What does the city of the future look like? We’ve designed it – or at least one possible version of it. In a wonderful co-creation process with the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy gGmbH, we have conceptualized and realized the traveling exhibit “Making Utopia Possible.” Visitors can playfully discover the steps needed to make urban life sustainable and livable. The goal of the climate exhibit is to convey complex research topics in clear language and to inspire action.
Three model levels illustrate the steps required to achieve the transformation to a future-proof city. Under the motto “Making Utopia Possible,” the three levels show the city from its current state, through the transformation, and on to the utopia. The exhibit thus highlights that the steps often considered utopian are actually easier than they seem, and that perhaps the utopia isn’t a utopia at all.
Moreover, visitors can select relevant topics such as mobility, resources, energy, and production and consumption via a plug-in system. By inserting a plug, scientific content is communicated in simple language, bringing these concepts closer to the visitors. The use of light in the exhibit not only ensures clear communication of information but also adds to its multimedia aesthetic.
To answer this question, we first need to look at the many areas that make up a city. The exhibit explains that urban change is needed in many areas, ideally in sync. In “Utopia,” energy is naturally sourced from electric heat pumps, solar panels, and wind turbines. Additionally, nature is no longer built over, and existing buildings such as old factories or abandoned offices are repurposed, including for housing. Eco-design is everywhere, waste is avoided as much as possible through packaging-free and secondhand stores, food sharing, and repair and exchange initiatives. This way of life not only leads to a sustainable city but also brings the residents a healthy, longer life, along with a sense of community within the city.
The exhibit thus shows: The path to the city of the future is not so difficult, but we can only achieve it if we take the steps together! It’s a great, interactive medium to reach many people not just in Wuppertal but all across Germany.
