference between the cities who rise to the challenge of Corona and those who don’t?
Hard to believe that Phase 1 of our URBACT Action Planning Network GenderedLandscape is already nearing the end! It’s been a whirlwind of travel, workshops and site visits. Curious what I’ve been up to? Check out the video!
My article introducing our Action Planning Network GenderedLandscape is now live! Check out how we are approaching the question of gender and what it could mean for your city.
The Urban Commons Cookbook is moving forward! We are currently making the final adjustments to the typeset manuscript and graphic design and we’ve settled on a printing option.
On 20 November, the Lawaetz Stiftung organized a multiplier event to engage local stakeholders working with youths at risk of social exclusion. District representatives, youth workers and other practitioners explored the relevance and adaptability of the CIVACT methods for their work in the Hamburger districts of Wandsbek, Altona and Harburg.
St. Nicholas came early and brought me the first copies of Inventing Berlin. 😀 Taking…
At long last: Inventing Berlin is a reality! You can order the eBook or individual…
I was interviewed about two weeks ago by NPR Berlin about spaces of the former Berlin Wall. The episode dropped Saturday, on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. You can listen to it and check out some of my photos of the Mauerpark here.
It’s been an exciting and busy period for the CIVACT project. Here’s a recap of what’s been going on the last few months.
We had our first feedback meeting with the graphic designer for the Urban Commons Cookbook. It’s coming along well and we are on schedule to release in February. Check out some examples of the layout and graphics here.
Today’s post is a short recap of the Bundeskongress für nationale Stadtentwicklungspolitik (Federal Congress for National Urban Development Policy) 2019, which took place in Stuttgart on the 18th to 20th of September.
The sun is shining in Sweden! Looking forward to the kick-off meeting for the GenderedLandscape…
What is social constructionism and what does it have to do with urban development?
My talk from the conference “Interface to Place: Remaking divisive lines into shared spaces” is now online. Click on the image in this post to watch the whole talk (about 24 minutes).
Exciting news! I have been selected for the role of lead expert for the Gendered Landscape URBACT Action Planning Network, which will be led by the city of Umea.
It’s been three years since I founded my consultancy: just the right moment to give my site a new look! I’ve redesigned with an eye to mobile friendliness in particular. Have a look around – maybe you’ll find some articles you missed!
I was in Belfast last week for the conference “Interface to Place: Remaking divisive lines into shared spaces.” Today’s post shares some insights and photos from that trip.
What are the main challenges facing hard to reach youths with regard to participation in civil society? The CIVACT needs analysis sheds some light on the matter.
My newest book, Inventing Berlin, has successfully passed through the review process and the revisions have been accepted. That means it is on schedule to be released in time for the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall! The hardcover and ebook versions will be released in Springer’s Urban Book series this fall.
The editing is done and now we’re working on graphics and layout! Check out a sneak peek of the amazing cover design by Luisa Le Van from Atelier Hurra!
In today’s post, I examine urban commons and the affordable housing crisis from the perspective of capitalist-driven urbanism.
Today’s post dives into the idea of creating spaces for urban commons within urban capitalism.
I have more results coming out! The second and final blog post for the Reactivating…
Many thanks to Adam Polko for the invitation to share my current work on urban commons at the Economics University in Katowice and hear all about his research on the subject. It was an inspiring few days! I’m excited to head back to the office and incorporate some of the topics we spoke about into the Urban Commons Cookbook. Home stretch!
We were recently invited to present the results of the Model Space Project to the cultural commission at the Berlin State Legislature (Abgeordnetenhaus) and made it into the news! Read more here.
My newest manuscript is off to the editors! Get a little preview here.
The topic of urban commons is booming. Since we published Urban Commons: Moving beyond State and Market four years ago, there has been a strong increase in projects and publications about urban commons. What is it about the current Zeitgeist that makes now the right time for this topic?
Hey all, I have been working hard all winter, which means I am going to…
What aspects does one need to consider when speaking about affordable housing and what role could commons-based housing provision play?
Here is the recording of last Tuesday’s talk at the CCCB (also available at https://media.ccc.de/v/dg-92).…
It has been a very busy summer full of great news on the project front. Here’s a quick update!
Today’s post examines the role of urban commons in social and cultural innovation, participation in urban policy-making, and as a possibility for more inclusive urban societies.
Just a quick update about progress on the UCC!
So we’ve officially concluded the first round of the Berlin Urban Commons Series, which ran…
Today’s post examines the effect of push and pull factors in the real estate market on creative industries and examines the potentials for cultural innovation in smaller and mid-sized cities.
Proposal approved for research about strategies to reactivate vacant buildings in the US and Europe!
I’m excited to announce that my colleague Jacqueline Taylor and I will be conducting a pilot study about strategies to reactivate vacant buildings in the US and Europe funded by a mini-grant from the German Marshall Fund of the United States!
It’s been a busy few weeks since I got back from vacation, but today I’m excited to share some impressions from the first interviews for the Urban Commons Cookbook.
I’m back from my holidays and full of ideas! Today’s post goes into group size and composition for depletable and finite urban resources like housing.
