Testing the City of the Future

A living and working experiment for a climate neutral city of Görlitz


Transformation to a climate neutral city by 2030!

The city of Görlitz has set itself an ambitious goal. How can this be achieved? On the one hand, with a lot of local commitment. On the other hand, with ideas from outside. Knowledge and experience are just as much in demand as technical or social innovations, innovative business models, contributions from the arts and culture.

With the project "Testing the City of the Future - A living and working experiment for a climate neutral city of Görlitz" we combine both. We invite you to try out the city of Görlitz as a place to work and live in for three months and contribute to the city’s goal of "climate neutral by 2030".


Making the city of Görlitz climate neutral – What’s your contribution?

Are you professionally concerned with aspects of sustainable urban development and with the question of how cities can achieve climate neutrality? Are you interested in approaching this issue creatively and looking for unusual solutions? Are you familiar with sustainable lifestyles and would you like to try out living in a future-oriented medium-sized city? Then we are looking for you!

Get involved in the city of Görlitz:

  • with knowledge and experience from other cities and regions
  • with social and technical innovations in everyday work, as a business idea or as a civil society commitment
  • with cultural projects or artistic works on the topic of climate neutrality


Testing the city of Görlitz – What we offer

We enable you to stay in the "European City of Görlitz/Zgorzelec" for three months.

For this purpose we provide flats free of charge. Companies and research institutions act as hosts for your temporary work stay, and various local initiatives also provide work spaces for artistic and creative work.

Living on trial

We provide participants a free trial flat with space for a maximum of four people. Family members or other fellow travelers, who would like to get involved in the city are welcomed. Living communities or working groups can participate in the project, as can families with children. If desired and necessary, we will support you in finding work spaces for fellow travelers, for the period of the trial stay. We will also be available to advise you on questions regarding a voluntary commitment in the city or childcare.

Working on trial

From IT and consulting, to research and development, to cultural and creative industries - the spectrum of work opportunities available to you in Görlitz is broad. The crucial factor for participating in the project is that you support the city, its companies, institutions and the city society in getting closer to the goal of climate neutrality. You will make individual arrangements with the host partner institution regarding your work stay in Görlitz.

Various working models are possible in cooperation with local partners:

Entering: Would you like to enter working life or (re)orient yourself professionally? - We offer you internships, hospitations, jobs as a student trainee or as a career starter at various companies and institutions.

Exchanging: Would you like to exchange ideas, establish partnerships or explore business areas? - We offer employees in a company that is already involved in climate neutrality and sustainable urban development, the opportunity to establish contacts with a partner company in Görlitz and exchange experiences on site.

Restarting: Do you want to make a new start, are you self-employed and can work from anywhere? - We offer start-ups and freelancers in the field of climate neutrality and sustainable urban development, the opportunity to test living and working in the city and region and possibly open up a new field of activity.

Beeing creative: Do you have creative ideas that focus on sustainable, resource-saving living, or would you like to implement a cultural project focused on this? - We offer spaces and contacts in Görlitz to help realise your projects.


Accompanying scientific research

The project will be scientifically coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Center for Transformative Urban Regeneration (IZS).

We will interview participants in the project about various aspects of the trial stay. In addition to their assessments, we will also include the perspective of the city society of Görlitz in the accompanying research.


Funding and project partners

 

 

The project is funded by Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen as part of the Nationale Stadtentwicklungspolitik. The Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) represented by the Görlitz-based Interdisciplinary Center for Transformative Urban Regeneration (IZS) implements the project together with local partners.