Pilot projects: Finding ideas City
We were looking for ideas for a creative and diverse city centre. The "Pilot projects: Ideas find the city" programme is now making it possible to implement innovative concepts.
We were looking for ideas for a creative and diverse city centre. The "Pilot projects: Ideas find the city" programme is now making it possible to implement innovative concepts.
With the call for projects "Pilot projects: Ideas find the city", we were looking for creative ideas to make Hamburg's city centre more vibrant and diverse. Cultural highlights, social initiatives or innovative utilisation concepts: a jury of experts selected 22 projects from 162 submitted ideas. Around 640,000 euros in funding will flow into the selected projects, which will be implemented by autumn 2025. 20 selected pilot projects in the short procedure will be funded with up to 2,500 euros.
Why we are doing this
Our aim is to make Hamburg's city centre a place that is attractive and vibrant not only today, but also in the future. We want to promote innovative ideas and jointly develop new ways of using our city centre. The pilot projects are part of the Hamburg programme "Hidden potentials - joint development of the diversity of uses for a lively and resilient Hamburg city centre". The Ministry of Urban Development and Housing is supporting the programme with funds from the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building's "Sustainable Inner Cities and Centres" programme. The aim of the programme is to develop concepts for the future of Hamburg's city centre and to implement initial ideas.
The projects
Here we present some of the selected projects. An overview of all subsidised contributions and further information on pilot projects: Ideen finden Stadt, as well as the Hidden Potentials programme can be found here.
Another 2,500 euros are now available at short notice for a further project. Applications are possible until 20 July 2025. All information on the call for proposals and the application form can be found here:
All information and applicationOTTO WULFF Placemaking GmbH
Where: Mönckebergbrunnen
When: until 31.8.2025
Playdate Hamburg aims to make Hamburg's city centre a more liveable place for everyone, especially families with child-friendly activities. The concept is to create a temporary playground with high-quality play equipment made from containers from the Port of Hamburg, produced by KuKuk Box. Utilisation will be documented to illustrate the potential for long-term play opportunities.
vonwegenleer architecture collective
Location: Alter Fischmarkt 1
The project explores the potential of vacant office buildings in Hamburg's city centre for temporary residential use. The aim is to revitalise the city centre, create living space and test the permissibility and reversible architecture. The city centre becomes a real-life laboratory.
LU'UM
Location: 25 June - 11 July Hammaburg-Platz
The project is based on a fictitious neighbourhood - with its own mobile editorial workshop. It records and processes what is hidden in the urban space of the city centre. An issue of the magazine is published regularly in the form of a collage of what is and what is not there.
Nasch Kollektiv e.V.
Location: 04.07. 18-22 h Small park on the north-west bank of the Binnenalster (near the sculpture "Die Windsbraut") approx. house number Neuer Jungfernstieg 23
A long table in a public space where people come together, exchange ideas and enjoy regional, seasonal delicacies. The Nasch Kollektiv would like to set up such a table several times a year at different locations in the city centre to enable a shared culinary experience and promote low-threshold access to plant-based, seasonal cuisine. The menu will be developed in creative phases, based on research into regional and climate-related changes in the availability of fruit and vegetables. In addition to the culinary experience, the aim is also to break down barriers between social groups and to propose and test new utilisation concepts for public spaces.
Period Collective
Location: Hanseatische Materialverwaltung, toilets and other locations of the cooperation partners
PERIOD is a pilot project that raises awareness of period poverty and makes toilets accessible. Hygiene products are distributed and attention is generated with artistic posters. A specially designed map of the city centre shows where there are toilets and where free pads and tampons are available.
Hauptkirche St. Petri, in cooperation with Manufaktur morgen, the Bürgerstiftung and other residents of Hammaburg-Platz.
Where: at the main church of St. Petri
When: 16 May (opening) - 26 September 2025 (closing festival)
The Hamburger spielGarten transforms a little-used space near the main church of St. Petri into a green oasis in which an understanding of nature and community can grow. Children and adults work together to create an edible learning landscape in which they experience ecological relationships through planting, harvesting and cooking. The spielGarten invites children to move, discover and reflect and offers space for community-building activities. As a consumer-free meeting place and model project for sustainable urban development, it promotes social interaction and creative learning in the heart of Hamburg.
Kampnagel Internationale Kulturfabrik GmbH
Location: 7 - 9 August AGE Colonnaden 72 and 13 + 15 August Gleishalle Oberhafen
With Public Space Invaders, Canadian DJ, author and theatre maker Kid Koala is bringing a temporary art arcade to Hamburg's city centre, inspired by arcades of the 70s and 80s. As part of the Kampnagel International Summer Festival, workshops and performances beyond market-based consumerism will take place there. The festival concludes with a street parade that turns the city centre into a stage for urban culture.
The pilot projects are part of the Hamburg programme "Hidden potentials - community development of diverse uses for a vibrant and resilient Hamburg city centre", for which the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing receives funding from the "Sustainable inner cities and centres" funding programme of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building.
Clara Bökelheide is a project manager in the pilot projects. She previously supported the Counselling & Further Education team as a project assistant. She studied Cultural Studies (B.A.) and Cultural Studies: Culture & Organisation (M.A.) at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg. She is also involved in lunatic e.V., which organises the lunatic festival for art, music and culture in Lüneburg every year at the beginning of June. She is responsible for administration and finances in the organisation.
Julius Kenntner is project manager and contact person for the pilot projects.
He studied cultural studies and art history at the University of Regensburg. During his Masters in Cultural and Media Management at the University of Music and Theatre in Hamburg, he focused on urban development as well as art and culture in public spaces and gained professional experience in project management and foundations.