SU AINAB VING IN DRESDEN BUILDING BLOCKS FOR CHANGE - TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE URBAN SOCIETY - ACCELERATING TRANSITIONS
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SustAinABle liviNg
in dResDEn Building blocks for change
towards a sustainable
urban society
Imprint
Sustainable living in Dresden – For more information
Building blocks for change towards Further information on the ARTS
a sustainable urban society project and the other case study
This document is a result of the EU regions can be found on the project
RP7 funded project “Accelerating and website and the project blog.
Rescaling Transitions to Sustainabil-
ity” (ARTS). The project was imple- Project website
mented in cooperation with several http://acceleratingtransitions.eu
partners (see bottom line) under the
lead of the "Dutch Research Institute Project blog
for Transition" (Drift). http://blog.acceleratingtransitions.eu
Authors The project reports (“deliverables”)
Andreas Blum – including those on other city
Markus Egermann regions and similar areas – can be
Franziska Ehnert found here www.ioer.de/arts
Kristin Reiß
Cover image
Acknowledgements The cover image shows an abstract-
The authors would like to thank the ed representation of the outline of
many people from the Dresden tran- the urban area of the city of Dresden
sition initiatives in business, admin- and the course of the River Elbe.
istration and civil society who were © Images on the cover:
willing to participate in the pro- Gartennetzwerk Dresden, Sukuma
ject, for their fruitful and pleasant arts e.V., Leibniz-Institut für ökolo-
cooperation, and for the abundance gische Raumentwicklung (IÖR)
of information from practical expe-
rience, without which this document Design & Graphics
could not have been produced. Gesine Hildebrandt
Contact person of the German
research team
Dr. Markus Egermann
Leibniz-Institut für ökologische
Raumentwicklung
Weberplatz 1 | 01217 Dresden
m.egermann@ioer.de
Dresden, in November 2016
2
Inhalt
1. CHAPTER
New ways of thinking, doing and organising 4
Who is this document for, and what are its aims? 4
Urban transition as a starting point for a fundamental shift 5
The ARTS project in Dresden7
2. CHAPTER
Situation and starting points in Dresden 9
Current dynamics of change in Dresden 9
Political concepts, strategies and processes (selection)11
3. CHAPTER
Mechanisms of transformation 12
Upscaling14
Professionalising15
Replicating16
Translating21
Partnering21
Instrumentalising 22
Embedding23
4. CHAPTER
Building blocks for urban change 25
Recommendations for action for all urban change makers25
Recommendations for action for urban policy and administration27
Recommendations for action for urban transition initiatives30
Appendix: Transition initiatives in Dresden 31
Building blocks for change towards a sustainable urban society in Dresden
at a glance and to take away18–19
3
You never change things
by fighting the existing reality.
To change something,
build a new model that makes
the existing model obsolete.
Richard Buckminster Fuller*
1.
New ways of
thinking, doing and
organising
Who is this document for, and what are its aims?
As a result of the three-year European research and cooperation project
ARTS (Accelerating and Rescaling Transitions to Sustainability) and on the
basis of numerous practical examples of innovative agency, this document
aims to provide orientation points and building blocks for the development
of Dresden as a future-oriented sustainable urban society.
This document is aimed at all actors who are interested in making fun-
damental changes towards a sustainable development of the city region of
Dresden, and want to shape and promote it. This includes actors from the
city administration, local politics, civil society, business, science, as well as all
the citizens of Dresden.
The document has two specific aims:
1. It wants to create awareness of the various approaches for new ways of
thinking, doing and organising geared towards sustainable development
which have already been tested and implemented in Dresden through a
wide range of initiatives in the sectors of business, administration and
civil society, and
* Unless otherwise explicitly indicated,
2. To point out building blocks for the further development and strength-
quotations are taken from interviews
and events which took place during
ening of such approaches and dynamics.
the project.
4 Sustainable living in Dresden | Building blocks for change towards a sustainable urban society
Urban transition as a starting point for a fundamental shift
The assumption that sustainable development needs to undergo profound
changes in different areas is largely in agreement. „A radical transformation
… living well within ecological towards a sustainable society as a response to a number of persistent prob-
limits will require fundamental lems confronting modern societies"1. seems indispensable. “In essence this
transitions in the systems of involves the societal system changing its structures, cultures and practices"2.
production and consumption, … Based on the theoretical approaches to what is known internationally as
Such transitions will … entail “transition research”, a fundamental change in society can be regarded as a
profound changes in dominant sequence of profound transformation phases, which extend over a time pe-
institutions, practices, tech- riod of 30 to 50 years. Four specific phases can be determined: the “pre-de-
nologies, policies, lifestyles and velopment”, “take-off”, “acceleration” and “stabilisation” phases3. One can
thinking. therefore speak of a transition when the entirety of the predominant ways
European Environment Agency 2015 5 of thinking, doing and organising have been changed to such a significant
extent that we can speak of a new state of equilibrium. These changes often
arise from niches of the society (“bottom up”): From innovative actors who
challenge the norms of the social system (“regime”). For the theoretical
background of the relationship between “niche” and “regime” and “land-
scape”, see the graphic and explanations on the next page.
The local level is of tremendous importance for social change, as the
dynamics of sustainability are spatially concentrated, particularly in cit-
ies and urban regions. Against the backdrop of the projected growth of the
world’s urban population to 6.5 billion people by 2050, the pressure on
urban infrastructure (mobility, food, energy, etc.) and environmental impacts
in particular will increase significantly. Cities thereby offer significant po-
tential for innovation and can be seen as central nodes for the development
Our struggle for global of sustainable alternatives to problematic developments4. The local level
sustainability will be won and particularly urban systems therefore constitute a suitable starting point
or lost in cities. for the investigation, as well as the initiation of dynamics for a transition to
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon 6 sustainability.
