A city worth living in is characterized by various factors that influence the general well-being and satisfaction of the people who live there: A good infrastructure, diverse economy with good job and educational opportunities, sufficient availability of affordable and high-quality housing, an extensive cultural offering, sufficient leisure and recreational opportunities as well as good environmental quality and safety.
So-called neighborhoods are very popular and are referred to as the modern village of the past (source: https://www.bfw-newsroom.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Quartierstudie-2022-DC-Developments-komprimiert.pdf). The underlying concept: a diversity of inhabitants, social interaction, accessibility on foot, a coherent cycle of regional products as well as peace and nature.
The Quartier Study 2022 shows that the city of Berlin is in first place, followed by Düsseldorf and Frankfurt am Main among the top eight cities in Germany. Big city anonymity is a thing of the past. Today, the desire for community and a marketplace in the middle of the action, as it used to be, prevails. Multi-generational offers are also very popular. In order to feel comfortable in public spaces in particular, the climate must of course also be right. In many cities, shady spots and places to cool off are rare and communal meeting and recreation areas are avoided.
“Wiener Schatten” promotes social interaction
The effects of global warming are clearly noticeable and temperatures are rising. Shade elements that are compatible with the cityscape ensure that cool and shady spaces are attractive places to meet even on very warm days and promote social interaction (source: https://www.wien.gv.at/stadtentwicklung/architektur/oeffentlicher-raum/wiener-schatten.html).
Harmony and a feel-good atmosphere are the basis for social cohesion and promote a sense of solidarity. This makes society as a whole more stable, more peaceful, more just and our democracy more resilient! But what makes a city particularly harmonious and therefore more liveable than other cities? How can companies in particular proactively support their city and region, far beyond the company environment, in order to make it more attractive for skilled workers and young families, for example?
Still a challenge: the shortage of labor
The shortage of labor continues to be a current problem in many industries and regions. There are more vacancies than qualified applicants, leading to bottlenecks and challenges. Improved workplace attractiveness, flexible working models and the promotion of work-life integration as well as investment in education and training are essential to counteract the labor shortage.
However, employers can get involved far beyond their company environment by assuming their social responsibility and contributing to the positive development of their city in order to make it more attractive for skilled workers and young professionals. In cooperation with, for example, business development, districts, municipalities and tourism, the question should be asked: “How can we make our region, city or village even more attractive and how can we get a professional partner agency specializing in content and experience communication on board to come up with a cool idea, concept, plan and implement possible measures and campaigns?”
Classic sponsoring vs. value-oriented partnership
Companies need to rethink! Away from classic sponsoring and the goal of pure economic growth. The goal must be a value-oriented partnership in order to live one’s own corporate values, strengthen the trust and loyalty of customers and improve the relationship with society. Through this type of cooperation, companies can make a potential contribution to our coexistence and can specifically take on social, ecological or ethical challenges in order to bring about sustainable change and enrich cultural and social life in the city. A value-oriented partnership characterized by meaningfulness promotes both parties sustainably!
Thus, cooperation with the district, city, municipality or other organizations, institutions or companies contributes to regional or municipal development processes in order to develop a common communication space and implement resilient cooperation.
City center revitalization for more experience, communication and integration space: I feel good
A lively city center attracts both locals and tourists. Stores, businesses and restaurants benefit from an increased flow of customers, which has a positive impact on the economy and, above all, noticeably increases the overall well-being of the city.
Places are created for people from different backgrounds and with different interests, creating communities. Cultural and sporting events such as concerts, festivals and exhibitions offer lasting experiences that connect people.
Unfortunately, funds for cultural and sporting purposes are often in short supply, which is why there is also an opportunity for companies to support and participate in the local cultural and sporting scene through a value-oriented partnership!
Seeing vacancies as an opportunity – making neighborhoods fit for the future with extraordinary ideas
The cityscape suffers as a result of vacancies and demolition is often seen as the solution (for the time being), but that doesn’t have to be the case! With the help of innovative ideas and the development of targeted utilization concepts, vacant buildings are given a second chance, become part of history and can become crowd pullers.
The opening of so-called pop-up stores is also declaring war on vacancies. This is a targeted measure to revitalize the city centre through individual and special store concepts and the opportunity to enable potential retailers, but also artists or creative craftspeople, for example, to open their own store.
In 2016, the city of Wittlich in Rhineland-Palatinate launched the ALWIN project (Active Vacancy Management Wittlich City Center), a joint initiative that has been promoting innovative and sustainable store concepts from various sectors such as retail, crafts, creative industries and gastronomy ever since. The project supports young founders who can make a name for themselves on the market with the help of affordable retail space and has led to a noticeable reduction in the vacancy rate from around 13% to just over 2% (source: Successfully combating vacancies in Wittlich. Community initiative alwin revitalizes city centre) .
*Photo: POMMEREL Live-Marketing. Experience-oriented event series for the Herbartgang advertising association in Oldenburg with the aim of making the Herbartgang more interesting and attracting passers-by to find out about the shopping opportunities and increase traffic and dwell time in the nucleus of Oldenburg’s pedestrian zone.
**Work-life integration means a flexible and lively combination of work and private life
