Bob Campus - Von Der Magie Des Gemeinsinns - Gemeinwohl Bauen by Johanna Debik Paperback

Book Synopsis

Social cohesion requires trust, a sense of community, and tangible places. The BOB CAMPUS in Wuppertal is one such place--a social construct and a learning space, created and shaped collectively by many people. This book tells its story--personal, honest, and inspiring. Following the first volume in the Gemeinwohl bauen series, which focused on the structural and spatial transformation of a former textile factory, this second volume explores the socially transformative potential of participatory and cooperative processes in the creation and appropriation of the site. Around thirty people--from the neighborhood, volunteer initiatives, non-profit and migrant self-organizations, the Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume, and the municipal administration--share their personal perspectives on the project, supplemented by expert insights from urban planning as well as the social and educational sciences. Their stories illustrate what it takes to spark--and continually nurture--the magic of community spirit within a neighborhood.

• Good-practice example of a community-oriented, participatory transformation based on the "principle of initial investment"
• Focus on social processes, approaches, and lessons learned
• With portrait photography by Caroline Schreer and personal contributions from around thirty project participants from Wuppertal and the Oberbarmen neighborhood
• Background information on BOB CAMPUS, the award-winning neighborhood development project (including the 2025 German Urban Development Award)

About the Author

The Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume, based in Bonn, is an independent partner of municipalities, associations, and civil society initiatives in neighborhoods shaped by challenging social and economic conditions. Guided by the principle that "ownership entails obligations," it develops properties under the "initial capital" model that have a lasting impact on the neighborhood and open up new opportunities. Since 2014, the foundation has implemented corresponding projects including the Samtweberei in Krefeld, FreiFeld in Halle an der Saale, the KoFabrik in Bochum, the BOB CAMPUSand Wiesenwerke in Wuppertal, as well as the HONSWERK in Remscheid, while exploring additional potential project sites.