In a globalized society, cities face complex challenges. For decades, cities like Kaiserslautern with their old industrial character have been affected by structural change, which has been exacerbated by multiple crises. In addition to unemployment, vacancies and loss of image, social problems such as poverty, dissatisfaction and loss of trust in government action are emerging. At the same time, Kaiserslautern has realized successful transformations, such as the conversion of the Kammgarn spinning mill or the development of the garden show site.
The "ReTra Stadt" project by the Rhineland-Palatinate Development Agency and at RPTU builds on this. The aim is to further develop Kaiserslautern as a model of a resilient transformation city. Building on the city's industrial heritage, military presence, international influences and the university, innovative development paths are being developed in participatory real-world laboratories. The focus is on governance, participation and knowledge transfer. The project provides recommendations for Kaiserslautern and transferable strategies for other old industrial cities in Rhineland-Palatinate.
A project homepage is currently under construction.