NEW STANDARD.S
NEW STANDARD.S

Neighborhood talks throughout Neukölln

CLIENT

Bezirksamt Berlin-Neukölln

BRAND & COMMUNICATION
December 2023 – May 2024

The problem

 

Whether it’s religion or political and social views, differences regularly lead to conflict in large cities. In Neukölln in particular, more than 160 nations live in a very small area, which characterizes the district both positively and negatively. With so many cultures and so much diversity, many ideas of a social “normal” clash. A common consensus needs to be found for peaceful coexistence, as the Berlin district often makes negative headlines. Initiatives are needed to increase both the feeling of togetherness and identification with the district.

Our solution

 

Together with our client, the Berlin-Neukölln district office, we invited local initiatives to collaboratively implement the Long Tables event format on Neighbors’ Day. To this end, we developed an organizational framework and took on the role of main organizer and logistics partner. More than 100 initiatives were invited to put together a unique program for their immediate neighborhood in order to meet the needs of their local community. This allowed us to scale the impact and hold the event at 19 locations simultaneously.

We paid attention to inclusion both when planning the logistics and when designing the communication. The site communication was translated into simple language, as well as five other languages, including Turkish and Ukrainian. Locations with barrier-free toilets or children’s programs were labeled. Conversation menus were placed on the tables to break the ice between neighbors if needed.

When designing the visuals, we also paid attention to diversity and the inclusion of underrepresented groups. Our aim was to develop a neighborly format that would give everyone access to culture, sustainability issues, and neighborhood conversations. There was also free coffee and cake.

Our impact

 

Making sustainability tangible was our aim and our motivation for taking part in the public tender for this event. The event was planned to be as waste-free as possible, using porcelain instead of disposable crockery. All of the locations we organized (15 out of 19) were supplied with 100% plant-based catering. We commissioned owner-managed local companies such as Biocafe Leuchtstoff, the organic bakery Endorphina, the organic patisserie Tillmann, Truesday, Havelmi, and others.

Berlin-based Supergreen GmbH used electric cargo bikes with low emissions to transport the furniture to the locations. The locations were selected and designed in such a way that they could be reached with minimal or no barriers. 

We were delighted to have welcomed more than 3,000 visitors – including many Berlin politicians – as neighbors on this special day and to have shown them that an event can be organized sustainably along the entire supply chain.