Against this background, local initiatives of change towards sustaina-
ble development – transition initiatives – can be considered as core actors
in the transition process. Transition initiatives are defined as locally-based
actors from the public, private or civil society who want to promote a pro-
found change in the ways of thinking, doing and organising, geared towards
the sustainable environmentally-friendly development of the existing social
1 Grin, J., Rotmans, J. & Schot, J. (2010). Transitions to Sustainable Development –
New Directions in the Study of Long Term Transformative Change, New York: Routledge, 2010.
2 Frantzeskaki, N., de Haan, N., (2009). Transitions: two steps from theory to policy. Futures 41,
593-606.
3 Brugge, R. van der & Rotmans, J. (2007). Towards Transition Management of European Water
Resources. Water Resources Management, 21 (7), 249-267. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/
s11269-006-9052-0.
4 Wolfram, M. (2016). Conceptualizing urban transformative capacity: A framework for research
and policy. Cities, Current Research on Cities, 51, 121–30.
5 EEA (2015) The European environment — state and outlook 2015: synthesis report, European
Environment Agency, Copenhagen
6 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (2015) at UN-Habitat Governing Council,
Nairobi, Kenia
1. New ways of thinking, doing and organising 5
Socio-technical landscape
Landscape developments put pressure New regime influences landscape
on existing regime, which opens up,
creating windows of opportunity
for novelties.
MARKETS, USER PREFERENCES
TECHNOLOGY
The changed
INDUSTRY Socio-technical regime finds
Socio-technical regime
regime is “dynami- to a new
cally stable”. equilibrium.
CULTURE
The different The sub-
sub-systems form systems form
POLICY a routine constel- a modified
lation. constellation.
SCIENCE
New configuration breaks through,
talking advantage of “windows of
External influences on niches
opportunity”. Adjustments occur
(via expectations and
in socio-technical regime.
networks).
Elements become aligned, and
stabilize in a dominant design.
Internal momentum increases.
Niche-innovations
Small networks of actors support novelties on the basis of
expectations and visions. Learning processes take place
on multiple dimensions (co-construction). Efforts to link
different elements in a seamless web.
time
The multilevel perspective on transitions
The multi-level perspective is a tran- conditions and developments, which caused by disturbances to the regime
sition research approach that describes influence the regime under consid- – e.g. by influences from the “land-
the interplay of three analytical levels eration, but cannot be influenced by scape” of the contextual conditions.
of social change: this – or can be, but only with great
• The Regime areferring to all prevailing difficulty. The model was originally developed
forms of organisation, technological • The niches of socio-technical inno- with a view to socio-technical innova-
solutions, standards, norms, routines, vation, in which innovations are tions. However, in principle, it is also a
ways of life, views, etc., divided into conceived, developed and tested. suitable starting point for a systematic
various sub-systems (politics, culture, With sufficient dynamics and target view of socio-ecological innovations
economy, etc.) orientation, these innovative impulses and social change.
• The socio-technical landscape, can trigger a (gradual) change of the Text and graphic representation based on and
modified from Geels, F.W., & Schot, J. (2007):
which represents the superordinate, regime. They are usually favoured by
Typology of sociotechnical transition pathways.
so-called “exogenous” contextual windows of opportunity which are Research Policy 36 (2007) 399–417.
6 Sustainable living in Dresden | Building blocks for change towards a sustainable urban society
Urban societies, too, system. According to the city-regional perspective, the focus is primarily on
should discuss and agree local development dynamics.
common visions of the Starting from an analysis of transition initiatives as catalysts for social
transformation process in change, the ARTS research project examines the resulting change dynamics
a participatory manner, in various European cities: Stockholm (Sweden), Brighton (United Kingdom),
with each city codifying its Genk (Belgium), Budapest (Hungary) and Dresden (Germany). Because the
vision in its own charter results of the research form the basis of this document, the project is briefly
for urban transformation. explained below.
WBGU – German Advisory
Council on Global Change (2016): The ARTS project in Dresden
Humanity on the move: Unlocking Against a backdrop of socio-ecological challenges, such as the careful man-
the transformative power of cities.
agement of natural resources, the protection of biological diversity, climate
Berlin: WBGU.
change and food supply, a large number of local initiatives from civil socie-
ty, city administrations and politics, as well as the local economy have been
established in Dresden. These all strive in various ways to kick off and/or ac-
celerate change which is geared towards sustainable development. They de-
velop and test alternative ideas and approaches for environmentally-friendly
practices and lifestyles.
For the past three years, as part of the ARTS project, the Dresden-based
Leibniz Institute of ecological urban and regional development has been
examining the question of how social change can be influenced locally, and
how alternative, sustainable structures, ways of thinking and ways of life can
be established in Dresden.
For this reason, the closest possible dialogue between experts and local
actors had to be sought, following the transdisciplinary research approach.
By means of surveys and a series of workshops, the project team system-
atically addressed the question of which mechanisms are relevant for lo-
cal change. For this purpose, initiatives from the three sectors of business,
administration and civil society, which are active in various subject areas
– such as food, mobility, resource conservation and nature conservation, as
well as education and knowledge transfer – were approached.
The claims and recommendations included in this final document are mainly
based on:
• the findings from 27 individual interviews with representatives from local
initiatives and experts from the civil society, public and private business
sectors,
• the results of the ARTS dialogue workshops with participants from civil
society and the public and private business sectors5 and
• expertise and good practice examples from the four other European pro-
ject cities: Brighton (United Kingdom), Budapest (Hungary), Genk (Bel-
gium) and Stockholm (Sweden).
