Full Title:
Three Ladders of Participation:
A Proposed Model for Public Social Spaces
Author:
Timothy Fuller
Semester:
3rd
Supervisors:
Professor Dr. Philipp Dechow - University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart
Uli Sailer - Founder and Chairperson Mitmachzentrale Gerlingen
Date:
Winter semester 2023-24
Awards:
"Best of 2025" by HFT Stuttgart
Participation is vital to democracy, city planning and the organisation of public spaces. This study examines how public social spaces can encourage participation and how to effectively evaluate it. Traditional models, like the ladder of participation dating back to the 1960s, have been adapted over time. The study proposes a new three-ladder model to better represent participation in public spaces, considering design, programming, and ownership factors.
