SuPraStadt I und II

General information

Over a period of more than five years, the joint project ‘SuPraStadt’ aimed to make sufficiency more visible, tangible and attractive in the everyday lives of citizens by using formats for social diffusion. The first phase, ‘SuPraStadt I’ (duration: three years), served to design and test sufficiency practices and diffusion formats for sufficiency in urban neighbourhoods in three real-world laboratories. In the second phase, ‘SuPraStadt II’, which focused on implementation and consolidation, approaches and structures for sufficient everyday behaviour were made applicable to decision-makers in local politics, local government and the local economy, as well as to civil society actors, as a key element of transformation strategies. These were generalised in such a way that they can be transferred to other municipalities.

Target values

  • Economical
  • Ecological
  • Social

Content focus

  • Urban / neighbourhood development
  • Climate adaptation

Innovation type

  • Economical
  • Ecological
  • Social

Funding

  • Public, federal government

Research orientation

Research questions

SuPraStadt I (Excerpt): 

  • What methods can be used to support and represent processes of cognitive knowledge integration in and between the three neighbourhood-based real-world laboratories?
  • What communication strategies and technologies for social diffusion can be used to anchor sufficient everyday practices in different milieus (upper-class, middle-class, critical-creative and precarious)?
  • What communication strategies and technologies can be used to stimulate and enable the social diffusion of sufficiency practices between different milieus through social learning processes?
  • What impact do sufficiency practices have on social cohesion and on improving urban participation and quality of life in the neighbourhood?
  • What contribution do the accompanied sufficiency practices make to climate protection and resource conservation?

SuPraStadt II (Excerpt) :

  • Which communication strategies and technologies for social diffusion can be used to anchor sufficient everyday practices in different (upper class, middle class, critical-creative and precarious) milieus?

Cooperation

Type of co-creation

The entire process is designed collaboratively. From start to finish, creative and participatory methods are used to establish a common understanding and take action. A core team consisting of individuals with extensive experience and specific expertise drives the process by providing appropriate and creative support and guidance. 

Society involvement

Organised civil society and/or local society exchange ideas with the project managers. The decision-making power lies with the scientists.

Continuation of the project

Constellation of actors

Scientific involvement

Actors in administration

Organised civil society actors

Organization and decision-making

Constellation of actors in daily project work

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the planned activities in several ways and required adjustments on multiple levels. A major challenge arosein particularly with regard to the planned diffusion formats. Events were held virtually whenever possible. 

Project management

Each real-world laboratory had its own project team with a lead actor: 

  • Lead actor real-world laboratory Heidelberg: ifeu – Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg gGmbH
  • Lead actor real-world laboratory Dortmund-Westerfilde: FH Dortmund
    • Expanded in SuPraStadt II to Real-World Laboratory Dortmund North-West, as the Dortmund-Dorstfeld neighbourhood was added
  • Lead actor real-world laboratory Kelsterbach Mainhöhe: ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research GmbH

Result and effect

Results and impacts in terms of affordability and other ecological and social target values

Development of a planning system designed to help city municipalities in identifying the actual needs of stakeholders involved, as well as those of the process itself at an early and compehensive stage, thereby reducing costs. 

Experiences

Helpful insights & solutions

Findings

Simple step-by-step instructions and templates turned out to be important and helpful for local government contacts.  

Further information

Go to project website

Contact