The next V-Global field trip tooks place in the urban center of Northern Germany, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. On the 15th of June, participants had the opportunity to collect geodata based on the overarching topic of the project global change. Four routes are representative for the different faces of the city.

The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is located 145 km upstream of the North Sea at the River Elbe and two of its tributaries the River Alster and the River Bille. Following Berlin, Hamburg is the most populated city with approximately 1.8 million inhabitants. At the river basin of the Elbe, the city is densely populated. 20% of Hamburg’s population live in the marsh area at mean sea level, which is why they are highly affected by sea-level rise. Therefore, flood resilience and implemented protection measures are of utmost importance (Kruse, 2017).

Hamburg’s economy depends on its maritime location as it is also Europe’s third largest containers port and ranks 18 on a global scale. This is why the city of Hamburg is often called gateway to the world.

Source: Picture taken by Jonas Tebbe for Unsplash (www.unsplash.com) under the Unsplash License https://unsplash.com/license

The harbor and city are well connected through the German railway network and a public transportation system of buses, underground trains and fairies. Mobility is crucial for the development of the city. In 2017, a “Sustainable Urban Mobility” fund was launched by the German government to promote measures to improve air quality. This fund serves to support municipalities in the longer-term design of sustainable and locally emission-free mobility. Parts of the project are the digitization of municipal transport systems and electrification of transport, in particular of public transportations such as buses in local public transport and urban commercial transport as well as cabs, rental cars and car-sharing vehicles. In addition, the upgrade of diesel buses in public transport will be promoted.

Overall, parks, nature reserves, environmental and urban sustainability projects make Hamburg one of the greenest cities in Germany. According to the annual global livability report, which includes health, culture and environment, education, infrastructure, and stability, Hamburg is Germany’s most livable city.

The routes to explore different faces of the city with regards to global change will therefore focus on in how far sustainable green urban development projects are in place and have been implemented in the city.

Source: Picture taken by Julia Solonina for Unsplash (www.unsplash.com) under the Unsplash License https://unsplash.com/license

1. HafenCity ­– Europe’s largest inner-city urban development project as a model for the new sustainable European city on the waterfront.
2. Wilhelmsburg – formerly known as run down district of the city has been sustainably developing especially through urban building projects connected to renewable energy.
3. Steilshoop / City Nord – implementation of innovation urban development in order to either increase the attractiveness of large-scale housing estates or create an economic service center.
4. Schanze – Visible gentrification processes in the most vibrant district of Hamburg.

Based on these routes, V-Global team is creating virtual field trip with participatory tools. We used Padlet to structure our work.

 

 

Sources

Behörde für Verkehr und Mobilitätswende. (no year). Hamburg – City of Mobility. Accessed from: https://www.hamburg.de/bvm/greencityplanhamburg/ [15.10.22].

Behörde für Verkehr und Mobilitätswende. (no year). Aktuelles zur Magistralenentwicklung Ein Masterplan für Hamburgs Magistralen. Accessed from: https://www.hamburg.de/stadtplanung/ [15.10.22].

Kruse, N. (2017). Klimawandel und sturmfluten: ein vergleich der mentalen modelle und risikobewertungen zwischen experten und bürgern der stadt Hamburg. Geographische Gesellschaft.

Port of Hamburg. (2022). Port of Hamburg – Gateway to the world. Accessed from: https://www.hafen-hamburg.de/en/portofhamburg/port-of-hamburg/ [15.10.22].

In the context of the Athens fieldtrip, we organized a collective mapping workshop to collect data and co-create stories. After walking around the city center, the working team implemented a collaborative mapping workshop with the help of the Miro tool.

Would you like to facilitate a collective mapping activity through Miro? Here you have some steps and tips you to follow.

Image 1. Where to search for templates. Source: www.miro.com

All the templates presented below can be found in the Miro templates or are very easy to create them yourself.

A. Define the goal and co-design the field trip

First of all, define the goals and the specific field you are going to study. Recruit all people interested in participating.

Then, discuss with them:

• Why are you doing this? What is the collective goal of the field trip? (e.g., a virtual field trip, a public space study for future intervention, or a public space narration)
• Where is the field trip taking place? What is the study area (e.g., a suburb, the city center, a specific neighborhood, a route, a public space, or a plot)? What is the scale (e.g., local level, neighborhood level, etc.)?
• Who are the participants? What is their level of expertise and their interests? What is their connection to the field and area of study?
• What data will you collect, and in which format?

You can run this step using Miro templates for brainstorming (idea trees, tables, or voting sessions).

Image 2. Brainstorming ideas. Source: created by commonspace in www.miro.com

B. Data and experience collection 

It is essential to be well-prepared. Organize the field trip, study the area from google maps, and explore secondary data. Design the routes and the points of interest to visit, get some water and snacks, charge your smartphone and camera and start walking! Don’t forget to discuss and agree with the participants about the form of data you will collect and how you want to save and store all the information (e.g., images, videos, notes, recordings).

Image 3. Walking around the city during the Athens fieldtrip. Source: Photos taken by commonspace

C. Co-design stories and co-reflect on the narrative

Meet with the participants online or physically. You can work individually or in groups according to the number of participants.

C.1 Create an inclusive and cozy atmosphere with an icebreaker game!

You can find many icebreaker activities in Miro templates or you can design your own. A straightforward introductory game invites the participants to write their names and field of work, along with a short sentence or an emoji that reflects their mood.

An example of an icebreaker game in Miro: https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_lE8_ef4=/

Image 4. Ideas for icebreaker games. Source: Games created by commonspace, Emotions Wheel Icebreaker by Anya Dvornikova, Monster Workshop by Nina Torr, www.miro.com

C.2 Discuss the data and pin them on a map or a plan

This is the most important step of the collective process. Define how the participants will upload and pin their data on the map. For example:

• Ask the participants to choose three favorite photographs, sketches, or notes gathered during the field trip,
• Pin those selected items on a map,
• Write a sticky note explaining why they are important/interesting.

Another way of working is to note on a map the positives/negatives/ideas you noticed during your walk.

Image 5. Collective mapping ideas. Source: Created by commonspace in  www.miro.com

C.3 Chose data to include in the story

You can run a voting session in Miro. Invite the participants to decide what their favorite input data are. This step helps the group organize their thoughts and allows them to conclude ideas.

C.4 Create a collective narration

Let the participants discuss what they have collected, build consensus on the narration, or identify their perspective on public space. For example, their narration could be “The daily life in the city center” or “Global change and the city”.

Image 6. Ideas of collective narration. Source: Exercise during the Athens fieldtrip. Created by commonspace, www.miro.com

C.5 Present your work to the whole team

Allocate a few minutes at the end of the workshop for each team to present their story in a plenary session. Exchange ideas about the city, the public space, and the narratives. Empower reflection and promote discussion.

As part of the V-Global project, students from the University of Hamburg, Université Paris Cité and Oranim College are participating in an international seminar to produce virtual field trip.  These students are or will be teachers. They discovered their respective cultures, educational systems and issues related to global change. They also discovered Israel, Germany and France through virtual field trip.

• VFT about Israel : https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c5c8a61829b54523bafcb87d575ffd91
• VFT about France 
• https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f1201e62ac624eb8abddaacbb9473ee6
• VFT about Germany
• https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d129b01ea71c4378b8dc25878465c441

Beyond the content, they discussed the interest and limits of each of these. These group discussions helped identify different pedagogical and technical approaches to virtual field trips. The next step is for the students to develop their own virtual field trip.