Tangible Transformation

Researchers meet experts with practical experience, Wuppertal meets the world: more than 200 volunteers from Arrenberg invited the public to come to their district on September 8, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Wuppertal Institute. They showed the international audience how the former working-class neighborhood has gradually transformed into a pioneering climate-neutral district. More than 500 people took up the invitation, swapping ideas with the locals on urban farming projects, the sustainable use of real estate, sustainable design, and innovative energy concepts. In addition, small private restaurants on every corner made sure the guests could enjoy homemade meals during the "Restaurant Day Special." The Arrenberg district thus gave a practical demonstration of one of the major topics discussed at the Wuppertal Institute’s ceremony in the city hall that morning: sustainability is not a theoretical construct – in the best-case scenario, it is part of everyday life.