Morgenstadt initiative starts

As the city and Chemnitz University of Technology have successfully launched this project together, they joined forces with Fraunhofer to host the launch event for the Morgenstadt initiative yesterday (Monday) at Chemnitz University of Technology's METEOR project centre - around 60 guests from the worlds of politics, science, business and culture were in attendance.

"Chemnitz has been given a great opportunity here to maintain and hone a scientifically sound sustainability profile - not every city has that," said TU Rector Prof. Arnold van Zyl, emphasising the importance of the Morgenstadt approach. The core idea of Morgenstadt is to work in an implementation-orientated way, to develop concrete measures with Fraunhofer for the city. Mayor Barbara Ludwig emphasises that the Morgenstadt approach is initially about joint ideas, a new form of cooperation with Chemnitz University of Technology and other partners. "I hope that we can all work together to achieve results that will take the city even further and that we can incorporate into city policy." The Morgenstadt project therefore offers an excellent opportunity for future cooperation with Chemnitz University of Technology for the sustainable development of the city. It is one of the central projects of the recently updated cooperation agreement between the TU and the city.

After welcoming speeches by Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig and Rector Prof. Arnold van Zyl, project manager Bernd Bienzeisler from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering in Stuttgart presented the Morgenstadt approach and provided information on the concrete next steps. Bienzeisler emphasised: "The Morgenstadt approach will not always provide answers to all questions." Rather, it is a cooperative approach as a network for developing joint projects. The central questions are where the city currently stands and what the viable city of the future will look like.

The project starts with a comprehensive urban analysis based on over 80 fields of action of the Morgenstadt model, including the areas of governance and planning, economy, mobility and transport or energy and resources. Over the next few weeks, the Fraunhofer researchers will work with the city and Chemnitz University of Technology to collect the available data and statistics on Chemnitz, individual concepts and programmes and evaluate them according to individual fields of action. In the process, strengths and weaknesses will be determined and the need for action and potential identified. The basis for this is the so-called Morgenstadt model.

In the second half of October, a two-week "City Lab" will then take place, a kind of laboratory on site in Chemnitz, with interviews, group discussions and individual workshops with key Chemnitz stakeholders. "We want to look at the city together as a laboratory and develop joint projects with all local partners," says Bernd Bienzeisler. From this, concrete possible measures, a roadmap, will then be developed next year, again on site with Chemnitz participation. There is then a good chance of acquiring possible funding.

Prof Angelika Bullinger-Hoffmann, Head of the Chair of Ergonomics and Innovation Management at Chemnitz University of Technology, and external expert Prof Noennig from the TU Dresden, Chair of Knowledge Architecture, were also available for a subsequent discussion with the audience. "Nothing inspires as much as enthusiasm," said Prof Noennig. He referred to the spirit of a particular city, an urban space, and posed the questions of where enthusiasm comes from, whether it can be generated and whether it is possible to provide impetus for this. The joint development of visions of the future, for example, offers an opportunity for this. Morgenstadt could contribute to this.

Prof Bullinger-Hoffmann emphasised that there are very promising approaches in research at Chemnitz University of Technology, for example in the development of multimodal transport systems and electromobility.

The feedback from the guests also showed that Chemnitz has great potential, both in the field of research, such as lightweight construction or textile research, as well as in the cultural field, with soft factors that are not measurable. Morgenstadt therefore offers the opportunity to incorporate all of this and develop new approaches together. "Morgenstadt offers opportunities to do and create something different," says Prof Bullinger-Hoffmann.

Rector Prof. van Zyl emphasised that it is a certain group of people, a creative class, that drives the city forward and defines it. The important question is how we approach this class as drivers of urban development. Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig adds that we already have a class of young creative people in Chemnitz that is growing and that has recognised the city as a creative space, who have realised how much value there is in having unfinished and designable space. "I want to continue to encourage these people to try things out. We need precisely these creative people." You can create spaces and opportunities, but you can't impose them.

Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig hopes that Morgenstadt can contribute to precisely this and also provide impetus for necessary social mediation processes. After all, she believes that the most important issues for the future will be living together, for example with regard to current immigration, the development of a common basis for this and the necessary acceptance of developments in an increasingly fast-moving world.

Contact: The contact person for further suggestions and ideas is project coordinator Dr Urs Luczak (urs.luczak@stadt-chemnitz.de, Tel.: 0371 488-1555).