City of the Future
In 2015, Chemnitz was placed under the microscope by the City of the Future Initiative in the City Lab Chemnitz. The results of the comprehensive city analysis are now available. They were publicly presented and discussed at the Chemnitz State Museum of Archaeology on 22 November 2016.
“The discrepancy between the city’s self-perception and its perception by others is very large. Chemnitz residents certainly view certain things critically, but the quality of life is considered to be better than we would have expected. And the unique characteristics of Chemnitz’s history could lay the foundations for future-oriented city development,” said Bernd Bienzeisler from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO) in Stuttgart as he summarised the findings of City Lab Chemnitz.
Background: Chemnitz selected for the “Morgenstadt (City of the Future) City Challenge”
What makes a city fit for the future? The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft innovation network “Morgenstadt (City of the Future): City Insights” has been investigating this question since 2012 in collaboration with many partners from cities and industry. It has developed a precise action-oriented model that identifies how cities can promote their sustainability through new innovation strategies. The network then launched a worldwide competition, the Morgenstadt City Challenge. Chemnitz has been selected as one of four winning European cities to be a participant in the project.