Future forum Ludwigshafen 2020 (Zukunftsforum Ludwigshafen 2020)

Best Practice

Topics

• New forms of decision-making
• Regional value added

Short description

The city of Ludwigshafen is one of the first cities in Germany that started a 'future conference' about its future urban development. 64 participants worked on aims and projects for the city. The initial point of the future conference was the 150 years anniversary of Ludwigshafen and a public opinion poll in 2003.

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Project executive

City of Ludwigshafen

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Participants

64 participants: mayor and city chief, three members of the "urban development committee" (Stadtentwicklungsausschuss), members of different administrative bureaus, representatives from companies, networks, the churches and 40% residents.

Objectives

Development of strategic aims of the urban development of Ludwigshafen without blinders, without thinking about the precarious financial situation and without the influence of daily politics.

Activities

The members of the future conference developed five visions: (1) City of innovation (2) City of talents and education (3) City of generations (4) City of art and culture (5) Seaside Town. These visions were then combined with several aims and projects.

Process

future conference (three days, September 2004), future dialogue, wokshops; there were 6 steps carried out: (1) retrospection into the past (2) identifying trends and challenges (3) analysis of today's measures (4) development of future scenarios (5) development of five visions with strategic aims (6) development of projects

Results

development of 5 visions with strategic aims, several projects were developed: concepts for the seaside area, innovation campus, competence center, future competition with teenagers, competence center for education, innovation congress, model projects for flexible kindergardens, bilingual kindergardens, a city without barriers for handicapped people, art award,...

Evaluation

The project has not been evaluated yet.

Difficulties

(1) The project executive did not define at the beginning what should be done with the results of the future conference. (2) Public relations should have been more intense in the run-up of the project.

Budget

no information (Euro)

Financial backer

City of Ludwigshafen

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

http://www.ludwigshafen.de

Publication

Dokumentation Zukunftsforum Ludwigshafen 2020, Konzepte zur Stadtentwicklung, K1/04, Hrsg. Stadtverwaltung Ludwigshafen am Rhein

Project executive as above

Contact person as above

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

There's no direct impact on nature and environment.

Economic value added

The future congress and the documentation of the urban development of Ludwigshafen do not directly provide economic value added. But there are several future projects listed that will provide a huge economic value added for the city if realised. For example the Innovation Congress, the "Competence Centre Education" etc.

Socio-cultural value added

More than 60 participants (40% residents) worked for the future development of the City of Ludwigshafen. Several generations were involved. The continous change of "generations" and issues in the working groups assures good and broad results.

Innovative content

A new process was used for the future development of the city: a future conference with more than 60 participants.

Good governance

The project and its results were very well documented and then published. After about one year the participants met again to discuss the proceedings.

PR impact

several articles in the local and regional press

Multiplier effect / networking

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Transferability

The project can be transfered to other cities and regions, a strong political will provided.

Remarks

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Further information