P R A C TI C A L U R B A N IS M & P R O V IS IO N A L A R C H IT E C TU R E – A C TI V E LY S H A P IN G T R A N S FO R M A TI O N E: CONSOLIDATION MILESTONES Actions required to consolidate the Reallabor initiative within the Stuttgart city administration Claudius Schaufl er, Anna Staffa REALLABOR FÜR NACHHALTIGE MOBILITÄTSKULTUR english compact R E A LL A B O R F Ü R N A C H H A LT IG E M O B IL IT Ä TS K U LT U R C O N S O LI D A TI O N M IL E S TO N E S 3 1. SUMMARY OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ACTION IN TRANSFORMATION PATHWAYS In the second funding phase of the Reallabor (real world laboratory), the focus of the Realexperimente (real world experiments) was on the interaction and cooperation between the civil society actors and the administration. Those experiences serve as the basis for the contents of this brochure. The scientifi c framework is the transition management approach, which the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions developed in 2001, and which has since been tested via numerous projects throughout Europe. This brochure is therefore to be understood as an agenda for transformation, a programme advocating a specifi c form of transition management. The aim is to perpetuate the transformation processes initiated within the framework of the Reallabor, and thus contribute to changing the mobility culture of Stuttgart. This zine starts with an exemplary compilation of measures for the consolidation of the Reallabor, then goes into the theoretical context (chapter 2) and subsequently gives a detailed view of the challenges to action that the city administration can address in order to consolidate the network of pioneers for change that was created during the research project. Analogous to an agenda for transformation applying the transition management approach, it is sensible to choose steps that can build on one another or follow one another coherently, ideally complementing or even expanding upon one another. The following pathways serve as inspiration and orientation among the combination of requirements for action identifi ed in Chapter 3, which can be variably combined in relation to locally specifi c challenges. 1.1 TRANSFORMATION PATHWAY 1: CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION AND INTERNAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INITIATIVES OF THE REALLABOR NETWORK For example, a jour fi xe meeting (Chapter 3.1.1) can be introduced with relatively little effort. This is a fi xed meeting time every week for the relevant actors to exchange information on a topic or project. Once this is accomplished, it may become a team of actors who can act as an innovation team (chapter 3.2.2), or from among whom such a team can be created, complemented by external management. At the very least, it can make clear which people would fi t into this team, i.e., which actors should work on it. At the same time, the jour fi xe group 4 R E A L- W O R LD L A B O R A TO R Y F O R S U S TA IN A B LE M O B IL IT Y C U LT U R E can establish a communication strategy (chapter 3.1.3). In this case, the innovation team strategy can then further elaborate and implement the strategy. The same applies to the creation of a general set of rules (chapter 3.3.1) for the cooperation of external actors, such as civil society groups, with the city administration. The team can work this out, or it can be created in advance and passed on to the team for implementation and enforcement. 1.2 TRANSFORMATION PATHWAY 2: INTEGRATING EXTERNAL ACTORS VIA DIGITAL NETWORKING PLATFORMS It would also be conceivable to use an online platform to bundle and more easily handle these cooperation and networking activities (Chapter 3.4.2). Then, for example, a team would be set up that would hold jour fi xe meetings with internal and, if necessary, external members, which in turn would make it necessary from a certain point to manage these contacts as emerging cooperation partners and possible cooperation projects. A networking platform could be of help, with the existing joint projects and contacts serving as the foundation. Taken together, these efforts can lead to a momentum of their own and a more agile organisational structure for the administration that is better adapted to project management and innovative ideas. 1.3 TRANSFORMATION PATHWAY 3: POOLING INTERNAL RESOURCES TO ESTABLISH A LIVING LAB Similarly, the set of rules already mentioned in the fi rst example pathway can also be developed within the administration so that it is perfectly adapted to its respective needs and problems. The rules can then be communicated via digital channels, for example with the help of a digital communication assistant (Chapter 3.1.2) on the city administration’s website. The introduction of a communication platform or a network platform at this point is also a good way to create and communicate uniform ground rules for the cooperation projects that arise on the platform. The coordination and execution of the projects could be taken over by an innovation team specifi cally put together for this purpose, or even by an offi ce fi rmly anchored in the organisational structure, or via a type of living lab (chapter 3.2.3). C O N S O LI D A TI O N M IL E S TO N E S 5 2. REALLABOR STRUCTURE AND CONDITIONS To move from the car-centric status quo in Stuttgart to a future of sustainable mobility will require not only changes to the infrastructure, but also a change in the mobility culture. “The societal debate