Student feedback on urban design: Ideas for Brandenburg's future!

Student feedback on urban design: Ideas for Brandenburg's future!

Something is happening in Kölle - and it is primarily the students who are raising their voices! The Stadtspielraum, which will take a mid-term review on July 15, 2025, shows how important the feedback from the younger generation is. According to the city administration, which launched the “Let’s play climate adaptation” project, students report valuable feedback that is essential for implementing their ideas. But what exactly was said?

Some students were surprised by the high costs associated with individual actions in the game. This reality brings a breath of fresh air into the discussion and allows the participants to reflect intensively on the realities of urban planning. The desire for more diversity in the city's playing space was also expressed, but this change is not possible in the current phase of the game. However, the feedback from the students is extremely valuable for the project and will be incorporated into the design of Bauhofstrasse.

Feedback as a driver of development

This context also shows how important student feedback is for education. A study conducted by Dr. Ann-Kathrin Jaekel at the Hector Institute for Empirical Educational Research emphasizes that students can easily assess the quality of their teachers' teaching. Regular feedback not only improves learning, but also the work of the teachers themselves. However, many of them currently only use feedback sporadically or not at all. A circumstance that could frustrate both students and teachers.

Under the motto “Learning through internships,” the university seminar also provides exciting insights into the importance of student feedback. Over 150 student teachers were surveyed and the results show that the potential of student feedback in teacher training often remains unused. A systematic analysis of student opinions is necessary in order to effectively increase the quality of teaching.

Setting the course for the future

Feedback should become a central element of quality improvement in schools, especially in secondary school, as confirmed by the study on the perception of teaching. Those responsible agree here: a structured approach to obtaining feedback should become standard. Perhaps in the future it will be mandatory for teachers to actively collect student feedback, as is the case at universities.

The “Let’s play climate adaptation” project will end on September 29th with a final dialogue that will present exciting results. Participation in the Stadtspielraum is still possible until July 27th and Cologne women and men are cordially invited to contribute their creative ideas.

It remains to be seen whether the students' feedback will be received and how it will be put into action. One thing is certain: the commitment and demands of the younger generation can help the city of Cologne to become more lively and cosmopolitan.

For further information on current developments, interested readers can read the article Meeting point Brandenburg, Education Server and Lead school read up.