5 The ARTS dialogue workshops involved a critical review of the research results from the inter-
views, a common investigation of innovative approaches and possibilities for the acceleration
of social change using previously obtained results, as well as the identification of further
research questions.
1. New ways of thinking, doing and organising 7
The following section provides an overview of the status quo of the actors,
institutions and structures relating to sustainability in Dresden. Subsequently,
the research results regarding various mechanisms for the distribution and
promotion of new ways of thinking, doing and organising will be discussed.
8 Sustainable living in Dresden | Building blocks for change towards a sustainable urban society
There is nothing good,
unless someone does it.
Erich Kästner
2.
Situation and
starting points in
Dresden
Current dynamics of change in Dresden
A sustainable development of the Dresden city region can build on several
political concepts and strategies, and be tied in with ongoing processes (see
the overview on page 11). In addition, the Dresden city region is home to a
diverse landscape of initiatives (see the overview Fig. 1 on the next page).
More than 100 transition initiatives could be identified (see the overview
� Transition initiatives in Dresden on page 31/32). These are predominantly
led by civil society actors, but examples of innovative sustainable practices,
cultures and structures can also be found in the business sector, as well as in
the fields of city administration and local politics.
Two generations of transition initiatives can essentially be identified: A
1st generation, which formed straight after the Reunification of Germany,
and therefore has strong connections with the environmental and peace
movements of the GDR; and a 2nd generation which has been recognisable
since the early 2000s, which is more explicitly linked to the concept of sus-
tainable development.
The diverse initiatives are not very well-known to the general public, or
to one another. An aim of this document is therefore to raise awareness of
existing local approaches to change. The implementation of an overview map
2. Situation and starting points in Dresden 9
Fig. 1: Section of the “Transition initiative” themed city plan of Dresden. A com-
Education prehensive overview (in German) can be found at the end of the document.
Energy in the themed city plan of Dresden (https://stadtplan.dresden.de) hereby
underlines that this document is meant as the initiation of a further ongoing
Food process, rather than the conclusion of the ARTS project.
Mobility Regarding the various issues relating to sustainable development in
Dresden, there are rather different dynamics in the fields of energy, mobility,
Nature Conservation and food, conservation of resources, nature conservation, as well as educa-
tion and knowledge transfer. However, in comparison to other ARTS research
Resource management areas (see above), the sectors of food and education have above-average
representation by initiatives in Dresden. Through the example of the food
Built environment sector, it can be demonstrated that a wide range of reference points for sus-
tainability issues (e.g. conservation, biodiversity, community living, health,
Cross-topic etc.) enables the involvement of various actors from different backgrounds.
10 Sustainable living in Dresden | Building blocks for change towards a sustainable urban societyPolitical concepts, strategies and processes (Selection)
Since 1992 horizontal organisational unit for climate 2013
The City of Dresden is a member of the protection in the city administration; Integrated urban development concept
transnational network ICLEI (Interna- www.dresden.de/de/stadtraum/umwelt/um “Dresden’s Future 2025+”: guidelines
tional Council for Local Environmental welt/klima-und-energie/klimaschutz.php for sustainable development; since 2010,
Initiatives – Local Governments for Sus- citizen participation process the “Dres-
tainability) and a signatory of the “Char- Since 2010 den Debate” conducted by the Urban
ter of European Cities & Towns Towards “Environmental Talks” of the City of Planning Authority; www.dresden.de/
Sustainability (Aalborg charter)” www. Dresden: joint series of events held by de/stadtraum/planen/stadtentwicklung/
sustainablecities.eu/the-aalborg-charter the Environmental Agency of the City of stadtentwicklung/integrierte-stad-
Dresden and the Environmental Centre of tentwicklungsplanung.php
Since 1994 Dresden (annually in November)
The City of Dresden is a member of the www.dresden.de/de/stadtraum/umwelt/ 2014
Climate Alliance www.dresden.de/de/ umwelt/veranstaltungen/vier-elemente. The draft for the landscape plan incor-
leben/stadtportrait/europa/netz php?shortcut=4Elemente porates the strategic notion of “Dres-
werke/05_klimabuendnis.php den – the Compact City in an Eco-
2012 logical Network” www.dresden.de/de/
2008 The City of Dresden: “Integrated Ener- stadtraum/umwelt/umwelt/landschafts
The City of Dresden: “Living History – gy and Climate Protection Concept of plan/unterlagen_landschaftsplan.php
Urban Cityscape: Dresden – A Planning the City of Dresden 2030: Dresden is
Model for the Inner-city”: i.a. “Internal on-Route to Becoming an Energy-Ef- 2005 to 2014
Development Before External Develop- ficient City”: inter alia, the reduction of UN Decade “Education for Sustaina-
ment”, “Compact City”, “Urban City Centre greenhouse gas emissions, particularly of ble Development”: The City of Dresden
and High-quality Green Areas”, incor- CO2, by ten percent every five years until is awarded the title “City of the UN
porating the objectivess of the “Leipzig 2030; www.dresden.de/de/stadtraum/ Decade” (2013/2014): coordinated by
Charter on Sustainable European Cities” umwelt/umwelt/klima-und-energie/kli- the UNESCO Commission and support-
(2007); www.dresden.de/de/stadtraum/ maschutz.php ed by Federal Ministry of Education and
planen/stadtentwicklung/stadtplanung/ Research; i.a. the exhibition “Education
Planungsleitbild_Innenstadt.php 2008 to 2013 for Sustainable Development” organised
“Development and Testing of an by the Agenda 21; establishment of the
2010 Integrated Regional Climate Adapta- “Gymnasium Bürgerwiese” as secondary
Resolution of the City Council for a “So- tion Programme for the Model Region school for education for sustainable de-
lar City Dresden” (SR/018/2010): cadastre of Dresden” (REGKLAM): “Tackling velopment in 2009: bildung.dresden.de/
of the potential space of rooftops for solar Risks, Taking Chances – the Region of de/themenfelder.php
energy installations, innovation fund of the Dresden Responds to Climate Change:
City of Dresden and the DREWAG (Stadt- Strategy Concept for an Integrated 2015 to 2018
werke Dresden GmbH), as well as the Climate Adaptation Drogramme for the Vision and planning concept for a
“Photovoltaic Programme” of the Spar- Region of Dresden”; developed joint- sustainable “City of the Future Dresden
kasse Dresden, the programme “500 Solar ly by the Leibniz Institute of Ecological 2030+”: citizen participation process
Roofs” programme, “Solar Package Dres- Urban and Regional Development, the funded by the initiative “Cities of the
den” for private consumers Technical University Dresden, the Techni- Future” of the Federal Ministry of Ed-
cal University Bergakademie Freiberg and ucation and Research possible continu-
Since 2010 the City of Dresden: www.regklam.de/ ation with project phase III: “Implemen-
Establishment of the Climate Protec- ueber-regklam tation of Urban Laboratories” from 2018
tion Bureau: located in the Department onwards. www.dresden.de/de/leben/
of Environment and Local Economy as a gesellschaft/buergebeteiligung/
2. Situation and starting points in Dresden 11“Initiatives make
needs become
practical”*
3.
