Super Places
Planning Literacy
Education about the built environment has long been established – young people learn about the design, history and use of buildings.
Yet the underlying planning processes usually remain a blind spot. Super Places closes this gap in planning literacy.
Super Places is a repository of knowledge and a toolkit for urban development aimed at young people and youth workers. It explains the fundamentals of urban planning in accessible language, shows how planning decisions are made, highlights opportunities to get involved, and provides inspiration for young people’s own projects in public spaces. After all, those who understand how urban planning works can help shape both the planning processes and their outcomes – and no one is more affected by the cities of tomorrow than today’s young people.
Co-productive process
Super Places was created through a co-productive process with young people as equal partners and experts. They were involved throughout the entire development process – from the project title to the content. In workshops, we explored their perspectives on the city and digital media.
At the same time, we consulted experts in urban planning and youth work. An interdisciplinary panel bringing together specialists from planning, media and social pedagogy, as well as political education, provided us with advice.
Tests with youth councils showed that young people want to have a say in urban development, but need knowledge and support. All texts were proofread by young people, and they tested the design and navigation.
Three development phases, countless feedback loops, one shared goal: making planning knowledge accessible for young people. For us, co-production and empowerment go hand in hand. A first small step has been taken.
Website
Super Places is a repository of knowledge and a toolkit for urban development aimed at young people and youth workers.
The platform consists of five modules:
›Einsteigen‹ (Getting Started) links social issues such as climate protection and social justice to urban planning.
›Planen‹ (Planning) explains the basics of the planning system in Germany and brings planning processes to life using examples from Stuttgart – with an audio piece, a timeline and a stakeholder diagram.
›Mitentscheiden‹ (Having a Say) shows ways to get involved in politics and expand their scope for action.
›Machen‹ (Making) provides ideas for small and large-scale projects in public spaces to highlight spatial needs and experience a sense of self-efficacy.
›Begriffserklärung‹ (Glossary) explains the technical terms used.
Publication featuring a leporello
A publication featuring a fold-out leporello has been produced to accompany the tool. It documents the co-productive development process, our assessment of the existing educational landscape in the field of education about built environment, and the gap in planning-related education that Super Places aims to bridge. Five guest contributions from the fields of planning, education and social work broaden the perspective. The publication can be ordered free of charge from the Wüstenrot Foundation.
Project period
since 2022
Project team
Aida Nejad (Studio Malta)
Isabelle Willnauer
Advisors
Verena Loidl
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christina Simon-Philipp
Partner and sponsor
Wüstenrot Foundation
Website and publication design
Levin Stadler
Programming
Simon Malz
Audio pieces on the website
Christian Bluthardt(production and sound design)
Yvy Pop (narrator)
Photographs
Patrick Schneider
Youth participants
Anna, Antonia, Charlotte, Chawa, Diana, Ela, Ella, Emilia, Francesco, Fridolin, Habiba, Hanna, Joel, Julian, Leonard, Leonardo, Marlon, Marius, Michael, Mia, Mimi, Noreen, Patrice, Patricia, Salomé, Stuttgart Youth Council (2023–2025), Class 9a (2022) at the Altenburg Community School, Stuttgart.
Support Group
Anna Katharina Brinkschulte, Ludwigsburg Film Academy – Senior Lecturer in Interactive Media
Bernd Schmid-Ruhe, Head of the Education Department, City of Mannheim
Chris Binder artist and media educator
Jörg Freitag, Komma Cultural Centre, Esslingen – Director
Lars Zimmermann, Mifactori – designer and activist
Vanessa Fritz, Stuttgarter Jugendhaus gGmbH – Participation Officer