What’s it about?
The 2025 edition of the CityLAB Summer School explores how technologies and data can open up new perspectives on forests as ecological, social, and infrastructural spaces.
The goal: to use digital tools to make cities more resilient, regenerative, and livable.
In three hands-on challenges, participants will develop new ways to experience urban nature—through open technologies, creative methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The Challenges
1. DIY Drone / Kytoon
Build your own flying data collectors
In this challenge, participants will build simple flying objects like kites, balloons, or lightweight drones equipped with sensors or cameras. These devices will help explore hard-to-reach natural areas and collect data—such as microclimate measurements.
The focus is on low-tech approaches and open-source solutions, inspired in part by the Public Lab’s balloon mapping initiatives.
2. 3D Forest – Visualizing Environmental Data in Urban Nature
Making environmental data more visible
In the Tiny Forest at ZK/U (Center for Art and Urbanistics) in Berlin-Moabit, ecological sensor data will be collected and visualized in a 3D environment.
The aim is to develop creative new ways of visualizing environmental data that make complex ecological processes accessible and understandable beyond scientific audiences.
Tools include Blender, Arduino, and mobile 3D scanning apps like Polycam.
3. Forest Buoy – Acoustic and Sensory Interfaces
Making environmental data tangible
This challenge focuses on building a prototype that lets the forest “speak” through sound, light, or other sensory outputs. The “Forest Buoy” can function as an early warning system, a sound installation, or a documentary interface.
Open platforms like AudioMoth, TeleAgriCulture, or Elektrosluch will be used.
A key part of the challenge is the integration of the prototype into natural settings—such as the forest floor, on trees, or suspended in the air.
Goals of the Summer School
This year’s Summer School is a collaboration with the “Reallabor Wald” at TU Berlin, HTW Berlin, and ZK/U Berlin – Center for Art and Urbanistics.
It’s based on the idea that forests are not only endangered ecosystems, but also complex sensory environments, cultural archives, and design challenges.
The Summer School combines experimental making, interdisciplinary learning, and hands-on prototyping with current debates about nature, technology, and social transformation.
Closing & Outlook
The Summer School concludes with a public presentation of the resulting projects. Participants will showcase their prototypes and present ways in which digital tools can help make cities more resilient, regenerative, and livable.
ZK/U Berlin – Center for Art and Urbanistics
26 September 2025, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