Mechanisms of
transformation
The basis of the empirical study in the ARTS project was a theoretical analy
sis framework, built on the concept of the transition research already cited
(see page 6) ) and the resulting seven mechanisms for disseminating and
promoting new ways of thinking, doing and organising:
Upscaling Professionalising
Upscaling is the growth of members, This mechanism describes the insti-
supporters or users of a single tran- tutional development of transition
sition initiative in order to diffuse initiatives in the field of tension
these new ways of thinking, doing between volunteering, creativity,
* Unless otherwise explicitly indicated,
and organising. reliability and professional organi-
quotations are taken from interviews
and events which took place during
sation.
the project.
12 Sustainable living in Dresden | Building blocks for change towards a sustainable urban societyReplicating Translating Partnering
Replicating is the take-up of new This mechanism describes the Partnering is the pooling and/or
ways of thinking, doing and organ- translation and communication work complementing of resources, com-
ising of one transition initiative by between different system logics, petences, and capacities in order
another transition initiative or dif- world views and languages – which to exploit synergies to support and
ferent actors in order to spread out is a frequent prerequisite for suc- ensure the continuity of new ways
these new ways. cessful collaboration and network of thinking, doing and organising.
formation – as well as the imple-
mentation thereof into existing
structures.
Instrumentalizing Embedding
Instrumentalising is tapping into Embedding is the alignment of old
and capitalizing on opportunities and new ways of thinking, doing
provided by the multi-level gov- and organising in order to integrate
ernance context of the city-region them into city-regional governance
in order to strengthen new ways patterns.
of thinking, doing and organising
locally.
In the following sections, the key results of the investigations for the
Dresden city region are presented along these mechanisms.
3. Mechanisms of transformation 13Upscaling
In Dresden, there are several examples of significant upscaling of initiatives
in terms of initiators, members, users and/or supporters. A prime example is
the consumer cooperative for products that have been produced in an envi-
ronmentally-friendly way (VG), which is one of the largest consumer coop-
eratives in Germany.
As well as opportunities, the upscaling of a transition initiative poses
risks for city-regional change processes. Examples of opportunities include
greater visibility, relief from work load due to the recruitment of new mem-
bers and talent, as well as the emergence or strengthening of related initi-
atives and structures. Regarding related structures, the term “co-evolution
processes” is also used if – as an example – the upscaling of a consumer co-
operative is accompanied by upscaling on the part of the producers. Regard-
“We are constantly growing; ing the risks, however, there may also be competition between individual
but is the growth concept initiatives. Larger initiatives may gain predominance, and new, perhaps more
the right one? How can we radical, approaches may be hindered.
develop qualitatively, as well The ambiguity of numerical upscaling is also apparent on the level of
as in terms of quantitative an individual initiative: Upscaling therefore typically leads to internal adap-
upscaling?” tation processes that lead to new group dynamics and hierarchies, but can
also cause the dilution of previously action-guiding basic values (see point 2
� Professionalising). Quantitative growth may also hinder or prevent any
internal qualitative development, such as the reflection on, and further de-
velopment of, the communicative cultures and structures of the cooperation.
Examples of separation of individual persons or groups have been described,
which sometimes even resulted in new start-ups if (former) colleagues could
not, or did not want to, associate themselves with the array of potential
changes brought about by the upscaling, such as the nature, organisational
Growing together form or value orientation. From a city-region perspective, this must not be
An example of the gradual co-evolu- negative, as older transition initiatives may serve as the basis for new – in
tion of associated practices, cultures and some instances, further developed – initiatives (see � Replicating).
