On Wednesday 19 October 2022, staff from educational campus Herrnstraße, Munich, met with representatives of local organisations involved in participatory urban development to share insights into needs, challenges, and the potential for a future temporary urban greening project. Staff and principals from all the learning institutions on the site took part: the primary school, lunchtime supervision programme, kindergarten and special needs education centre, along with representatives from Green City, Klimaherbst and Spiellandschaft Stadt, as well as staff from the Chair for Strategic Landscape Planning and Management at the Technical University Munich, and the City of Munich. The workshop took place as part of applied research project JUSTNature, funded by the European Commission. The project, running until February 2026, supports the planning and design of green space interventions in seven European cities, as part of an overall aim for a just transition towards a resilient, low-carbon future.
After a short introductory session, participants exchanged views on a variety of topics, including their previous experience related to greening, temporary urban interventions, participatory design, and opportunities to think and act beyond the school courtyard. Gerhard Knecht from Spiellandschaft Stadt (a non-profit organisation creating room to move and play for children and youngsters in playgrounds and other spaces), presented the results of interactive sessions held during summer with kids from the Herrnstraße primary school. They used digital and analogue tools to develop their own concepts for playgrounds and streets in the area. Photos of the neighbourhood taken by the kids were turned into a memory game, directly sharing a child’s-eye perspective with future adult players.
Overall, the workshop helped gain a first impression of each other’s challenges and needs. The group plans to meet again in February 2023 to share further ideas and move towards design and implementation. We are already looking forward to our future collaboration!