8-Week Ideas

The goal is to build trust between diverse stakeholders and enable quick action. The 8-Week Ideas format is suitable for both municipalities and organizations undergoing change processes.
The foundation of this format was developed with and for small towns as part of the transdisciplinary research project GoingVis. It is continuously being further developed through the practical application by Resilient Cities.

The 8-Week Idea aims to strengthen the collaboration between administration and civil society actors. Through an innovative combination of research, design, art, pedagogy, systemic change management, and citizen participation, reliable tools and methods are used that enable various groups to find common ground, shape it, and develop solutions.

The concept utilizes proven methods such as Cultural Probes, Experience Prototypes, and digital participation platforms, which have already been successfully used in earlier projects, including Klimafit in Brandenburg, in the Polish city of Konin, and in the Parkviertel in Berlin-Mitte.

The 8-Week Idea is a key tool for fostering trust, understanding, and engagement between various interest groups. This method has proven to be extremely valuable in accelerating the development of solutions and advancing collaboration.

At the beginning, we use Cultural Probes to better understand the needs and perspectives of local communities. These are specifically used in the inventory phase to gather more than just statistical data – they foster a deep understanding of the stakeholders and the specific challenges on the ground.

For example, when addressing the topic of climate change, we work in this phase with the Climate Tester, a modified application of Cultural Probes that allows participants to identify climate-relevant places in their neighborhood and develop solution proposals. This process is supported in a workshop where participants explore the places and present their ideas for climate adaptation. The Climate Tester is equipped with a map of the neighborhood and allows participants to describe places that are particularly affected by climate change and sketch out potential solutions. Participants use this by exploring the neighborhood on foot and looking for places and ideas that are of interest to them.

Project Phases

Phase 1: Training Camp for the 8-Week Ideas format, needs and actor analysis, participation, and climate adaptation
In the training camp, the tandems get to know each other and learn together how the 8-Week Ideas format works and functions. They develop a picture for locating and linking the 8-Week Ideas process to ongoing processes in their neighborhoods. Alongside imparting knowledge about needs and actor analysis, participation, and climate adaptation, it is also about creating space for peer learning between the administration and civil society actors.

Phase 2: 8-Week Workshop
During the first workshop, participants are introduced to the process and then divided into small groups. Each group works with the Climate Tester to identify specific places affected by climate change. Participants collectively develop visions for the transformation of these places and create a first plan for a functional, temporary solution (prototype). The focus is on implementing it with as little effort and minimal financial resources as possible. The temporary solution for the vision should be small enough to be implemented by the group within 8 weeks.

In the following workshop phase, participants are divided into three working groups:

• Design and detailed planning: How does the prototype work, and what does it look like? What is available, what is needed, and what are the concrete steps for implementation?
• Storytelling: Development of a narrative concept to convey the vision with and through the prototype.
• Permits and technical elements: Compilation of a list of necessary permits and technical requirements.

Together, the groups develop a timeline for implementation within eight weeks. In this phase, specific contacts from the administration and other relevant stakeholders are already involved.

Phase 3: Implementation Phase of the 8-Week Ideas
After the workshops, the implementation follows. Over the course of 8 weeks, the two groups realize the prototypes in public spaces. Coordination, planning, adjustment of ideas, material collection, and expansion of the group are done using proven digital tools. This way, not only the participants on-site but also the groups in the process can learn from each other.
In regular online meetings during the 8-Week phase, the project team supports the groups to ensure smooth implementation of the next steps and facilitates exchange and peer learning.

Phase 4: Opening and Action Days for the 8-Week Ideas
At the end of the 8-Week phase, the groups organize an opening during an action day for the realized 8-Week Ideas. This is the moment when the temporary solutions are presented to a wider public and handed over. It is important that these days clearly show what this possible future for this specific place feels like. Subsequently, they can be tested and discussed by the users of the places to learn from them and develop permanent solutions that are supported and carried by many.

Collaboration with the Administration

In conversations with climate protection officers, we found that the administration is strongly interested in activating residents and strengthening networks with local key people and actors as well as initiatives. Since climate adaptation affects all population groups, this topic offers the opportunity to involve everyone and promote new collaborations.

Collaboration between local actors, bodies, and administration is crucial for the development of sustainable solutions. Through vertical integration, where both citizens and the administration and local initiatives are interconnected, new solutions can emerge and be tested through prototypes. This creates new interfaces that enable exchange and collaboration among all parties.

Climate adaptation requires interdisciplinary collaboration. The methodology of the 8-Week Workshops provides an open framework to bring together various actors such as residents, representatives from the administration, as well as local key persons, actors, and initiatives. Specific experiences and decision-making competencies can be used to develop solutions. The activation of cooperation partners can thus be built contextually.

The implementation of measures often requires the involvement of responsible people from the administration to sensitize them to local problem-solving. Through direct collaboration with residents in the 8-Week Workshops, trust in the administration is strengthened, which increases motivation and fosters long-term engagement from the population.

Public green spaces in municipalities are under strong usage pressure, while administrations struggle with limited resources. Low-threshold environmental education measures and the promotion of participation can help strengthen residents’ identification with their social space and achieve long-term positive effects.

