The challenge

How can community engagement in urban planning create vibrant, inclusive neighborhoods?

For some time, efforts have been made in the Wyler district of Bern to calm traffic and make public spaces more attractive for everyone. Several initiatives from the local population, as well as a proposal from the district commission, have brought the issue to the fore.

To ensure that the planned large-scale Wyler meeting zone really meets the needs of local residents, it is essential to work closely with residents and users through community engagement in urban planning.

The solution

Using BrainE4 for community engagement in urban planning through an interactive platform

Where all relevant groups could directly contribute their experiences and ideas. Residents, passers-by, strollers, and co-creators had the opportunity to actively participate by answering questions, formulating their own suggestions, and evaluating the ideas of others through experience management solutions that enabled seamless and real-time engagement.

The results

Inclusive city planning: An open dialog for community engagement and local perspectives

The city of Bern received a well-founded basis for decision-making that reflects the actual needs of the people through community engagement in urban planning, – not just the opinions of individual interest groups.

The project is now being further developed on the basis of these findings in order to create a meeting zone that harmoniously combines mobility, quality of stay and living space, reflecting the principles of inclusive city planning.