structures is the increase in ecological
producers in the Dresden region. In 1991, An essential issue related to upscaling is the relationship between innovation
the Consumer Cooperative for Environ- and inclusion. To what extent is it possible to achieve quantitative upscal-
mentally Sound Products (VG) was es- ing and at the same time the integration of a wider spectrum of different
tablished as a forerunner with a handful people, without losing the original strength for renewal? Social transition
of agricultural suppliers of organic food; as a process of making profound changes to unsustainable practices and
in the meantime, around 80 farms in structures requires “pioneer initiatives”, which develop and test innovations
the region are collaborating with VG and in protected niches. However, in the end, social transition must be based on
countless other retailers. a social consensus, and so it is necessary to “take along” as many different
social groups as possible. Transition initiatives have different orientations
that more or less focus on one of the two aspects. The openness of indi-
vidual initiatives for inclusive collaboration is generally welcomed, but it is
apparent that the aspiration to address and include as many parts of socie-
ty as possible may fail – for example, due to limited resources. In addition,
innovative and penetrative practical power may be lost, as the consideration
14 Sustainable living in Dresden | Building blocks for change towards a sustainable urban societyand integration of many different ideas and concepts takes up the most time
and energy. On a city level, it therefore seems reasonable to think about
inclusion beyond the individual initiatives, and to rather support integration
through the high diversity of the initiative landscape. If we consider the city
as a whole, a large number of different initiatives also offer points of refer-
ence for different sources of motivation and the interests of individuals. This
aspect also refers to the mechanism � Replicating.
Professionalising
The work of transition initiatives for the development and dissemination of
new ways of thinking, doing and organising includes very different tasks and
areas of expertise. These include, for example, the relevant core technical,
organisational or artistic activity, social and managerial skills, and public
relations work including the recruitment of members, the application for
funding, and project management. The issue of an appropriate and effec-
tive (internal) structure, as well as the professionalisation of the involved
actors in terms of (self-)organisation, the allocation of responsibilities and
tasks, efficiency and stringency, is therefore of great importance. However,
these competences are usually acquired only with practical experience and
on the principle of "trial and error", since the corresponding technical and
organisational foundations are not always present, and are not systemati-
cally taught in conventional education. As a result, initiatives are generally
successful, but the means of implementing usually does not follow routines,
and, to the opposite, often is characterised by a certain amount of chaos.
In this context, the importance of skills for dealing with group dynamics,
including standard problems entailed by collective action with regard to rel-
evant factors such as commitment, self-responsibility, inconsiderate reliance
of members on more committed other members, or lack of sanction pos-
sibilities, have also been pointed out. It was also noted that in some cases,
stronger orientation towards “entrepreneurial voluntary services” – in the
sense of distinct resistance and resilience, goal orientation and management
skills – could be helpful. However, a crash course in business may provide
useful knowledge for a more efficient organisation for example, but it may
be fundamentally contradictory to the ideals and logic of action – especially
“In the networks, we can help those of civil society initiatives. On the whole, the tension between commit-
each other, but we must not get ment/continuity and spontaneity/creativity became clear.
side-tracked.” Although many initiatives are not primarily interested in the creation of
formal structures, and in spite of the claim that “chaos can also be fun”, the
necessary learning processes can prove to be very tedious in the long run.
This is especially problematic if the possibilities and time for self-reflection
regarding personal aims, effects, procedures, organisational structures, etc.
– i.e. internal qualitative development (or qualitative upscaling) are limited,
due to the pressure of everyday organisational tasks. On the other hand, too
much professionalisation can lead to an unwanted effects of exclusion. A
mixed model of business efficiency and voluntary openness could therefore
3. Mechanisms of transformation 15prove to be ideal. Another possibility, especially for smaller or newer initi-
atives, is to “take shelter”, i.e. to engage organisational collaboration with
other more strongly institutionalised partner initiatives.
Replicating
The establishment of transition initiatives is frequently inspired by exam-
ples given elsewhere. Both complete concepts and individual strategies and
elements of an approach are adopted and, where necessary, adjusted to
the local framework conditions. Inspiration for the acquisition of promising
or interesting approaches comes from the city region, but often also from
outside it. As an example, the concept of “repair cafés” was adopted from
the Netherlands. To this end, network initiatives and dedicated individuals
are important nodal points for the “replication” of future-oriented sustain-
“Naturally, we are inspired by ability approaches and initiatives. New ideas are introduced by these nodal
other initiatives [...] points, especially through those in the city region, in the context of educa-
We incorporate our experience tional events or regular open meetings at which experiences are exchanged.
as members of other initiatives The source of inspiration may also be (temporary) involvement in existing
into our work elsewhere, and projects elsewhere.
vice versa” In some cases, an initiative is also formed on the basis of information
relating to existing role models (e.g. in the media), without an explicit search
being carried out beforehand. In addition, the documentation of existing
examples and experiences or guidelines for action can distribute approach-
es more quickly, since this makes “global” knowledge available locally. An
example of this is the “starter kit” of the network for community-supported
agriculture (see the example box on page 24). The annual “Umundu Festival”
can also be seen as a forum for the exchange of experience and an initiator
of new start-ups.
Initiative needs space However, regarding change dynamics in the city region, it became clear
Sometimes, obstacles stand in the way that an increase in initiatives does not necessarily goes along with an in-
of replicating an approach. For example, crease in actively involved people. Indeed, in the case of the Dresden city
an essential prerequisite for transition region, there is the perception that the activities in the area of sustainabil-
initiatives is the availability of space for ity are essentially supported by a limited number of people who are already
the implementation of the activities and active, and who are at least partly involved in various initiatives. The work
services of the initiative. The community load experienced by these individuals has also been discussed accordingly. A
gardens, as well as bike and car-sharing core task within the framework of the transition towards sustainable devel-
models in Dresden can only be developed opment seems to be to expand the basis of local sustainability dynamics by
or replicated to the extent that suita- means of measures to sensitise and activate wider social public. To this end,
ble public or private space is available. it is particularly important to provide sources of information which are easily
Do-it-yourself initiatives, which extend accessible.
