Foyer for encounters

In the university city of Greifswald, pop. 60,000, loneliness and aging have become exceedingly marked social trends. In 2030 one in four residents will be over 65 years old. As it is now, the number of one-person households already comprises 72 % of all households in Greifswald compared to the national average of 42 %. In cooperation with the Pomeranian Diakonie, the Greifswald Media Centre and the organisation BÜRGERHAFEN, the Greifswald municipal library attempted to mitigate the consequences of this unsettling trend. Together with residents of Greifswald, the organisers created a public space where all generations are invited to acquire digital training and inspire one another.

The project began by reimagining the library foyer using the design-thinking method. The library and its partners surveyed residents throughout the city – e.g. in workshops, interviews and online questionnaires – and adjusted its subsequent path forward in dialogue with other hochdrei projects. In cooperation with the set design department of the Theater Vorpommern, technicians created a model of the reimagined foyer. Parallel to these activities, the project partners worked with interested citizens to develop a detailed usage concept for the new space. Based on the motto “Bringing generations together – Creating shared experiences – Supporting digital competence”, the concept bundled ideas and wishes, propose new formats, and strengthen local synergies and the library’s own network.

Project title: Digital Encounters for Generations in Analogue Space at the Greifswald Municipal Library

Partners: Pommerscher Diakonieverein e.V., BÜRGERHAFEN, Medienzentrum Greifswald e.V.