CityLAB
Annual Review
2024
An innovation lab celebrates its 5th birthday
Directly to the annual reviewForeword
Five years of CityLAB – that means five years full of innovative projects, creative productivity, and important insights for the future of Berlin. When we opened our doors in 2019, it was not yet foreseeable what momentum our small city lab would develop. Today, we proudly look back on a vibrant ecosystem that actively shapes the digital transformation of the capital.
2024 was not only an anniversary year for us but also an important point of strategic realignment and impact orientation. Today, we work more closely than ever with the Berlin administration and their IT service providers to bring innovations from the lab to the field. In key areas such as the responsible use of artificial intelligence or the development of an overarching urban data management system, we were able to contribute important impulses from practice and initiate concrete projects.
We continue to rely on our proven principles: openness, a spirit of experimentation, and the courage to explore new paths together. CityLAB remains a place where the urban society is not only considered but actively involved. This happens, for example, in our mobile Kiezlabor, which once again successfully played various public places in the city this year. Or in network formats like our Sommerkonferenz, which was larger and more international than ever this year with more than 700 guests.
As always, my sincere thanks go not only to our great team at the Technologiestiftung Berlin but especially to all comrades-in-arms, partners, and critical companions who work, discuss, and shape with us at various points. We look forward to the next five years with you!
A video says more than a thousand words
Our documentary takes you behind the scenes – where ideas bubble, projects take shape, and creativity sets the direction. How better to start an annual review? Lights, camera, action!
Our Anniversary Year at a Glance
Dive into our highlights and click through the projects that fascinate you – from new AI solutions to neighborhood projects to our proven classics. Discover what inspired and moved us in 2024!
AI? Absolutely!
Impulses for the Berlin of Tomorrow
Artificial intelligence is indispensable in our everyday lives. There are also great potentials for administrative work: used wisely, AI can contribute to better services, less bureaucracy, and more efficient processes. As part of the AI Taskforce of the Berlin Senate Chancellery, we actively shape this transformation and explore together with employees and citizens how this technology can be used effectively and responsibly.
From Berlin to Washington: For More Transparency in Politics
With the launch of the Parla prototype, we achieved a real success at the beginning of the year: The AI system searches more than 14,000 public documents from the Berlin House of Representatives and proves to be an enormously helpful research assistant for administration and citizens alike. A successful example of how politics can become more transparent through AI. By the way, not only the Bundestag thought so, but also, no joke, the US government, which had our team explain the system's functionality.
The Kiezlabor on Tour
Innovation on Site
Shaping urban space together – With this mission, our Kiezlabor, as a network initiative of the Smart City Strategy Gemeinsam Digital: Berlin, continued its tour through the Berlin neighborhoods in 2024 and looks back on an eventful year: At 7 locations, with over 100 events and countless encounters with residents and urban initiatives, our Kiezlabor team had the opportunity to immerse deeply into the living environments of Berlin's neighborhoods and better understand the different wishes and needs of their residents.
Gropiusstadt
The first Kiezlabor stop in 2024 took us directly to the vibrant neighborhood of Gropiusstadt, right in the middle of Neukölln, with the motto "Rediscover Gropiusstadt." From conversations with district mayor Martin Hikel to joint actions with DEGEWO, we discovered the very personal topics and challenges of the Gropiusstadters and gained new perspectives on this unique neighborhood.
Shaping Digitization
New Solutions for Citizens and Administration
Just do it! With this resolution, we focused this year on developing innovative solutions for the city and testing their applicability. Service design, UX, and technical development are closely intertwined. In addition to our own developments, we also conducted structured user tests of existing products for the first time this year – from collaboration tools to monitoring dashboards to data platforms – and thus supported the development of usability and application competence in the administration. This ensures that new solutions not only come into use faster but also provide real added value for Berlin.
