On July 3, 2025, the riding stable in Bürgewald was transformed into an open ideas lab: under the guidance of the Bochum urban planning firm stadtguut and the landscape architects dtp, citizens discussed how Bürgewald can become a “Place of the Future.” Thorsten Schauz Ellsiepen, consulting engineer at stadtguut, and Isabella de Medici from dtp first guided the guests through key components of the dynamic master plan. The range of topics spanned from analyzing existing qualities and formulating shared guiding principles to envisioning a vibrant, climate-resilient, and socially connected community. The thematic guidelines presented ranged from “building on the existing” to “experiential infrastructure and energy cycles,” emphasizing the goal of preserving what works while creating space for innovation.
Dialogue and Idea Gathering in Small Groups
After the introduction, participants divided into small groups. In focused dialogue sessions, they recorded wishes, critiques, and concrete project ideas on moderation cards: car-free pathways, communal workshops, artistic interim uses of vacant buildings, or a “green mantle” of multifunctional landscape surrounding the village. Moderated by Schauz Ellsiepen and de Medici, not only visions were collected, but also feasibility was weighed.
Ongoing Participation Process with Measurable Success
The event built on previous participation formats such as the Pioneer Workshop in March 2025 and consistently continues the participatory process. The goal remains to shape Bürgewald’s development in five phases – analysis, guiding principles, structure plan, guidelines, and vision – together with the local population. The dialogue sessions clearly reflected that this approach is already effective: many contributions expressed the desire to share responsibility, use creative freedom, and at the same time preserve the village identity.
Structure Plan and Next Participation Round
At the conclusion of the discussions, the planning offices announced that all suggestions would be evaluated and integrated into the next work step, the development of the structure plan. In parallel, another participation event is being prepared, where first spatial sketches will be publicly discussed.