The project encouraged young people to explore how public spaces can be designed to address climate change, support biodiversity, and improve quality of life. Using their own schoolyard as a case study, the participants investigated how local spaces can become more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive.
The programme began with an introduction to sustainable urban development and the role of public spaces in creating liveable communities. Through expert presentations and field activities, students explored topics such as climate adaptation, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and participatory planning processes.
A key component of the project was the cooperation with the Department of Sustainable Urban Development of the City of Göttingen. During a visit to the New Town Hall, students received first-hand insights into municipal planning processes and learned how cities respond to challenges such as heat stress, heavy rainfall, and climate change. Using official heat hazard and flood-risk maps provided by the city, participants examined the specific risks facing their own school grounds and discussed possible adaptation measures.
The students also worked with experts from BUND Göttingen and the Regional Environmental Education Centre (RUZ), who introduced them to biodiversity and nature-based solutions for urban environments. Through observation, analysis, and stakeholder interviews, the participants identified strengths and weaknesses of their schoolyard and gathered ideas from different user groups within the school community.
Building on these findings, the students developed their own design concepts for a sustainable schoolyard. Using creative methods such as LEGO® Serious Play®, sketches, models, and collaborative planning techniques, they created proposals that combined ecological, social, and functional aspects. Their concepts included ideas for increasing biodiversity, improving climate resilience, creating attractive recreational spaces, and enhancing the overall quality of the school environment.
The project concluded with a public presentation of the students’ work. Representatives of the school community as well as a member of the Department of Sustainable Urban Development of the City of Göttingen attended the event. The city representative listened to the students’ proposals, engaged in discussion, and provided valuable professional feedback. The students were particularly encouraged by the commitment that their ideas would be shared with relevant departments within the city administration for further consideration.
The Urban Regeneration Lab not only strengthened participants’ knowledge of sustainability, biodiversity, and urban development but also fostered important competencies such as teamwork, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. Most importantly, it demonstrated to the students that their ideas and perspectives matter and that young people can play an active role in shaping more sustainable and liveable communities.
Through this project, the goals of the Erasmus+ UpSpace initiative were brought to life: empowering young people to understand sustainability challenges, develop innovative solutions, and contribute meaningfully to the future of public spaces.
