How can urban communities be involved in the planning and implementation of a digital transformation process in a participatory manner.

The un:box Cologne project addressed this challenge by pursuing three key goals: strengthening digital acceptance and competence within urban communities, expanding Cologne’s digital infrastructure, and creating spaces for the implementation of innovative ideas. un:box Cologne is part of the Smart Cities Model Projects, a funding programme of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB). The programme supported the development and testing of integrated smart city approaches and empowers municipal actors in fostering sustainable, community-oriented urban development.

Creative Climate Cities (CCC) supported the City of Cologne in developing a smart city strategy, including the design of a multi-stage participation process for a city-wide ideas competition. In a clearly structured process - from submission to qualification to implementation - not only were the individual project ideas further developed, but municipal structures for implementing civic innovation were also strengthened.

Our goal was to promote learning processes and build an increasingly networked and digitally competent urban community. With the un:box Cologne project, we created a dynamic tool that supports the City of Cologne from idea generation to real-world implementation, opening up new ways of collaboration between public administration and the city’s residents.