on deceleration and an improved quality of life for an urban city in which all users of the streets are treated equally must be consistently pursued.” The Reallabor for Sustainable Mobility Culture is already testing many of the goals and strategies laid out in “Sustainably mobile in Stuttgart”, which represents the planning and strategic basis for city government action in the area of mobility, along with the Traffi c Development Concept 2030. From parklets, to resident rickshaws, to the Casa Schützenplatz, a wide range of ideas have already been planned and lively debates held on the future of mobility within the city. To meet these challenges, approaches must take into account local dynamics, utilising and supporting them in pursuit of sustainable development. As a holistic approach, transition management can help to better link up civil society and the city government and bureaucracy to generate added values for both sides. But how might such an approach look for the city of Stuttgart? Which concrete transition management measures can be helpful in implementing innovations in the urban space? 2.1 SYSTEM ANALYSIS - DERIVING THE TRANSFORMATION AGENDA It is important to acknowledge and understand the status quo in order to effectively pursue processes of transformation. Stuttgart’s current mobility culture is car centric. As in so many cities, the city was shaped over the course of the 20th century to privilege the automobile and establish it as the primary — and most convenient—form of transportation in the urban space. The additional importance of the automobile industry to the city’s economy and as an employer cements the car’s importance in the city, including in the hearts and minds of many of its residents. The negative impacts of automobile traffi c—air pollution, noise, other impacts on the urban space—are ignored or simply accepted as systemic problems. Solutions are sought which usually fail to restrict private automobile use. The city thus faces the double challenge of transforming both its infrastructure and the deeply engrained cultural affi nity of its 6 R E A L- W O R LD L A B O R A TO R Y F O R S U S TA IN A B LE M O B IL IT Y C U LT U R E residents to the automobile, which is also refl ected in the municipal structures. Ordinances and even the organisation of the city government and administration support the status quo, leaving little room for innovative projects that could help spark change. The agencies’ areas of responsibility and internal processes are fi xed, the staff operating at full capacity. Transparency is lacking, making it diffi cult for civil society to get ahead. The project clearly showed that it is impossible for the city administration to take on the new topics that must accompany any debate and transition to sustainable mobility. This makes it very diffi cult to actually realise innovate ideas. The second funding phase of the Reallabor for Sustainable Mobility Culture explored these administrative structures with the help of Realexperimente. Using the transition management approach, the Reallabor addressed the question of how innovative and transformative ideas from civil society can be transported to the city administration, implemented in the urban space, and ultimately made permanent. 2.1.1 TRANSITION MANAGEMENT APPROACH The transition management approach consists of multiple phases that advance processes of transformation on strategic, tactical, and operational levels throughout a circular process of refl ection. With sustainable consolidation in mind, this process must be maintained over the project duration of the Reallabor, with clear responsibilities assigned for the supervision of all sub- components. The characteristics of the sub-components are described in more detail below. First, a transformation team is set up that supports the entire process, organises external and internal communications, and is responsible for coordination with political bodies. In addition, this team puts together a transformation arena consisting of “pioneers of change”. These are often civil society actors who can make an important contribution to the transformation processes, or partners from business and research. They develop the foundations for tactical, strategic, and operational transition management. To this end, they fi rst identity challenges standing in the way of transformation. A common vision and the use of backcasting to establish a link between the future vision and the present make it possible to identify transformation pathways, each with short-, medium- and long-term intermediate goals and action ideas. These are captured in a transformation agenda. This document serves as a source of inspiration for timely actions and real-life experiments. However, these Realexperimente are not primarily about achieving project goals. Rather, the aim is to learn about new practices that can contribute to realising future visions. Refl ection and learning processes are strongly C O N S O LI D A TI O N M IL E S TO N E S 7 emphasised. Although these are important components of the transformation process throughout all phases, at the end of a cycle, the participants in the transformation arena and the transformation team refl ect on the experiences they have had together, discuss next steps and how to improve the process and thus ultimately make it permanent. 