Impact in the Municipality

The concept aims to develop and implement innovative solutions for climate adaptation. With the help of the 8-Week Idea, a successful methodology of workshops and collaborative work, a quick, targeted process is fostered for problem-solving and the joint development of prototypes for climate-relevant places.

The impact of the concept can be summarized in several areas:

• Promoting climate adaptation: Through practical work with the Climate Tester and the development of temporary solutions, visible adaptation measures are implemented in the affected areas. These prototypes help make the effects of climate change tangible in everyday life and actively involve the local population in the development of solutions for climate adaptation.
• Strengthening collaboration: The concept promotes exchange by creating a network of neighborhood actors from administration, civil society, and other sectors. This strengthens mutual understanding and enables the exchange of knowledge about various climate adaptation strategies and their feasibility in different municipal contexts.
• Involvement and activation of the population: Through the 8-Week Workshops and the use of interactive methods like Cultural Probes and Experience Prototypes, participants are actively involved in the planning process. They have the opportunity to develop their own ideas and solutions, which strengthens trust and acceptance of climate adaptation measures among the population.
• Establishment of a solution-oriented and experiential learning approach in participation: The concept relies on a participatory method that actively involves the local population in the climate adaptation process. By applying the Climate Tester and working on concrete prototypes, participants not only develop theoretical but also practical solutions. The focus is on solutions, with all actors working together on shaping the environment and identifying specific actions. At the same time, experiential learning is promoted, with participants gaining a deeper understanding of climate adaptation through direct experience and interaction with the issues at hand. This method strengthens not only the participants’ trust in their own abilities but also contributes to the long-term establishment of climate-friendly and sustainable practices in the municipal space.
• Long-term effects on urban development: The developed solutions can be gradually integrated into municipal planning through collaboration with administrations. The results of the prototypes are intended to serve as a model for the transformation of other municipalities or districts, potentially leading to broader implementation of climate adaptation measures in the long term.

Overall, the concept contributes to developing concrete climate adaptation measures that have a local impact, thus promoting sustainable, inclusive, and effective climate adaptation.

Target Groups

Residents

• • Improvement of Quality of Life: Residents are affected by environmental stressors such as noise, air pollution, and thermal stress, which are exacerbated by urban density and traffic. They need a reduction of these stressors, with improved quality of life. Climate-adapted solutions should also help with their physical and emotional well-being.
  • Participation and Co-Creation: Residents have an interest in contributing to shaping their neighborhoods and helping improve them. A strong motivation is to improve the quality of life in their immediate surroundings.
  • Strengthening Identification with the Social Environment: There is a need for residents to identify more strongly with their neighborhood, which can be achieved through participatory environmental education measures and the promotion of local initiatives.

Local Actors and Initiatives

• Networking and Cooperation: Local initiatives and actors need support in networking with each other and with the administration to increase their impact and reach. They want to strengthen their cooperation with the municipal administration and other actors to collectively develop solutions for the challenges in the district.
• Resources and Support: Many local actors depend on additional resources, whether through financial support, human resources, or new methods, to make their work more effective.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Actors need the opportunity to collaborate with various departments, such as the environmental and green space offices, to develop comprehensive solutions for social and climatic challenges.

Administration

• Engagement and Cooperation with Civil Society: The administration is looking for ways to more actively involve residents and local key figures and actors in the development and implementation of climate adaptation measures. There is an interest in playing a more active role in promoting networks and supporting initiatives.
• Effective Implementation of Climate Adaptation Strategies: The administration needs support in carrying out and coordinating climate adaptation measures to reduce the burden of environmental stressors and make urban spaces more sustainable.
• Trust Building and Motivation: The administration wants to build trust and increase motivation among participants through direct collaboration with the population and local initiatives, ensuring the long-term success of projects.

Through these various target groups and their needs, it becomes clear that an interdisciplinary, cooperative, and integrative approach is necessary to address social and ecological challenges in the municipality and develop sustainable solutions.

The concept is both sustainable and innovative as it follows an inclusive and participatory approach to develop solutions. Sustainability is achieved through the development of prototypes that are integrated into public spaces as temporary yet feasible solutions and provide the opportunity for direct feedback from the community. These prototypes are designed to be adapted and further developed over time, resulting in lasting impact.

The concept is particularly innovative through the use of the 8-Week Idea and Cultural Probes, which enable participants to actively engage with current challenges in a structured process. These methods not only promote dialogue between citizens and decision-makers but also offer a concrete and practical way to develop solutions that can be implemented immediately. By linking research, design, and civic participation, an innovative, interdisciplinary approach is created, opening up new perspectives and approaches to action on the respective topic.

Given the increasing urban warming, more frequent extreme weather events, and the need to design public spaces sustainably, the concept offers a pragmatic way to test and implement innovative solutions, such as climate adaptation, directly on-site. It strengthens cooperation between citizens and authorities, raises awareness of climate-friendly measures, and creates long-term changes in how the climate impacts are addressed. Furthermore, it contributes to improving the adaptability of municipalities to climate change and provides a model that can be transferred to other cities and districts.