The concept of the new solution
The Innovative Metropolitan Prototyping aims to develop prototypes addressing key metropolitan challenges such as public transportation, energy supply, climate adaptation, digitalization, demographic changes, migration, integration, housing market, and others.
These prototypes are initially designed at the metropolitan level, then tested in selected urban environments. Based on local feedback, they are adapted to specific conditions and finally upgraded back into the metropolitan level.
The prototyping process follows a multi-step methodology, considering both local and metropolitan perspectives:
1. Identifying a metropolitan challenge
Challenges that cannot be tackled by a single municipality, are identified through workshops, working groups, participatory activities, data analysis or surveys.
2. Developing a prototype solution
A participatory process involving metropolitan multi-sector stakeholders is organized through a series of workshops.
Interdisciplinary expert teams, comprising specialists, politicians, civic activists, and engaged citizens, collaborate to design the prototype solutions. They may take a form of a concept, strategy or metropolitan guidelines.
3. Testing the prototype
The prototype is implemented in selected municipalities to verify its relevance and effectiveness in spatial conditions. This phase actively involves local stakeholders, whose feedback plays a crucial role in assessing the prototype’s applicability. Based on the results, the concept is evaluated and refined.
4. Finalizing the metropolitan solution
Setting up a metropolitan-level concept, strategy, or guidelines approaching the metropolitan challenge, provides clear direction across the metropolitan area.
Innovativeness of new solution
The Innovative Metropolitan Prototyping moves beyond the traditional planning methods by embracing a bottom-up approach. It creates a space for joint exploration identifying the challenge first − not just searching for obvious solutions. This methodology promotes new ways of thinking, fosters both interdisciplinary cooperation and practical implementation.
Replicability and uptake of new solution
Being implemented in two different metropolitan contexts, this solution proves to be highly transferable as it can be focused on several metropolitan challenges and can use different methods of data collection (quantitative and qualitative data).
In 2025, an implementation is planned in both metropolitan areas:
- In the Stuttgart Region, it will support the development of affordable housing, building on earlier experience from the pilot action on sustainable industrial areas.
- In the Ostrava Metropolitan Area, it will address metropolitan challenges in public space, mainly in prefabricated housing estates, with outcomes forming a practical metropolitan handbook of best practices for broader use across the metropolitan area.
The new solution has jointly been developed by the Ostrava Metropolitan Area and the Stuttgart Region based on the pilot action. More details can be found here.
Conclusion
The Innovative Metropolitan Prototyping bridges metropolitan and local governance, ensuring collaborative and creative problem-solving for pressing societal challenges. Its structured, evidence-based and participatory approach, combined with the real-world testing and adaptability to diverse local contexts, makes it a powerful and transferable tool for strengthening metropolitan cooperation and governance. More details can be found here.