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Academy?
Our methodology is the result of both the professional experience of our team members who have already designed many different further education formats, are consultants to diverse organizations in their specific field and experienced in managing multi-stakeholder projects, as well as continuing scientific research in diverse disciplines such as Sociology, Philosophy and Politics.
Merging creative and managerial talents, we strive to offer an education that truly makes a difference, has a positive impact on people’s lives and eventually changes the world.
our methodology
What we elaborate as the heart of our educational approach is universal knowledge that is crucial for everyone working on transforming our (urban) society to more sustainability in all its facets.
In this sense, Transformative Knowledge is the essence of change making. It includes strategies, designs, methods and processes to lead and shape urban transformation successfully in diverse professional fields, disciplines and sectors.
It is concrete, hands on and holistic, and based on the concept of interactional expertise and contributory expertise developed by the sociologists Harry Collins & Robert Evans*. Within their ‘Studies of Expertise and Experience’ they are concerned with a pragmatic, practice-oriented concept of expertise, as well as with finding out where the social location of change needs to be. Hence, it forms the theoretical fundament for our Educational Journey.
* Collins, H.M., Evans, Robert (2002): The Third Wave of Science Studies: Studies of Expertise and Experience. Social Studies of Science 32/2(April 2002) 235–296. SSS and SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks CA, New Delhi).
To experience Transformative Knowledge our one-day-long* Educational Journey is based on 4 pillars and a field trip:
1 | Deep Talks
We invite experts who have already led very complex urban transformation projects to dive deep into the challenges, collateral effects and learnings within methodologically moderated chats in small groups up to a maximum of 10 persons.
2 | Peer Group Interaction
Short and efficient sessions in groups of 3-4 persons that give our participants the space to reflect on the findings and insights of the Deep Talks, exchange individual work experiences and to sharpen their questions and ideas mutually.
3 | Application Sprint
Applying the newly gained transformative knowledge to a real world project of urban transformation while being guided through Design Sprints: Understand, Ideate, Prototype & Test, to find sustainable solutions for local challenges quickly.
4 | Active Breaks
These provide the space to refresh body and mind through Meditation, Yoga, Table Tennis or joint walks.
*Our sessions can easily be included separately in existing conference programmes (as for instance at Urban Future Conference) or as stand alone workshops of further education.
We strive for true matches. Therefore our approach is co-creative: having developed our own methods, workshop design and Educational Journey, our experts are open to co-develop the specific content of the sessions together with us. The collaboration begins far in advance, with a dive into their individual Transformative Knowledge to elaborate what we want to highlight, understand and have as outcomes. Our experts are practitioners and academics that already have led major transformation projects successfully and have worked both on a local and international level.
our experts
UF2023
SpinDoctor, Senior Advisor, Change Maker and Serial NGO Founder, Heinrich led the first cycling referendum in a series of over 50 cycling referendums all over Germany.
It defined the needs for a cycling suitable city, designed Germany’s first cycling bill therefore, collected 100,000 signatures in three weeks and executed a political tsunami for the German cycling policy debate. It narrowed the debate to a yes or no to 10 top measures – and all of the referendums have been successful.
Prof. Philipp Bouteiller has held the role of Managing Partner of @artprojekt.berlin since April 2022. Prior to this, he spent ten years as CEO of Tegel Projekt GmbH, Europe’s largest future-focussed project for urban technologies and smart cities. In 2018, Bouteiller was recognised as one of the 50 most influential smart city leaders globally.
He considers the transformation of cities through smart mobility solutions, intelligent infrastructure, renewable energies and environmentally and socially responsible neighbourhood design as groundbreaking and forward-looking mission of our time.
In his first career Frederik worked as a civil servant in a small town. He then moved on to study journalism, media science and political economy in Hanover, Aarhus, Amsterdam, London and Washington DC. After working as a journalist for several years, Frederik co-founded three media startups. In 2019 he embarked on a new journey: @neulandia_de where he applies the learned lessons in storytelling and agile innovation to city planning and real estate development.
The company founded the @ko_dorf movement —neighbourhoods consisting of tiny private homes and vast shared facilities and the Summer of Pioneers initiative—
Dr. Raquel is an architectural visionary with an unwavering passion for shaping the urban landscape with profound expertise in residential construction and public buildings. She completed her doctorate at the University of Stuttgart’s Institute of Architectural History (ifag) in 2017.
Her dedication to preserving architectural heritage shines through her captivating guided tours of the iconic Weissenhof Estate since 2013. Since autumn 2018, she has been making waves as a Project Manager at @iba_2027 where her specialist topics of the legacy of Modernism and the productive city drive innovation and transformation.
UF2024
Vincent joined the board of Kraaijvanger Architects as a partner in 2014 and was voted one of the 40 most important emerging young designers within Europe by “Europe 40 under 40”. He recently published the book Building with a Positive Footprint in collaboration with Nai publishers. As a partner and architect at Kraaijvanger, his focus is on designing circular buildings that strengthen communities. Change is needed, for the future of our children and the earth. Vincent has worked on buildings that purify the air, share space in surprising ways, are sustainable, provide energy, are 100% reusable and make people healthier and happier.
Maria is a skilled architect and urban designer, working and leading urban, research and strategic projects with MVRDV for more than 10 years. During her working experience, Maria has been involved in variety of urban and research projects, like the Manifesta 13 expo for Marseille and Luxemburg in Transition, a winning proposal for a competition to create the vision of the country’s transition to zero-carbon society. She has also extensively worked in urban resilience projects like, the proposal for Sea2City Vancouver and RE:BEACH Oceanside in California. She is currently leading the redevelopment proposal for Thessaloniki Urban Port, a project that focuses on creating a mixed use hub that revitalises the waterfront of the port and the city.
Isis an award-winning urbanist and international development practitioner, working with governments, international organisations, and communities to advance evidence and practice on inclusive urban recovery and development, particularly in informal, contested or fragile environments.
She combines her international expertise with global advocacy efforts for better urban practices in crises settings. Most recently sshe developed urban recommendations to inform the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement report, including leading the consultation with Mayors in Somalia, Burkina Faso, Honduras, Iraq, and Colombia.
Expert with more than 10 years of experience in project management. Since the beginning of
her career has been gaining experience managing strategic municipal and international
projects, working with both public and private entities.
Director of the Environmental Management Unit at the City Hall of Lodz, where she works since 2014, leading projects related to blue-green infrastructure, environmental promotion and education, cooperation with business in the area of ESG, as well as climate change adaptation, including the City Climate Mission – i.e. the mission “100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030” under the auspices of the European Commission.
and many more coming!
Go find out who’s joining us for our next event: