Designing for Change: Vegetation, Open Spaces, and Social Innovation in Shrinking Cities (Internatio
International Interdisciplinary Autumn School 2025
27 September – 4 October 2025, Hoyerswerda
15 May, 19 June & 26 June 2025, Dresden Preparation meetings at IÖR, Dresden
BACKGROUND
The focus of this Autumn School is on the shrinking city of Hoyerswerda in Lusatia: the demolition of housing estates is creating new urban open spaces with vegetation, that at the moment seem sadly underused. We will investigate their potential for people and nature and utilise our findings to make suggestions for improvement. The Autumn School aims to rethink open spaces in Hoyerswerda in the context of social, ecological, and technological challenges working co-creatively by applying Design Thinking to suggest concepts for future development.
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
Language: English
Accommodation and Mobility: Accommodation in Hoyerswerda will be provided. All Students will be allocated to shared flats by gender. Arrival and departure at your own expense. Bicycles are available on site
Motivation Letter: As places for participation in the autumn school are limited, please submit a one-page letter of motivation with your contact details by latest to the relevant contact person for your course of study (see below).
YOUR TASKS
You work in small interdisciplinary groups and explore different residential neighborhoods in Hoyerswerda-Neustadt. In doing so, you analyse the residents' lifestyles, examine the interactions between residential development, demolition and open space structures and prototype creative, multispecies-oriented usage concepts. The project combines theory and practice in the sense of research-based learning, promotes intercultural and interdisciplinary skills and relies on close cooperation with the local population and administration. The results will be presented in the form of a public exhibition opened at the end of the Autumn School.
CREDITABLE FOR MASTER COURSES
Raumentwicklung & Naturressourcenmanagement (Module 2.7)
Ecosystem Services (Module 2.17)
Landscape Architecture (Modules A-LB 685; A-LM 281)
And other relevant courses in the field of environmental/sustainability sciences, design, landscape architecture, urban studies and planning (AQUA Course)
WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CREATIVE IDEAS AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THIS INNOVATIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT! Andrea, Nora & Robert