beyond the narrow circle of initial mem-
bers, to actors in the neighbourhood,
hobbyists and families, artists and culture
vultures, to businesses and manufac-
turers, make significant contributions in
providing workshop premises, devices,
experience and expertise, etc.
continue on p. 21
16 Sustainable living in Dresden | Building blocks for change towards a sustainable urban societyThe following double page aims to disseminate and integrate the building blocks into your everyday life and field of activity. It gives an overview of all the mechanisms of urban regional change developed by the ARTS project as well as recom- mendations for action relating to Dresden, which have been derived from the research. It can be pulled out and can be quickly and easily stored in your folder, or pinned to the noticeboard in the city council/ city administration or association office, or on the wall of your initia- tive, or kept in your friend’s pocket. It is indeed also possible to single out suitable building blocks. In each case: Have Fun!
BuIlDinG BlockS for chANge
4 Development of
1 Improving the visibility, 2 Existing municipal concepts educational strategies for the devel-
accessibility and experience and strategies for environ- opment of young talent in the field
toWArDs A SUstaInaBle
of new sustainable practices; mentally friendly and sustain- of sustainability
promoting awareness and able development continue
commitment in the broader to be developed and
urBAn SOciEty IN dREsDen public implemented
3 Art and culture are considered
more strongly as means of
5 Establishment of an
communication regarding
interdisciplinary, cross-
sustainability issues
sectoral contact point
pRofESsiONalISinG relating to the issue of
sustainable development
(“transition manager”)
upScALinG rePlICatINg
14 Reflecting on own requirements
and capacities, respecting bound-
aries, sustaining achievements
6 Using existing city networks
emBEdDinG tRanSlATinG and profiting from the good
13 Looking for win-win situa- ideas and practices of other
tions: Embedding new ways cities
of thinking, doing and organ-
ising into existing processes
and structures
7 Long-term protection of
inStRumENtaLIsiNg paRtNEriNg physical experimentation
spaces and meeting places
in the city
8 Implementation of urban
laboratories for the testing
of sustainable ways of living
and business practices
12 Development and
11 Orienting business development
professionalisation of
instruments more strongly towards
organisational structures,
the aims of sustainable development
activities and personal 9 Enabling public awareness
skills in transition initiatives; 10 Promoting institutional support and debate relating to sustainable
exploiting synergies and non-monetary support city development through suitable
beyond project-related funding; participation opportunities
supporting voluntary engage-
ment on a regular basisTranslating
Especially in terms of cooperation and networking, as well as implementation
into existing structures, it became clear that translation and communication
work is frequently necessary for understanding and bridge-building between
various initiatives, actors from different thematic fields of work, and above
all between the sectors of business, administration and civil society. This
necessity is not caused due to a lack of unwillingness to communicate, but
by various system logics of the fields, different world views and languag-
es, as well as different ideas of how social change should be implemented.
Translation work is currently carried out by just a few individuals who have
(gained) knowledge of both parties, or by institutionalised networking struc-
tures (e.g. the foundation “anstiftung & ertomis”). Barriers to such transla-
tion processes for the promotion of sustainable development arise both from
the heterogeneity of the needs and target systems of the various transition
initiatives (e.g. between the pre/post-Reunification “generations”), as well
as the difficulties identifying the right point of contact or contact persons of
the various parties (see also � Embedding). Due to the considerable efforts,
which in turn are not available for “core business”, translation efforts and
“A bridge builder sometimes the creation of interfaces are only invested in if there is at least some chance
has to be a physician and a of success.
communication expert at the Here, the prominent role of ambitious individuals involved (“transi-
same time.” tioneurs”) becomes obvious, because they are able not only to strengthen
and develop individual initiatives on the basis of particular motivation, back-
grounds and experiences, but also to carry out additional tasks which are of
central importance for the networking of initiatives on a city-regional basis
and the mediation between the different sectors and milieus.
Art can also play a special role in the building of bridges between dif-
ferent milieus and cultures. For example, as a lingua franca when content is
conveyed visually or by miming, or by providing “stumbling blocks” which
are not necessarily aimed at direct comprehension, but which provide an
opportunity for shared reflection.
Partnering
All things considered, an increase in network activity is perceived. The un-
derlying motivations and forms of cooperation are diverse and range from
political alliances on the basis of common targets or ideals, to pragmatic
collaborations for the procurement of material (money, premises, equip-
ment) or intangible resources (experiences and knowledge). Content-related,
geographical and ideological proximity facilitate collaboration. Networking
and cooperation therefore seem to be easy to implement, especially within
a particular sector (business, administration, civil society). An example of
cross-sectoral collaboration is that of the cooperation of the Dresden Garden
Network and the Green Space Office for the creation of urban gardens. Such
collaborations also seem to be important for the implementation and em-
bedding of sustainable practices (see � Embedding).
3. Mechanisms of transformation 21In principle, personal contacts, shared experience and trust are impor-
tant. In order to promote this, particularly dedicated people and independent
networking initiatives are working to build bridges and to open commu-
nication facilities. This occurs, for example, as part of cooperative events,
discussion platforms and initiatives that promote the gathering of different
groups of actors. In particular, networking between social milieus, e.g. people
with different (party-)political orientations, requires dedicated translation
“Networking needs occasions to and communication work (see � Translating). It was therefore pointed out
cross each other’s way” by various interviewees that it was also important to overcome “limits in the
mind”. The active search for shared issues and formats, the openness for
collaboration with a wide range of actors, the awareness of synergy effects,
and last but not least shared communication platforms, cultures and media
can support disemination processes. Idealistic, organisational, social, insti-
tutional and geographical proximities should therefore be created and used
between different actors for joint action.
