In partnership with CityLAB Berlin, generative AI was brought directly to the streets. By integrating a customized version of an AI co-planning tool into a touring mobile laboratory, Berliners were able to actively reimagine and instantly visualize urban transformation scenarios.
Context
Client
CityLAB Berlin
Location
Berlin, Germany 🇩🇪
Year
2023 – 2024
During the summer of 2023, CityLAB Berlin launched “Kiezlabor”, an old shipping container converted into a mobile innovation hub. Supported by Technologiestiftung Berlin and Senatskanzlei, the initiative was driven by the understanding that in-person, localized civic engagement builds much stronger and more resilient community relationships than online-only approaches.
To act on this, Kiezlabor toured various districts to bring technology, education, and open dialogue directly to the public. Operating under the motto “Without you, we’re just a container,” organizers wanted to ensure the city’s digital transformation was accessible to everyone, regardless of technical literacy. They needed a compelling centerpiece for their pop-up space: a dynamic tool capable of adapting to the unique challenges of each district, giving residents a reason to physically gather and rethink their neighborhoods together.
Engagement method
To support this touring initiative, a tailored interface was developed, designed specifically to reflect nuances of four distinct Berlin districts. The platform was seamlessly integrated into Kiezlabor’s daily programming like exhibitions, educational workshops and networking.
Displayed on touch monitors and tablets, the tool served as a digital canvas for the hub to reimagine their own local streets. Through an intuitive, step-by-step interface, guests selected specific neighborhood locations to test out fresh ideas for placemaking and public space enhancements. Because the platform generated realistic visualizations instantly, participants could easily compare different design scenarios, see the immediate impact of their ideas, and select their favorite outcomes. This highly visible, mobile setup naturally drew crowds; residents who initially just stopped by for a coffee quickly found themselves actively participating, debating these design choices and neighborhood visions face-to-face with their neighbors.
Image credits: CityLAB Berlin 2023
Impact
The Kiezlabor tour demonstrated the power of merging mobile civic infrastructure with accessible generative AI to drive participatory planning.
- Cultivated Local Ownership: Giving residents the tools to actively develop new ideas for their own streets fostered a deeper connection to their environment and a stronger sense of ownership over the city’s future.
- Expanded Community Reach: By taking the technology district by district rather than keeping it in a central office, the initiative maximized accessibility and successfully captured a much larger, culturally diverse pool of voices.
- Neighborhood-Specific Discourse: The visual and interactive nature of the tool sparked joyful, open discussions. It shifted the focus toward hyper-local needs, creating a collaborative environment to address the unique challenges of each distinct neighborhood.
Delivered together with project partners.