Name: Democratic Design – #4 Democratic Education
Start: 2026-01-28T18:30:00+01:00
End: 2026-01-28T20:30:00+01:00
Location: Aedes

$Democratic Design \u2013 #4 Democratic Education$

The fourth Lab Talk examines new approaches to teaching the next generation democratic values and participation through planning and design
About this Event

The growing complexity of societal challenges calls for innovative, holistic and inclusive approaches. Architects can play a central role in this, as architecture and urban planning have always relied on cooperation and compromise. Emerging forms of collaboration and the rise of young, transdisciplinary collectives signal a shift towards a cooperative culture that prioritises the common good and challenges established hierarchies.

To secure democracy for the future, it will be especially important to make the young generation feel part of decision-making processes and their built environment, thereby evoking a feeling of responsibility and participation. This change needs to be addressed in institutions, universities and educational programmes.

The fourth and final Lab Talk in the Aedes programme Democratic Design brings design and education together, discussing new ways of integrating democratic values in architectural education and asks: How can we teach democratic values and participation through planning and design to a new generation? What spaces are needed for this? How can we value the young generation and their culture on a social level in public space instead of focusing one-dimensionally on the economic viability of places? More

PROGRAMME

Welcome

Dunya Bouchi, Partner, Aedes, Berlin

Presentations

Angelika Hinterbrandner, @ahinterbrandner, Policy Advisor and Author, Berlin

Scott Lloyd, TEN Studio, Zurich/Belgrade

Tatjana Schneider, Professor for History and Theory of Architecture and Urbanism, TU Braunschweig

Matthew Springett, Fiona MacDonald, Directors, MATT+FIONA, London

Discussion

Lukas Staudinger, Curator / Professor for Architecture and Urban Design, Berlin International University of Applied Science / Co-Founder, POLIGONAL, Berlin

Front-Row Peers

Ruben Jodar, Ines Aubert, Architects/Founders Stiftung Freizeit, Hamburg/Berlin

Hendrik Weiner, Founder, Raumdialog, Berlin / Academic Staff, Dept. of Urban Management, BTU Cottbus

About Democratic Design

In Democratic Design – Space for Cooperation, Collaboration and Compromise, Aedes explores how architecture, planning processes and public spaces can foster democratic engagement and social cohesion – both more urgent than ever in times of profound societal uncertainty. The programme consists of an exhibition, a series of four Lab Talks and a catalogue featuring contributions from practitioners in Berlin, Germany and across Europe, selected through an open call in collaboration with European architecture centres.

At the core of Democratic Design are democratic planning processes and the spaces they create. The presented projects amplify marginalised voices, encourage participation and inspire collective visions for the future. Dialogue and exchange are essential conditions for democracy, cultivating the ability to accept differing viewpoints and to compromise – the very foundations of democratic culture. More

Democratic Design is made possible through the generous support of the Berlin Capital Cultural Fund (Hauptstadtkulturfonds) and additional support from the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS.