Educational Inequality and Urban Development: Education as a Field for Urban Planning, Architecture and Urban Design

Abstract

Educational inequalities and spatial disparities can be intertwined; consequently, education has become a field of action for urban planners, architects, and urban designers. To establish this key argument of our contribution, we start by explaining the background of education as a field of policy and action in urban development and planning in Germany. We establish how strategies for the development of deprived neighborhoods are focused on a growing variety of education-related topics and measures. Subsequently, we discuss so-called sociospatial educational landscapes as projects in which educational policy, urban planning, architecture, and urban design are particularly closely interwoven. We introduce two examples: “Morgenland Neighborhood Education Center” (Bremen) and “Campus Rütli” (Berlin). Drawing on an in-depth analysis of eight socio-spatial educational landscapes we reconstruct seven motives, describing the deeper meanings stakeholders attribute to the projects. We conclude with a critical reflection on the pedagogization of spaces of childhood and youth inherent in the policies discussed throughout the contribution.