2.1.2 TRANSFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN THE SECOND PHASE OF THE REALLABOR How can the city administration better support projects for sustainability mobility? How can the innovation potentials offered by civil society be utilised to transform Stuttgart into a city based on sustainable mobility? How must the city administrative structures change to be able to adequately support these processes of transformation? The Realexperimente thus placed a strong focus on the interaction and collaboration of civil society actors and the municipal administrative structures. The insights gained from the fi rst cycle of the transition management process, described here, allowed us to identity needs for action, recommendations for action, measures, and milestones, described in the second part of the zine. 2.1.3 TRANSFORMATION TEAM AND TRANSFORMATION ARENA The transformation team for the fi rst transition cycle consisted primarily of SI, ISV, ZIRIUS, IAT, ILPOE and IZKT staff. These university institutions were already involved in projects during the fi rst funding phase, and therefore selected both familiar and new actors as participants for the transformation arena. The familiar participants included municipal employees as well as civil actors such as Stadtlücken e.V. A student competition recruited new participants for the transformation arena. 2.1.4 HOLISTIC VISIONS OF THE FUTURE—LOGIC AND PURPOSE Tactically speaking, it is sensible to develop holistic visions of the future—images and guiding principles brought together in a vision that addresses specifi c focuses and challenges, in this case sustainable mobility. The aim is to clarify where the differences to the status quo should lie and how these differences could be aligned. The team then draws an arc from the future to the present to illustrate possible transformation pathways. Future visions thus help to defi ne the basic direction of change, but also to develop concrete actions and measures. The development of visions was already part of the fi rst funding phase of the Reallabor. A transdisciplinary vision workshop (Zine F) developed and modelled various possible future scenarios. The next step was to develop concrete 8 R E A L- W O R LD L A B O R A TO R Y F O R S U S TA IN A B LE M O B IL IT Y C U LT U R E transformation pathways as a further tactical procedure during the second funding phase of the Reallabor. The team worked out what resources and strategic-tactical considerations were needed in order to lay a path toward the future vision. This pathway contains concrete activities, ideas, and measures that are necessary to realise the vision. 2.1.5 ANCHORING AND IMPLEMENTING THE FORMATS Another workshop used the method of backcasting as a preparation for the process development. The starting point is to ask what will need to have been achieved by a certain point in the future to realise a specifi c vision. The team then asks retrospective questions from the future perspective: What would have to be achieved in 2025 for a vision to be realised in 2030? However, the visions and paths are not to be understood as concrete plans, but rather as a framework for action on short-, medium- and long-term goals and ideas. The results of the backcasting show important challenges and associated fi elds of action and starting requirements. Decisive action is needed to integrate the tactical orientations developed back into the process and to anchor them, ultimately making them permanent. This operative part of the process consists of concrete transformation actions. The Reallabor employed various formats in the context of such actions: courses, key qualifi cation workshops at the university, and various Realexperimente within the urban space. In the second funding phase, these were, for example, the Stadtregal, How Do You Roll?, and the Stuttgarter Luftbahn. More on these can be found in Zine C. The purpose of the experiments was to generate ideas and to execute them, to form new networks and support existing ones, and also to enable spin-off activities and processes. The Reallabor used the arena and the transformation team as a platform for networking activities. Within the university, the courses spawned several actions and measures, which in turn affected civil society and inspired new courses, which became consolidated via renewed cooperation with civil society actors. C O N S O LI D A TI O N M IL E S TO N E S 9 3. REQUIREMENTS FOR ACTION The Reallabor and its partners identifi ed various challenges and divided them into groups of needs for action, with case- and context-specifi c measures used to address them. The measures and approaches are thus part of the transformation pathways, which are composed of requirements for action, which in turn arise from fi elds of action. As a practical approach, it is fi rst important to be clear about: • what prerequisites and changes are needed. • what the objective should be. • what the basic or strategic orientation of the city and, more specifi cally, of the measures should be. Only once these questions are answered can you ask how to specifi cally design the implementation, and choose the tactical approaches needed to execute the necessary measures. Finally, an operational plan is needed to apply the objectives with the relevant actors. So, who is involved and who takes on which tasks and responsibilities? This procedure refl ects the transformation pathways of the transformation management approach. The transformation pathways create a bridge, consisting of measures to be implemented at certain points, between the vision and the present. In order