It was crucially noted that collaborations between different actors may
pose a risk of being detrimental to individual collaboration partners, e.g. if
compromises relating to the content of the original concept are required.
Added to this is the fact that networking activities also involve resources
which are often scarce. These are therefore no longer available for the core
tasks of the initiatives. Networking activities can also lead to the overloading
of individual actors. For example, it is not always possible to build alliances
for the application for funding that could both increase the chances for suc-
cess and at the same time reduce the competitive pressure (see the following
section � Instrumentalising).
Instrumentalising
Transition initiatives need a breeding ground on which they can grow and
survive. Particularly relevant resources are time, skills, (political) climate,
(physical) spaces, public attention, basic financing and networks. A key way
of exploiting these resources is to identify and use relevant chances and
windows of opportunity. The various state, spatial and organisation levels
in different contexts are therefore navigated with a certain success: Foun-
dations, networks and programmes from a local level, to a state and fed-
eral level, to the EU. However, this often demands a level of expertise that
can only be reached at a high cost and, above all, expenditure of time. The
expenditure in relation to the usefulness of efforts is therefore sometimes
regarded as highly disproportionate. Collaboration can also be useful here
(see also � Partnering).
Although details about funding opportunities are often shared reasonably
quickly, the actual calls for proposals often lack transparency. In addition,
there are few training or support programmes, if these are not organised by
national networks, for example. Concerning the development of financial
funding programmes, the associated risk of orientation towards involvement
in comparatively short-term projects (“projectification”) is criticised. The
22 Sustainable living in Dresden | Building blocks for change towards a sustainable urban societyParticular opportunities foundation of this criticism is the experience that continuous work is made
In the past three years, many sustaina- very difficult if resources are only available for a limited period.
bility actors have taken advantage of the There is also the open question as to what extent funding can be at least
opportunities offered by the ARTS project, partly used for the basic financing of voluntary involvement. In many cas-
in order to exchange ideas and experi- es, the activities of sustainability actors – especially from civil society – are
ences relating to Dresden’s sustainable based on forms of self-exploitation, which leave little space for activities
urban society. In the future, there will that go beyond the “core business” content of the initiatives. In the case of
be opportunities that support continued sustainability-oriented private business sector actors, it is evident that they
networking, and the reinforcement of are often overloaded with operative business, and are therefore more eco-
transformative innovations. An example nomically independent on the one hand, but have very limited capacity to
is the Future Cities project. As part of this contribute to the overall dynamics of the city region on the other.
project, specific ideas for the implemen- A second important category, in addition to financial resources, is access
tation of previously developed visions to rooms and areas that can be used by the public. The economic pressure
will be realised over the next eighteen on the property market leads to a lack of space that would be affordable for
months. Another example is the pending typically less financially-strong and primarily voluntarily-organised initi-
application of the City of Dresden to be atives. Civil society initiatives have been established in order to deal with
a European Capital of Culture, which this issue. They specifically pursue the issue of making urban areas and
will facilitate several reference points for rooms available for initiatives, as well as enabling broader public perception,
participation in, and active contribution participation and involvement. The latter in particular points out that the
to, the city in the sense of a culture of provision of free space and experimental facilities should be regarded as an
sustainability. important public task for an innovative city society, which also would signal
recognition and esteem of private commitments.
In addition to the hedging of material resources, there are also imma-
terial requirements such as the creation of windows of opportunity for the
broader discussion of sustainable development issues. For example, thematic
discourses such as the Federal initiative on “Future Cities”, or the City of
Dresden’s application to become a European Capital of Culture in 2025, offer
connectivity opportunities for Dresden’s transition initiatives.
Embedding
In order to further promote a fundamental city-regional change process to-
wards sustainability, the implementation of new ways of thinking, doing and
organising into existing structures and routines plays and important role.
In this context, two fundamentally different dynamics could be observed
when implementing transformation processes: “Fit-and-conform” refers to
the piecemeal adaptation of an initiative to existing system conditions, in
order to make individual initiatives more compatible. One example would be
formal organisation as an association, in order to be jointly represented as a
legal entity (perhaps as a recipient of funding). On the other hand, “stretch-
and-transform” refers to the attempt to achieve a connection by changing
the surrounding system, whereby the initiative itself remains unchanged.
One example would be the development of new “urban gardening” concepts,
which are currently being discussed by the “allotments” working group of the
German Association of Cities and Towns. In addition to standard allotment
forms, new kinds of ecological community gardens in cities should be con-
3. Mechanisms of transformation 23ceptually covered and in this way. Another example would be the involve-
“Our success is built on lifeblood ment of initiatives into the conceptualisation of funding programmes.
and business ideas.” These dynamics can be triggered not only by the system, but also by the
initiative. The two forms of the mechanism are often interrelated. Win-win
situations are particularly beneficial for successful implementation, in which
success is achieved by established actors, institutions and structures, as well
as by the representatives of innovative sustainability initiatives. As an ex-
ample urban gardens can be realised, because they not only provide vegeta-
bles to the gardeners involved, but also relieve the municipality of its duty
Sharing and sustaining knowledge to maintain public green spaces. Another example is the “ÖKOPROFIT®”
Various networks and associations have initiative of the local economy, which as its name suggests, integrates sus-
merged, in order to sustain and share tainability aspects such as resource management into conventional corporate
valuable knowledge and, for example, management approaches and, in return, enables cost savings.
