Turning tenants into circular changemakers

SERVICES

Sustainability strategy, placemaking, branding, community design, events, nudging

GOAL

Residents of the large-scale Gropiusstadt housing estate are to be sensitized and activated around sustainability. The circular economy offers concrete measures that not only create new opportunities but also solve real problems.

Problem

Degewo AG – Berlin’s second-largest housing company – faced the challenge of making its large housing estates more resource-efficient and circular. Gropiusstadt, in particular, revealed a key insight: sustainability cannot be mandated from the top down. While numerous technical solutions exist, they remain ineffective without the active participation of residents. Many tenants were unaware of the everyday potential of sustainable actions. Even fewer knew how to come together as a community to shape a more sustainable neighborhood. This is exactly where the project “Machbarschaft” came in.

In Gropiusstadt, we’re engaging the neighborhood through a multi-year initiative—building circular infrastructures and fostering community-driven change.

Lösung

We developed a holistic participation approach based on community design and co-creative activities. The goal was to make sustainable and circular lifestyles visible, tangible, and a shared experience—low-threshold, participatory, and on equal footing. “Machbarschaft” strengthened residents’ identification with their neighborhood while fostering agency and ownership—two key drivers of sustainable change.

In close collaboration with the local community, we implemented numerous pilot projects: from a self-organized repair and lending shop to consulting services for balcony solar systems, as well as initiatives for cleaner waste collection areas and car-free mobility. Workshops, hands-on activities, and a digital community platform strengthened exchange within the neighborhood. An accompanying playbook documented methods and processes to make the results transferable to other Degewo housing estates.

“With effective methods and communication at eye level, NEW STANDARD.S achieves what we struggle with in many neighborhoods: activating our tenants and involving them in transformation processes.”

– dEGEWO AG

Impact

The “Machbarschaft” became a catalyst for circular thinking and action in everyday life. During the project period, more than 5,000 residents—out of a total of approximately 17,000—participated in events and formats. These shared activities not only led to a measurable improvement in cleanliness across the neighborhood—with a 30% reduction in illegal waste dumping—but also fostered a renewed sense of community. The repair and lending shop “Kreisler” was especially well received: over 200 items were repaired or passed on within just three months, and a community-based association was founded to ensure its continued operation.

The “Machbarschaft” demonstrates how social infrastructure can become a key driver of sustainable urban development—by empowering residents to actively shape their environment.

We develop effective strategies, meaningful actions and new narratives for our clients. Let's talk about your circular future - we look forward to your project request.