to show the need for action, more concrete action requirements with possible with possible measures and starting points. Through best practice examples and ideas and their discussion, the aim is to achieve a larger scale as an interim solution, which should ultimately be integrated and preserved in a larger context. In the process, different levels of permanence and the associated requirements for action and measures can be differentiated according to their complexity. In a fi rst step, the team identifi ed the fi elds of action of communication, organisational structure, procedures, processes and guidelines, cooperation and continuity and divided these into individual requirements for action contained within each: 3.1 COMMUNICATION Relevant in communication, both internal and external, are approaches incorporating communication design (communication strategy, pamphlet), regularity of communication (jour fi xe) and digital support by means of a communication assistant. 10 R E A L- W O R LD L A B O R A TO R Y F O R S U S TA IN A B LE M O B IL IT Y C U LT U R E Effi cient administrative structures, including effi cient communications structures, are helpful in taking on the time- intensive demands that accompany innovative processes and projects. It helps to establish a clear communication strategy, to utilise staff capabilities and clear thematic allocations, and to avoid additional burdens by making use of existing dynamics, while clearly communicating externally with the civil society and business actors involved. Such external communication serves to increase transparency and as a type of quality control. This helps residents to identify with the city administration and the (political) decisions of the organisations involved. By laying this foundation early on, the ground is prepared for more and more public attention as the project progresses, allowing the public to both understand the project and to feel/become involved and invested in it. ACTION REQUIREMENT: JOUR FIXE Fixed, regular meetings greatly improve internal communication and provide a space to develop and implement a broader communications strategy for the course of the project. The meetings and core participants (from administration and transformation arena) represent a fi rst instance around which further communications processes develop. Over the course of the project, the meeting frequencies may vary, with relevant external partners (from civil society, business etc.) invited when appropriate. ACTION REQUIREMENT: VIRTUAL COMMUNICATION ASSISTANT The communications strategy should include, as mentioned above, external communications. A virtual assistant is a type interactive FAQ installed on the website of the administration or other partners. It helps residents and administration staff by streamlining communications and structuring the online sphere more effi ciently. ACTION REQUIREMENT: COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY AS FLYER OF PAMPHLET Clear, effective, and concise communication requires an agreed communication strategy that, similar to the transformation agenda, links the goal vision back to involved/impacted target groups over the course of the project. A fl yer or pamphlet can help bring all actors onto the same page in terms of information on goals, ideas, and processes, thus creating more transparency and facilitating cooperation and collaboration. By including external partners via existing channels, platforms, and processes, C O N S O LI D A TI O N M IL E S TO N E S 11 the communicative process becomes one of continuous refl ection and refi nement, thus increasing quality standards and serving as a basis for scientifi c argumentation, including in relation to political actors. 3.2 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE (CAPACITIES, RESPONSIBILITIES) At the organisational level, there is a need for action in the areas of personnel capacities and allocation of responsibilities. Clearly defi ning where responsibility for specifi c processes and decisions lies, including within the public administration, and identifying contact persons is key to enabling interdisciplinary and inter-organisational cooperation. The Reallabor found that, within the current constellation of actors, the Ordnungsamt (Offi ce of Public Order) plays a key role as a fi rst point of contact for many projects within the city. This makes it a natural choice for locating a clearly defi ned contact person and coordinating role with the responsibility of organising, implementing, and ensuring the cohesion of all involved in transition management. By clearly defi ning the roles and responsibilities of the different actors and structures, the actors can make more effi cient use of their capacities and streamline the processes. Action Requirement: Defi ning and Utilising Fixed Contact Persons and Representatives Fixed representatives and responsibilities help to bundle and better distribute competencies. For example, each urban district could have one person responsible for addressing requests and overseeing projects in that district, with the potential to delegate tasks as needed. This increases transparency and makes it easier for project initiators to know who to turn to with their questions and proposals. By knowing their terrain (in this case, their urban district), this person can reliably and realistically assess the feasibility and desirability of certain proposals for their district. This direct and local point of contact thus