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We look back on the first Citizen Science Zurich Ideas Lab from 1 and 24 October, 2024. The co-creative format brings together actors from science and society from the Zurich area on a specific topic. The aim is to provide space for networking and mutual exchange and pave the way for initiating new projects. This year, everything revolved around the topic of "movement" in the city - from mobility to health and social issues.
On a rainy and cold day in early October, a small group of people from science and society meet at Intrinsic in Zurich-West. Not only the outside of the building is a reminder of the district's industrial past. Innovative flair is also present everywhere inside. In the high-ceilinged room, flooded with light thanks to large window fronts, the first participants are already seated at the three groups of tables, engrossed in lively discussions. In the middle of the room, there are several boards for the brainstorming activities that will take place later. You can tell that there will be a lot of discussion, exchange and work over the next few hours.
The goal of today is to get to know each other. Lukas Stadelmann, who leads us through the first day, makes this possible with skillful ease. To start with, there is an introduction bingo: there are various questions on a sheet of paper, and whoever gets a yes answer to all questions the quickest wins. No one succeeds, but it's a successful way to loosen things up and the atmosphere is cheerful. This is followed by a short presentation about Citizen Science Zurich and the aims and agenda for the first day. After two more short games to get to know each other, the participants dive into today's topic.
The thematic focus of this year's Ideas Lab is on movement in urban spaces. We are looking for solutions on how we can contribute to equal and sustainable lifestyles in the city in this area. We have deliberately kept the topic broad in order to pre-define as little as possible. However, in order to narrow it down somewhat, we have defined three key areas: mobility, health and social issues. What do the participants spontaneously associate with these terms? In an initial brainstorming session, all thoughts are recorded on post-its.
Teams of two are then formed around these key areas. They spend the rest of the morning working together through the Fast Forward Challenge. It is based on Stanford University's Wallet Project Exercise and is ideal to introduce participants to Design Thinking in a short space of time. The highlight before lunch is the results of the exercise: creative prototypes made with Lego that visualize initial topics and research questions and make them tangible.
After the lunch break, we continue with the interactive creative method Design Dash. It is ideal for developing new ideas and solutions. This time, the participants form groups of four around the three key areas. Together, they decide on a specific topic and approach a suitable research question step by step. They brainstorm, exchange ideas, bring in new perspectives from participants from other groups, refine and test the questions they have developed. Finally, the results are briefly presented and discussed in the plenum.
After a short final presentation with an outlook on the next meeting, this productive and intensive first day comes to an end.
A good three weeks had passed when the participants met for a second time in Zurich West shortly after midday at the end of October. Today, the meeting only lasts half a day and Léon Späth now leads through the afternoon session. While the focus on the first day was on getting to know each other and working out initial ideas, today's aim is to form concrete cooperations and clarify what is needed for the collaboration and who can contribute what. To do this, we are once again reaching into our bag of tricks for co-creative methods. This time it's two methods from the td-net toolbox.
The participants position their interests along the three key areas – a healthy, mobile and cohesive city. They position themselves very clearly around the two topics of mobility and cohesion. This results in three groups that will work together over the next few hours.
The Outcome Space method is now used to refine the topics. The participants write down keywords for the following questions: What problem do we want to solve, what do we want to change in the world (situation)? What new knowledge do we want to generate (knowledge)? What skills do we want to learn (skills)? The post-its are arranged in a diagram and shared and discussed with the others in the group. In the next step, the collection of ideas is narrowed down to the criterion of feasibility. What is actually feasible and possible? All other post-its are sorted out.
The first group takes the existing bicycle rickshaw project "Radeln ohne Alter" (Cycling without age) as a basis. The association volunteers to take senior citizens from retirement and care homes on rickshaw rides so that they can rediscover their surroundings and go on an excursion. What also promotes intergenerational exchange. The group is now focusing on people with dementia. How could people with dementia, who often suffer from orientation difficulties and therefore have a small radius of movement, benefit from rickshaw rides? What needs could be met and how should dementia-sensitive rickshaw pilots be trained?
The second group is also dedicated to the cycle rickshaw project, focusing on the challenge that institutions such as retirement homes show no interest in the project when asked. However, all participants so far are enthusiastic about it. What are the reservations of potential users and how could they be overcome? In other words: "Why Don't You Just Riksha?"
The third group tackles the big issue of mobility in the city. How can the needs of different road users in Zurich be reconciled? Other cities where zones already exist in which public space belongs to everyone and the law of the weakest applies serve as inspiration. "Mobile without borders" - how could that work here in Zurich?
Over the next few weeks, the here formed groups can count on the advisory support of the Citizen Science Zurich team. At two open workshops, they will have access to the concentrated know-how of the managing office and can also use our premises (including coffee machine) to meet and further refine their project ideas.
We will report further in an upcoming blog article.
Editors: Olivia Höhener, Julienne Karzig, Ursina Roffler
Photos: Ursina Roffler
