Discovering practices for common-good-oriented city-making in Berlin

In 2024, the Urban Travel Agency organised a two-day field trip to Berlin in collaboration with the Urban Knowledge Collective, Urbane Praxis e.V. and Baustelle Gemeinwohl. Under the title Discovering practices for common-good-oriented city-making in Berlin, the trip explored how grassroots urban initiatives organise themselves to promote socially and environmentally sustainable cities. It created a space for exchange between urban practitioners and organisers working on urban futures oriented towards the common good.

Travel

Across two days, participants visited local grassroots initiatives and engaged in conversations with people actively shaping Berlin’s urban landscape.

Through site visits, exchanges and shared reflections, the group explored different ways in which initiatives organise themselves, build networks and position their work within the city.

Translate

The field trip focused on the practical conditions that enable grassroots urban work. Participants looked at governance structures, forms of collaboration, funding models and relationships with public institutions.

By comparing different organising practices, the trip helped participants understand how local initiatives navigate financial, political and administrative constraints while staying committed to social and environmental goals.

Transform

The excursion equipped participants with insights and tools to strengthen their own local networks and organising practices.

It also opened up a broader reflection on how grassroots initiatives can contribute to city-making oriented towards the common good. This includes not only individual projects, but also the building of durable relationships, shared infrastructures and supportive urban ecosystems.