For a long time, universities and, in particular, schools were regarded as closed systems within the urban landscape. However, social change calls for new approaches: educational institutions are redefining themselves as vibrant ‘third places’ that go far beyond their traditional functions. Opening up to the wider urban community can be a strategic response to social fragmentation, the decline of city centres and the lack of spaces for people to meet.
Three strategies for opening up: practical examples
1. The open university: opening up through the sharing of resources
Two recent examples illustrate how universities are deliberately opening up their infrastructure to the wider community. In recent years, the Evangelische Hochschule (EvH) Bochum has consistently positioned itself as an open space within the neighbourhood. The canteen is also open to neighbours from the surrounding buildings, and public events for a wide audience are a regular feature of the programme. The university explicitly sees itself as a ‘space for democracy’ – a place for exchange and discourse that extends far beyond academic life.
The Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences in Krefeld is taking a slightly different approach: here, the campus garden on Frankenring is gradually being developed into a collaboratively designed meeting place for students and the local community. Local residents were invited to help design the space together with lecturers and students – a participatory process that visibly anchors the university within the local community. Both examples show that opening up does not necessarily require major investment, but above all involves a conscious cultural shift in how existing resources and spaces are utilised.
2. The integrated school: opening up through integration with the neighbourhood
The BOB Campus in Wuppertal demonstrates how opening up can be achieved through complete integration. On the site of a former textile factory, a campus has been created that combines living, working and education. The Max Planck Secondary School is not an isolated building here, but an integral part of an ecosystem which it shares with a nursery, studios, co-working spaces and the local library. The school not only makes use of the campus’s professional workshops, but is itself part of public life. This model demonstrates how public-interest-oriented property development can create open and synergistic educational landscapes right from the start.
3. Shared space: opening up through the targeted release of areas
The most pragmatic approach lies in opening up school playgrounds outside teaching hours. This trend is being successfully implemented in many German cities. A prominent example is Munich: under the programme ‘From School Playground to Play Area’, 55 municipal schools have already opened their outdoor facilities to the neighbourhood. A similar pilot project is also underway at the Gymnasium Plauen in Dresden. Particularly in densely populated areas, this creates much-needed, cross-age spaces for physical activity and social interaction. This low-threshold approach demonstrates that, with clear rules on safety and usage, even individual areas can have a positive impact on social cohesion within the neighbourhood.
Strategic planning for a successful transformation
The development of educational institutions into ‘third places’ requires strategic planning. Partnership-based collaboration, professional community management, flexible spatial concepts, clear usage agreements and secure funding are crucial. actori supports this process with feasibility studies, needs analyses and the development of tailor-made usage and spatial concepts. In doing so, it is particularly important to us to involve and keep the relevant stakeholders informed through appropriate participatory processes. By developing viable operational and management models and business plans, we ensure economic viability – for a successful transformation from the initial idea through to sustainable implementation.
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An article by Amélie Strobel, Project Manager.