Neue Stadtgärtnerei
Community Housing Bonn Climate Open Science
Neue Stadtgärtnerei — Rethinking Urban Space in Bonn
The Neue Stadtgärtnerei is a volunteer-driven initiative aiming to transform the site of the old city nursery in Bonn-Dransdorf into a community space for climate-adapted living. It sits in a cold air inflow corridor — cold air flows in from the south, while the urban heat island lies to the north. A site with genuine environmental significance and equally genuine potential for housing justice.
3D site model coming soon
The initiative operates through consensus-based working groups and is structured around three interconnected visions:
Site layout
The terrain is divided into three zones:
- North-west — land from the Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume
- North-east — the old greenhouse site, where NSG will build the housing project
- South — reserved for the agroforestry system, sitting in the cold air inflow zone
Housing
Affordable, high-quality homes built in straw-bale construction, upcycling existing structures on site. Rents are not fixed — but they remain structurally low through the Mietshäuser Syndikat model, which removes housing permanently from the speculative market through cooperative ownership. Once a building enters the Syndikat, it can never be sold.
Education
A center for environmental knowledge transfer — where research findings reach residents, neighbors, and local practitioners. The Neue Stadtgärtnerei is a partner in OpenSKIZZE, feeding process knowledge and requirements into the climate planning research.
Agriculture
An agroforestry system combining intensive vegetable and herb production with orchards and shrubs, while maintaining habitat for wildlife. The vision is to close material cycles using renewable energy and recycled water from the housing project — and to share what’s learned with other communities.
My role
I work with the initiative both as a community member and as a researcher — the H-BRS collaboration provides scientific support on cold air flow, heat radiation, and urban climate questions. I’m also involved in the design and planning process, bringing the OpenSKIZZE toolset directly to the site.
Within the initiative I am an active member of three working groups:
- Construction — involved in building planning and material choices for the housing project
- IT — infrastructure and digital tools for the initiative
- Partner network — coordinating relationships with external organisations and research partners
This is the clearest example I have of research that matters beyond the paper. The same quality-diversity methods I developed for fluid dynamics now help real people in Bonn think through how their future neighborhood should look.