minimises uncertainties and expedites the exchange of information among all relevant actors. ACTION REQUIREMENT: UTILISING AN INNOVATION TEAM, CREATING A POSITION WITHIN THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC ORDER The city can take this on practically by naming and utilising an innovation team, with at least one new, full-time position created to lead the team and act as the point of contact as described above. Located within the Offi ce of Public Order, this team serves to mediate between the proposed network and the public administration while also channelling external ideas and proposals into the administration. The team members and 12 R E A L- W O R LD L A B O R A TO R Y F O R S U S TA IN A B LE M O B IL IT Y C U LT U R E leader should know the structures and processes of the public administration very well to be able to skilfully bring in new ideas, argue for them where necessary, and to identify opportunities to optimise administrative processes. The team should possess the fl exibility and innovative thinking needed to assess external ideas and proposals not only for their feasibility, but also to see how different proposals might be combined to achieve even better results. Knowledge of legal and business structures would also be helpful in identifying opportunities for, limits upon, and latitude for innovation. Such skills and knowledge allow them to become active not only as coordinators, but also as effective contributors to planning and implementation discussions. This strategic, substantive competency also relieves pressure on staff within the public administration while ensuring resources are not squandered on unrealistic projects or unsuitable partners. This increases trust in the person and team as a competent point of contact for all sides. ACTION REQUIREMENT: ESTABLISHING A NEW OFFICE OR LIVING LAB Further developing the previously described team and position into a permanent “living lab” or “offi ce for innovation in the urban space” could help to cement openness to innovation and projects from civil society and business actors within the structures of the public administration. The members of such a lab or offi ce should cover different thematic areas from as broad a spectrum of fi elds as possible to allow for a correspondingly broad range of projects within the city. This can help transform the city into a testing grounds for collaborative pilot projects, providing external partners the opportunity to test their ideas in a real space, while making the city administration a driver of innovation, thus generating synergy gains and expanding partner networks. A pilot project or interim phase can also help to solidify certain structures within the administration, allowing it to act with agility in addressing new challenges. 3.3 PROCESSES AND GUIDELINES Establishing clear and consistent processes both clarifi es goals and focuses and expedites the defi nition of substantive and organisational guidelines. Informal structures and channels between agencies should also play a role in identifying and consolidating redundant processes and assigning clearly- defi ned responsibilities. Analysing informal processes brings the added benefi t of providing insights for changes to organisational structures that reduce workloads and more effi ciently utilise certain channels. C O N S O LI D A TI O N M IL E S TO N E S 13 ACTION REQUIREMENT: ESTABLISHING A SET OF RULES Centralising these processes, clearly dividing them up, and distinguishing them from each other is an important step towards uniform and effective process and ultimately project management. Binding rules and fi xed guidelines are ideal for this purpose. They should include, in addition to legal frameworks, regulations on permitting, processes, and fi nancing questions as well as other challenges to cooperation between different actors. It is vital to establish a fi xed framework of rules and requirements, for example in the form of a cooperation agreement, for collaboration between the public administration and different types of partners, such as civil society and business actors. These standardised rules and procedures promote effective collaboration and minimise uncertainties, leading to fewer delays and legal/organisational discussions and thus accelerating the substantive work at the heart of the collaborative project. 3.4 COLLABORATIONS AND CONTINUITY (PROJECT LEVEL, PROCESS LEVEL) Projects should also always be linked with existing or past projects. On the process level, this means linking with processes and structures that have arisen over the course of the project, while developing them further. On the project level, it means that new projects are continually needed to maintain public awareness and presence within the urban space. This clearly illustrates the importance of the topic to the city and city administration while demonstrating interest and openness to innovation, new processes, and new forms of participation to the public. This increases both satisfaction and quality of life for the people of the city. Essential are suitable and reliable fi nancing and concepts for ensuring these in the long term, thus making them permanent fi xtures of both city budgets and administrative structures. ACTION REQUIREMENT: PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS Integrating further partners is a good way of helping to achieve these aims. Doing so both grows and strengthens the structure of the network that we have also