to develop templates, guidelines, or The dynamics of implementation are therefore dependent on the exist-
similar useful handouts for actors. As an ence of content-related, organisational and human interfaces, which cur-
example, the foundation “anstiftung & rently can only occasionally be found in Dresden and which often focus on
ertomis” provides useful tips for the first individual persons. This relationship is particularly difficult because of the
steps towards the construction of a com- often insufficient adaptability of the cross-sectional orientation of sustain-
munity garden, the basics of association able development issues and professional specialisations – particularly in
law, the founding of a limited company municipal administration, but also on the part of civil society transition initi-
(gGmbH), or for public relations and atives. Because of this, it is often difficult to find the right contact person on
communication. All of these are helpful the other side. A cross-sectoral, personal interface (“sustainability manag-
suggestions for transition initiatives, er”) used by the city administration, and which previously existed in Dresden,
with which both internal processes was considered helpful. The “Local Agenda 21” institution, which can be seen
and formal structures, such as the legal as a “stretch-and-transform” interface of the established system, could also
structure, can be shaped. The network play a helpful role.
for community-supported agriculture, Essentially, it should be noted that it should not automatically be as-
which supports the replication of com- sumed that transition initiatives are aimed at making an impact on society.
munity-supported farms (SoLaWi), also Many put themselves first. In both cases, however, change processes are
provides several consultation resources. possible, and the existence of various initiatives can be considered as value
These explain in detail, for example, the in its own right, regardless of their wider embedding. They create sever-
first steps of founding a SoLaWi, how to al points of reference for innovative thinking, action and community life,
organise the gathering of bidders, and and therefore improve the chances of involvement and inclusion of various
how to develop cultivation plans. The motivation and interest groups in a local transition process for sustainable
network also offers advice for farms. development.
Based on the key findings of ARTS, recommendations for action have
been derived, which are aimed at different target groups.
24 Sustainable living in Dresden | Building blocks for change towards a sustainable urban society“In Dresden, there are many
building blocks existing. However
they must be made more adaptable to
each other.”
4.
Building blocks for
urban change
Building on the results of the expert interviews and workshops in the Dres-
den city region as well as inspiration from the other city regions of the ARTS
project (Brighton, Budapest, Genk and Stockholm), the following starting
points and building blocks make the case for the orientation of the transition
process towards a viable and sustainable city society. For easier orientation,
the recommendations have been categorised according to the target groups
addressed. However, this does not mean that the relevant groups of actors
are solely responsible for the implementation.
Recommendations for action for all urban change makers
Improving the visibility, accessibility and experience of new sus-
tainable practices of initiatives; promoting broader awareness and
commitment
In Dresden, there are over 100 active transition initiatives with a large
number of members, users and supporters. In addition there are many indi-
viduals who, through their personal, everyday conduct – such as the use of
environmentally friendly means of transport – are committed to a sustaina-
ble city society without being explicitly linked to a transition initiative. Nev-
ertheless, in many fields of action, the citizens of Dresden still follow every-
day routines rather than sustainable practices. Approaches to sustainable
action must therefore be made even more visible. Existing formats, such as
the competition or the “Future Festival” by Local Agenda 21, point Dresden in
4. Building blocks for urban change 25the right direction. Further opportunities are provided by local and region-
al media partners (e.g. Sächsische Zeitung, Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten),
digital platforms (e.g. Zukunftsstadtblog, ARTS-Blog, Transition Channel,
“When we get started, some- neighbourhood groups), existing cooperation with cinemas in Dresden (e.g.
thing happens; that results in SUKUMA Award, Stories of Change, film evenings), as well as the already
great images, and the media existing themed city plan. It is important to ensure that everyone has a good
love that” everyday life, and that this is kept as local as possible. This requires close to
everyday life interfaces, such as involvement in one of Dresden's more than
20 neighbourhood gardens.
Existing municipal concepts and strategies for environmentally
friendly and sustainable development continue to be developed and
implemented
For the City of Dresden, several reference points with which to ensure
and promote sustainable living and business practices have already been
formulated in municipal concepts and strategies. Page 11 offers an over-
view. Further examples are the “Dresden 2030 & Beyond” initiative from the
business sector and the “STADTCAMP Dresden” initiative from civil society,
which would contribute to a lively culture of debate and discussion in the city
of Dresden. Regular reflections, examinations and development by all parties
involved are worthwhile. It can therefore be helpful to combine documenta-
tion and information relating to sustainability in a central location, therefore
making it easily available to the general public. It may also be a reasonable
idea to offer versions of the documentation in simplified language. A “tran-
sition manager” (see point 5) could serve as an important interface between
the local administration and the public.
Art and culture to be considered more strongly as means of commu-
nication regarding sustainability issues
Art and culture can serve as an unconventional means of communica-
tion, and as a language that is understandable on many levels, in order to
promote sustainability and one’s own work, thereby raising awareness and
promoting commitment. In addition, art can create “stumbling blocks” which
are not necessarily aimed at direct comprehension, but provide an opportu-
nity for shared reflection. Existing Dresden-based approaches (e.g. work by
SUKUMA ARTS e.V.) should be built on, and a wider circle of arts and culture
vultures (e.g. OSTRALE, GEH8, etc.) should be formed in Dresden in the me-
dium term. In particular, if the city of Dresden were to be a European Capital
of Culture in 2025, it would need to establish aspects of necessary cultural
change in terms of sustainable living and economic practices as part of its
urban self-conception.
Development of an educational strategy for the development of
young talent in the field of sustainability
Beyond the particular situation in Dresden, it is recommended that an
educational strategy for the promotion of young talent in the field of sus-
26 Sustainable living in Dresden | Building blocks for change towards a sustainable urban societyYou can also read
