Review: Paderborn in transition - Shaping the city of tomorrow together
How can the city of Paderborn become a smart city in the coming years? What does it take to harmonise digitalisation, sustainability and quality of life? These and other questions were addressed at the public engagement event "Paderborn in Transition - Shaping the City of Tomorrow Together", which was organised by the COLOURS University Alliance at Paderborn University.
The event focused on an open dialogue about the future viability of urban and rural areas in the context of digital and ecological transformation. What made it special: Representatives from all levels of the quadruple helix - science, business, politics/administration and civil society - actively engaged in dialogue with each other. The COLOURS Alliance stands for precisely this kind of dialogue.
Impetus for sustainable mobility
The event kicked off with a keynote speech by Jonathan Behm, Managing Director of the New Mobility Initiative (NeMo). Behm presented the vision of a sustainable mobility ecosystem that better connects urban and rural areas and sensibly complements existing infrastructures - particularly in local public transport. The initiative, which originated in Paderborn, emphasised the importance of long-term mobility concepts for sustainable urban development.
Perspectives from research, urban planning and digitalisation
Experts from various fields then discussed key aspects of smart city development. The panel discussion brought together perspectives from urban planning, research, digitalisation and sustainable development:
- Michel Scholtysik, Head of Center of Expertise - Sustainability, Fraunhofer IEM
- Tanja Schürholz, Project Manager Smart City, City of Paderborn
- Lars-Christian Lange, Conversion Officer of the City of Paderborn
- Stefan Sauer, Managing Director Software Innovation Campus Paderborn (SICP)
- Christine Wegner, Project Manager Digitalisation, DiDoZ
It became clear that digital urban development is not just a technical challenge - it is above all a social project that thrives on participation, collaboration and shared objectives.
A look at the neighbourhood of the future
After the discussion, the city of Paderborn invited participants to take a guided tour of the Future Neighbourhood. On site, the participants were given specific insights into planned measures and concepts that will characterise urban living spaces in the coming years.
The event concluded with a get-together at garage33, Paderborn University's start-up centre. A shared buffet provided the opportunity to continue the professional dialogue in an informal atmosphere and make new contacts.
COLOURS as a platform for dialogue and innovation
The event once again showed how valuable dialogue between different stakeholders is for a successful transformation. As a university alliance, COLOURS pursues the goal of actively shaping social challenges - together with partners from science, business, politics and civil society.
