Förderung einer diversen Beteileiligungskultur in Stadtentwicklungsprojekten

To address the growing social, economic, and environmental challenges in urban areas, modern urban development aims to shape cities with the population – rather than for them.
Participation processes are considered key to successful urban development. They help integrate citizens' perspectives, needs, and resources into planning processes. However, marginalized groups are often excluded, leaving their interests unheard and unaddressed. This reinforces existing power imbalances.
Using the Smart City Wuppertal project – in collaboration with the Office for Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination – this thesis outlines concrete steps towards a more diverse participation culture.
It illustrates how the administration can lay the foundation for inclusive participation processes. Additionally, it shows how resources can be pooled between the administration and civil society to implement participation processes not only top-down, but also bottom-up – driven from within civil society.