Recommendations from Berlin planning cells on public transportation in 2045
What should public mobility in Berlin’s neighborhoods look like in 2045? This question cannot be answered solely through technical innovations, model calculations, or traffic planning concepts. It touches on fundamental aspects of urban quality of life, social justice, and daily mobility routines. Against this backdrop, in May 2025, the research campus integrated the perspectives of Berlin’s urban society into its research on future mobility.
From May 23 to 25, 2025, two research planning cells took place at the EUREF campus in Berlin-Schöneberg under the title:
“Less traffic – more mobility: The future of public transportation services in Berlin neighborhoods.” A total of 47 randomly selected Berliners took part in the process. The selection was made by random sampling from the population register in order to reflect as broad a spectrum of everyday experiences, life situations, and perspectives as possible.
Handover of the citizen‘s report “Less traffic – more mobility” on December 9 at the EUREF Campus in Berlin.
Planning cells as an established participation format
Planning cells are a deliberative participation format that has been tried and tested for decades, in which citizens are involved as “experts in everyday life” in a structured, moderated work process. The aim is not to seek majorities, but to develop well-founded, balanced assessments. Within a clearly defined period of time, participants receive expert input, discuss different scenarios, and develop them further.
For the Mobility2Grid research campus, planning cells are a key tool for reflecting scientific projections and scenarios against real-life everyday experiences. They make it possible to examine technological and systemic visions of the future at an early stage for their social viability, acceptance, and potential conflicts of interest.
The planning cells carried out were assigned to the topic of neo-mobility, which is developing scenarios for mobility and energy development in Berlin until 2045 at the research campus.
Procedure and thematic structure
Over three consecutive days, the participants worked in small groups and in plenary sessions. The discussions focused on four central topics that were identified as particularly influential for the future of mobility in Berlin:
- Availability and accessibility of mobility options
- Autonomous driving
- Micromobility
- Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS)
At the beginning, participants received technical assessments from experts in the field of research. The research team from the Technical University of Berlin then presented two selected projections for each topic area, describing different possible development paths for the year 2045. These projections served as a basis for discussion and were systematically analyzed, evaluated, and further developed by the participants.
The content of the planning cells was developed by several departments at the Technical University of Berlin, including the Department of Road Planning and Road Operations, the Department of Transportation Systems Planning and Transportation Telematics, and the Department of Work Studies/Technology and Participation. Neutral moderation and methodological support were provided by the nexus Institute for Cooperation Management and Interdisciplinary Research, which has many years of experience with deliberative participation processes.
Citizen‘s report as an interface between research, politics, and the public
The assessments and recommendations developed in the planning cells were summarized in a citizen‘s report. This report is made available to the Mobility2Grid research campus, the professional public, and political and administrative actors. It forms an important bridge between scientific scenario development, social perspectives, and future decision-making processes.
The citizen‘s report is available for download here: (only in german language available)
M2G_Bürgergutachten_Planungszelle_Weniger_Verkehr_mehr_Mobilität