recommended. Ideally, this leads to a type of collaboration that is quick, cost effective, and rewarded for both sides involved. For example, collaborations with businesses can take place via a public private partnership, potentially in the form of a GmbH (limited liability company). As a legal person, a GmbH has its own legal personality that makes it possible for it to act quickly and fl exibly via its managing director, while maintaining infl uence for the city as a proprietor in the company and allowing the municipality a high degree of control. Partial privatizations, contracting via public-law 14 R E A L- W O R LD L A B O R A TO R Y F O R S U S TA IN A B LE M O B IL IT Y C U LT U R E contracts, or other public-private collaborations, e.g., in the form of leasing or operating models may also be appropriate. The right choice in this regard depends on the specifi cs of each project and goal. ACTION REQUIREMENT: CREATING A NETWORK PLATFORM A possibility of combining these requirements and an opportunity for network promotion can also be found in the transformation arena and network of the Reallabor that has emerged from the transformation team. It offers a foundation that can be continued by transferring existing contacts and then expanded and adapted to maintain communications and ultimately cooperation even without the transformation team, and to promote further cooperation. One measure useful for forming and expanding networks effectively and effi ciently can be found in the operation of a network platform. A network platform brings together project and cooperation partners in pursuit of a goal. This can take the form of an online platform for interested municipalities, businesses, civil society groups, other interested actors and even individuals to express their interest, submit project ideas, or seek project partners. The operator of the platform can either directly network the actors, or algorithms can do the work, leading to bilateral exchange and networking. Such a platform offers the opportunity for exchange, networking, and information sharing while showing the supply and demand in various fi elds of project and collaborative work between a variety of actors. This type of platform supports both the individual projects and the participating actors, generating synergy effects to the benefi t of all. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION This zine has shown ideas for action and orientation in designing organisational structures and measures. It is intended to be a reference and inspiration for adapting solutions according to needs. In critical refl ection, this zine increasingly used the city administration of Stuttgart and its possibilities of infl uence and development in the continuation of the experiments initiated in the past years as its point of reference. In summary, however, it should be noted that these measures must always be embedded within the context of the cross-actor network of the Reallabor. The different actors from civil society, research, and business must be an integral part of an ongoing discourse on the transformation of mobility culture. These can be supported, but not replaced, by organisational/structural and communicative measures undertaken by the city administration. The aim of the proposed transformation pathways is therefore a C O N S O LI D A TI O N M IL E S TO N E S 15 stronger institutionalisation of such cooperation in order to enable the municipality to integrate it more easily into its basic structure. Grading the measures by different levels of complexity makes it possible to estimate the staffi ng and fi nancial capacities needed. These are then transferred into an orderly roadmap to support the administration in the institutionalisation process. In the course of the Reallabor research project, it became clear which spatial transformation effects can arise from a progressive approach and openness on the part of the city administration towards civil society initiatives. Individual initiatives, such as those at Österreichischer Platz and Schützenplatz, have already succeeded in making such infrastructure permanent. The city administration can continue to draw on this potential if the structural framework for an ongoing exchange and discourse on sustainable mobility culture in Stuttgart is in place. With a transparent process design, consistent communication, and adequate personnel capacities for dealing with the ideas potential of the network, the city administration moves closer to the core of the transformation, towards becoming an active enabler and moderator of change, not only its purely executive body. IMPRINT Authors: Claudius Schaufl er, Anna Staffa The copyright for the texts lies with the authors. The copyright for the illustrations is held by the photographers or the owners of the image rights. Publisher: Reallabor für nachhaltige Mobilitätskultur, Universität Stuttgart (ed.) Zine concept: Sebastian Klawiter, Hanna Noller German editing: Heide Grehl Translation into English: Andy Tarrant Design concept, layout, typesetting: Studio Panorama Printed in the European Union. Bibliographic information of the German National Library. The German National Library lists this publication in the German National Bibliography; detailed bibliographic data are available online at http://dnb.d-nb.de. Publication on the follow-up funding of the Future City Lab—Reallabor für nachhaltige Mobilitätskultur (RNM) funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg.