Social cohesion requires trust, a sense of community, and tangible places. The BOB -CAMPUS in Wuppertal is one such place—a social construct and a learning space, created and shaped collectively by many people. This book tells its story—personal, honest, and inspiring.
Following the first volume in the Gemeinwohl bauen series, which focused on the structural and spatial transformation of a former textile factory, this second volume explores the socially transformative potential of participatory and cooperative processes in the creation and appropriation of the site. Around thirty people—from the neighborhood, volunteer initiatives, non-profit and migrant self-organizations, the Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume, and the municipal administration—share their personal perspectives on the project, supplemented by expert insights from urban planning as well as the social and educational sciences. Their stories illustrate what it takes to spark—and continually nurture—the magic of community spirit within a neighborhood.
Johanna Debik
Wuppertal Wuppertal-Oberbarmen social processes participation inclusion cooperation multi-perspectivity learning space diversity community democracy civil society transformation adaptive reuse former industrial buildings