Abstract
The current planning practice in Germany is insufficiently prepared for a solution-oriented approach to competing user interests. These demand new approaches to creating truly open, honest participation processes. The planning instruments in Germany, such as the Building Law provide for public participation (§3 BauGB), but not how it is to take place. This means freedoms, but also procedural insecurity. In scarcity-driven administrative contexts, this manoeuvring space is not used. Instead, guarded work-to-rule is done and participation stays a top-down, upstream information process without feedback to citizens on how the information is used (Brown, 2018). Administrations cannot interpret if it is unclear which freedoms exist: a vicious circle. Public presentations and workshop formats follow the pattern. Participation stays citizen consultation. Planning processes are long: several years lie between planning permission and implementation. Klaus Selle warns:„participatory processes often miss their target: instead of bringing diverse perspectives together and weighing arguments on their foundation to reach a consensus, processes are often characterized by ignorance, polemical polarisation and the amplification of a lack of trust in institutions“ (Selle, 2021). Using the case study of an inner-city square re-design, initiated and organized by civil society, a novel planning approach is developed to address civil society‘s demands for real engagement and collaboration. To achieve liveable cities, theory-based development planning alone is inadequate. Co-creative methods and the principle of experiencing, not purely thinking city planning are fundamental considerations. In an open, solution-oriented process, all competences of urban society are pooled: 1. Local civil society, businesspeople and service providers as experts of existing conditions in the place. 2. City planning and technical offices are experts for efficient and functional design of infrastructure, meeting technical law requirements. 3. The heads of administrative departments as experts for different subject areas (youth and family, integration, culture, economic development, ...) 4. Politicians as decision-makers regarding future development strategies and intersections with higher-order planning and development processes. 5. Academicians as relatively neutral observers and consultants on demand. This process is facilitated by an interdisciplinary team of moderators with expertise in co-creative, collaborative cooperation and landscape planning. Core phase of the process is 'room for experimentation' in which possible solution paths are experientially, performatively tested, because the body is profoundly part of information processing, perception and willingness to act (Storch et al., 2017). The room means possible solutions are experienced directly, not through polarizing discourse. All stakeholders gain expertise, prejudices are reduced, and visualized possible solutions disarm abstract debates. A central contribution of open and transparent engagement is strengthening pluralistic democratic political and social participation. Such real engagement creates empowering experiences, improve subjective well-being and help build identification with places of habitation, and willingness to engage in stewardship (Jaeger-Erben & Matthies 2014, Hunecke 2020). The living-space city is experienced - so why only think, and not experience its development? Brown, B. (2018). Dare to Lead. London: Vermilion, Ebury Publishing Gehl, J. (2019). Cities for People, Berlin Hunecke, M.(2020) Psychische Ressourcen für nachhaltige Lebensstiel - Eine Erweiterung der theoretischen Perspektive der Umweltpsychologie zur Förderung einer sozial-ökologischen Transformation. In: Umweltpsychologie, 24 Jg. Heft 2, 2020, 34-60 Jaeger-Erben, M. & Matthies, E. (2014). Urbanisierung und Nachhaltigkeit Umweltpsychologische Perspektiven auf Ansatzpunkte, Potentiale und Herausforderungen für eine nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung. Umweltpsychologie, 18 (2), 10-30. Selle, K. (2021). Glaubhaft beteiligen. In: Stiftung Mitarbeit (Hrsg.) Zugänge erschließen – Austausch ermöglichen. Arbeitshilfen für Selbsthilfe- und Bürgerinitiativen Nr. 54. Verlag Stiftung Mitarbeit, Bonn. Storch, M.; Cantieni, B.; Hüther, G.; Tschacher, W. (2017). Embodiment. Die Wechselwirkung von Körper und Psyche verstehen und nutzen. Göttingen: Hogrefe AG
