Social Street Lab!

Who owns the city? Children design the city of the future!
How much space does a car need? And how much playground space is left for children? On September 18 and 19, 2025, the Co-CreART team, together with architect Markus Blösl from Stiftung Freizeit (Berlin), invited people to the Social Street Lab! As part of the project, class 2b of the Maxglan 2 music middle school explored in a playful and visionary way how mobility and urban space can be reimagined. In the process, they developed a game for public spaces.
The enthusiasm was palpable right from the start: dice, colorful signs, and the prospect of designing the city in a playful way immediately motivated the children. They designed a variety of tasks for passersby – from “hug a tree” to “find a bird” to “call your mom and say something nice to her.” They also collected wishes for the city, ranging from more playgrounds and green spaces to accessibility and affordable housing.
One highlight was when the children paraded through the city with homemade signs, tried out their game, and presented Deputy Mayor Kay-Michael Dankl with a cloud-shaped “wish sign.” He discussed their visions for the city of Salzburg with the students and played a round with them. To the children’s great delight, he even had to sing a song. The workshop impressively demonstrated how children can leave their comfort zone, take responsibility, and think about the future of the city. Whether playful or visionary, their voices and the diversity of their perspectives contribute to making Salzburg more vibrant, inclusive, and child-friendly.

(Report: Nataliia Bozhok, Research Intern)

Workshop with Markus Blösl, Vanessa Friedl und Sandra Kobel

The project took place within the Europäischen Mobilitätswoche and was supportes by: Initiative Kultur:Bildung der OEAD, Österreichs Agentur für Bildung und Internationalisierung.

The event was a cooperation between Co-CreART – Co-Creating Change! (Universität Mozarteum Salzburg / IE Wissenschaft & Kunst, Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg), Stiftung Freizeit and the Musikmittelschule Maxglan 2.

 

 

 

 

Who owns the city? Children design the city of the future!