With the help of 56 backers, we were able to raise a total of 3,712€,…
We did it! I am ecstatic!! There are still two days left to get your…
There’s just three more days to our Kickstarter campaign. We only need 350€ to make…
We had a big pledge jump overnight! We’re not there yet, but if we keep…
Hey all, as most of you know, we have a Kickstarter campaign currently running for…
Here’s the video of my talk yesterday with additional notes, links, and comments! Enjoy!
I’ll be speaking tonight at 18:30 (CET) at the Bauhaus Campus here in Berlin about tiny houses and affordable housing. Read the summary and get a link to the live feed here.
Check out our rewards and support the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/883826659/the-urban-commons-cookbook
In today’s post, I examine the role of diverse real estate markets in promoting a wide variety of urban inhabitants.
One of the authors in our book, Tobias Bernet, was recently interviewed in the Planologie…
I’m excited to announce that I am working on a new book, The Urban Commons…
Today’s post is the third and final chapter in my three-part series about the development of Berlin’s housing market from the city’s division to today. To get some background for today’s episode, housing in the reunified city, you should check out episode one and two, housing in the divided city and housing the reunified city!
This is the second chapter in my three-part series about the development of Berlin’s housing market from the city’s division to today. To get some background for today’s episode, housing in the reunified city, you should check out episode one, housing in the divided city.
Today’s post is the first in a three-part series examining the development of the housing market in Berlin to round off 2017.
A short recap of my recent fabulous and inspiring trip to New England and Detroit (with lots of pictures)!
Two and a half years in the making – my first book in German!
Cultural innovation and preservation are both necessary for vital and authentic cities. In this post, I examine the interplay between cultural heritage and cultural innovation and present a few insights from my recent research on urban development through culture.
How can we get a more diverse group of people involved in shaping the future of the city? This post identifies the main challenges to diversity and suggests some possible solutions.
Today’s post examines the global rise of the right as a symptom of three and a half decades of neoliberal policies.
Today’s post examines concrete policy measures which could work against gentrification and the displacement of commons and creative projects.
Today’s post examines the rise of the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland as a continuing side effect of German reunification.
Which parts of commons theory can be applied to the management of public spaces and what should one consider when applying this theory to the real world? Today’s post explores these questions and goes into detail about my input at the Berlin Senate Department’s Zentrenwerkstatt last week.
I’m going to be giving several talks this fall about urban commons, so today I’m going to delve into what makes urban commons different from other forms of commons.
In this post, I unpack the concept of “heritage” in its ideological political use, and reflect Trump’s recent use of this term against the backdrop of the global political shifts of the last year.
So August is now over and most people are back from their summer vacations, which means that it’s time to turn our attention to the (very busy) conference season just around the corner. This year, I’ll be doing a whirlwind tour of four countries in four weeks, with topics from urban commons to EU urban policy.
So two weeks ago, I wrote this article about the conflicted stance towards ornamentation in…
In this post, I unpack the function of memorials in social, political, and spatial negotiations of identity, history, and power.
I’ve begun work on an expanded and updated version of my dissertation, which means I’m going back through my work on symbolism, politics, and architecture. In doing so, I stumbled over some notes I made for an article about contemporary German architecture’s timid approach to symbolism and ornament, which I’ve decided to develop here. Have a look!
Does describing vacant buildings as “blight” doom them to demolition? In my newest post, I examine the consequences of framing and consensus in urban policy through the example of the term “blight.”
The results of URBACT’s most recent call, for good practices, has now been published. You…
Ryan Jepson from the University of Vienna has reviewed our book. Read an excerpt and find a link to the full text here.
I’ve uploaded and English-language copy of an article from 2015 about belonging and identity, which I presented in Gdansk at the Smart Metropolia conference. Check out and excerpt here and follow the link at the bottom of the post to download the full article.
In this post, I review the highlights of the Bundeskongress für nationale Stadtentwicklungspolitik 2017, which took place on June 12th & 13th in Hamburg.
In this post, I summarize and briefly explain the ins and outs of urban policy, using examples from Boulder’s growth boundary to prestige pricing.
Martin Schwegmann and I have tackled urban commons again in our newest article together as part of an event we both took part in in January for the program Actors of Urban Change. Check out the links in this post to download the article and the full publication.
What do Bremen and Bologna have in common? They both used administrative restructuring to address their citizens’ needs and desires and boost civil society’s involvement in urban development – with great results! In this post, I explore administrative restructuring’s potentials for growth in peripheral and rural areas.
So the Berlin Urban Commons Series continues tomorrow with our newest event, entitled “Mapping, Big…
My first full-length work since my dissertation will be coming out in German this summer.…
According to my newest article – yes! And the people who get to decide where to put those benches influence our daily life in cities’ public spaces. Check out and excerpt here and follow the link at the bottom of the post to download the full article.
Looking forward to taking part in the Hacking Urban Furniture conference on April 7th &…
I’m thrilled to announce that, after a long and detailed application process, I’ve been validated…
Back in Germany after summer break in the US. Came home to find my sign…
The documentation of the two conferences that I moderated workshops at in June 2015 (“Successful…
I’m pleased to announce that I will be offering not only “Berlin’s Urban Development from…
In June of 2015, I spoke at the Make_City Festival here in Berlin in the…
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