AP1: Local knowledge and collaborative planning

Integrating local knowledge, collaborative planning and development

The existing ‘Hafen-Ost’ project group, led by the City of Flensburg’s Department of Urban Development and Climate Protection (SuK), is overseeing the collaborative process through which the urban development framework plan is being drawn up in accordance with the guidelines adopted by the City Council in 2020. Particular emphasis is placed on close collaboration with various civil society actors, politicians and the business community during the planning process, in order to incorporate local needs and local knowledge.

Social Innovation: Concept-based Allocation and Leasehold Rights

A key finding from EHSS I is that a strategic land policy is an essential prerequisite for resource-efficient and public-interest-oriented neighbourhood development. For this reason, plots of land are allocated according to the principle of concept-based allocation and thus in line with specifically defined criteria. In this work package, land policy instruments such as concept-based allocation and leasehold rights are examined on the basis of the literature and practical examples from other local authorities, and proposals for their further implementation tailored to local conditions are developed. As land policy instruments generally do not guarantee either sufficiency or social justice per se, the criteria must be formulated precisely in line with the objectives. This is done on the basis of current research findings on active land policy, as well as studies on the financial viability of sustainable and public-interest-oriented urban development. The results will be documented as recommendations for action.

Urban development, participation and sufficiency

EHSS I tested the principles set out in Agenda 21 and by the German Federal Government’s Scientific Advisory Council on Global Environmental Change: the necessity of citizen participation in planning processes for sustainable urban development. Nevertheless, the precise links between participation and sufficiency in the context of urban development have not yet been sufficiently researched; they are currently regarded as a research gap. The findings from the research project’s own qualitative research will be further analysed, drawing on existing literature. The study aims to provide scientific and practical guidance for those responsible for local urban development projects and to shed light on how to achieve the greatest possible impact in terms of sustainability.