On February 25, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., the joint closing event of Urbanizers and the Wüstenrot Foundation for the research project “Rethinking Spaces” will take place at the ECDF. Digitalization presents challenges on the one hand, but also opens up significant opportunities for the development of municipalities. Join the discussion on how digital tools can support sustainable and public-interest-oriented development in cities and communities. The event will focus on practical impulses, interactive formats and plenty of opportunities for exchange. Participants can look forward to presentations of various products, such as the playbook “Rethinking Spaces – Municipal Development Strategies in the Digital Age.” In addition, there will be keynote inputs on the importance of artificial intelligence for municipal development strategies, as well as on storytelling as a format for communicating complex topics.
Program:
From 5:45 p.m.: Arrival of guests
6:00 p.m.: Words of welcome
6:10 p.m.: Presentation of the research project and its results (Marie Neumüllers and Robert Hummel, Urbanizers)
6:25 p.m.: Q&A and discussion on the research project
6:55 p.m.: Short keynote presentations and Open Mic
- Keynote 1: What does AI mean for municipal development strategies? (Prof. Dr. Dirk Engelke, OST Ostschweizer Fachhochschule, Institute for Spatial Development)
- Keynote 2: Learning and working through play (Prof. Dr. Iris Belle, Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Architecture and Design – Master’s Program Smart City Solutions)
- Open Mic: Project Minga – Autonomous driving in public transport (Jutta Jungwirth, Stadtwerke München, Deputy Head of Mobility Strategy)
Additional contributions from the audience are very welcome.
7:45 p.m. – Closing remarks (Dr. Anja Reichert-Schick, Wüstenrot Foundation)
7:50 p.m. – Informal get-together
Venue:
Einstein Center Digital Future
Conference Hall, 1st Floor
Wilhelmstr. 67
10117 Berlin
Further information on registration //here.