Our Digital Registration Check in Practice
In the project Citizen's Office of the Future, we again worked with the staff of the training citizen's office Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg this year to optimize work processes. A key finding: The most common cause of appointment cancellations in Berlin citizen's offices is missing documents. The jointly developed registration check provides a remedy: After a few questions, our prototype creates an individual checklist with all the required documents and is available in seven languages. This makes preparing for a visit to the authorities a breeze!
Open Data, Use Data
CityLAB + ODIS = 🥰
Working with public data has always been a core component of our digitization work. For this, we couldn't imagine a better partner in 2024 than our sister project, the Open Data Information Office (ODIS)! With the implementation of the first measures of the new open data strategy, such as the opening of core datasets and the development of the AI-powered GeoExplorer, groundbreaking projects were realized. At the same time, the regular ODIS events at CityLAB promoted exchange and knowledge transfer in the open data community – a strong foundation for the future of open data in Berlin.
Berlin Refreshment Map x LAGeSo
The Berlin Refreshment Map shows cool and shady places and can be an important navigator through the city on hot days, especially for vulnerable groups. In addition to implementing another open dataset on water refill stations, further cool places such as churches or neighborhood meeting points were added in cooperation with the State Office for Health and Social Affairs (LAGeSo). As part of the Bärenhitze campaign, LAGeSo linked and publicly promoted the Berlin Refreshment Map on their campaign page.
Stronger Together
Agile Support for Smart Cities
Not every problem needs a prototype – sometimes a bit of methodological support in the process is enough for really good results. That's why we accompany innovation projects from the Berlin administration and urban society. An important role is played by the Smart City Strategy Gemeinsam Digital: Berlin, which is not a strategy like any other: It is designed as a living document that wants to bring the Smart City ecosystem into continuous learning. Whether it is measure support, networking and exchange of actors, or impact measurement in the Smart City – there was a lot this year that our Smart City & Administrative Innovation team could learn and share!
Impact in the Smart City
For the second time in a row, CityLAB, the Senate Chancellery, Politics for Tomorrow, and the Smart City Unit of Berlin Partner jointly organized the GD:B Annual Conference in the festival hall of the Red Town Hall. This year's participatory conference was all about "impact" and offered numerous interactive exchange formats. A highlight was the inspiring keynote by Prof. Dr. Sascha Friesike, who impressively demonstrated how crucial an open error culture is. Because only when we honestly reflect on our mistakes can we understand why certain measures have not achieved an impact – and specifically readjust to achieve better results.
Theory Meets Practice
Scientific Collaborations at CityLAB
Whether Charité, HTW, or MIT – this year, too, we were able to work with internationally renowned partners from research and science on exciting topics such as health, urban mobility, and migration. As CityLAB Berlin, we are proud to actively contribute to these important issues and look forward to continuing to work with our partners to shape a more livable and future-proof city.
Fighting COVID with Data: Innovation through Collaboration
An interdisciplinary team of data analysts, medical informaticians, and administrative experts is working together on a data model to better understand Long COVID and other complex diseases. Sounds extraordinary? It is! Together with the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, we dealt with interdisciplinary questions about COVID and open data as part of the Data Institute Challenge of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI). The whole story can be heard in our podcast episode!
CityLAB in Exchange
Networking Locally to Globally
A year full of encounters and exchange lies behind us – and the numbers speak for themselves: 41 delegations from 15 countries visited CityLAB to exchange ideas with us on innovation and digitization. In addition, we participated in over 50 external events to share our knowledge and experience. And that was not all: With over 209 events & workshops, there was also a lot going on in our own premises. However, these numbers are far more than just statistics – they show how much potential lies in working together for Berlin's future!
Our Event Highlight of the Year
Just in time for our fifth anniversary, we opened the doors to the CityLAB Sommerkonferenz in June – this time right in the heart of the city, at Haus Ungarn. Together with you, we made the day a true highlight: 71 inspiring speakers, over 700 engaged participants, and 44 diverse program items created a jam-packed day with workshops, keynotes, panels, and talks. A colorful stage program and a cultural evening event rounded off the day perfectly, creating space for exchange, collaboration, and collective learning. The Sommerkonferenz once again showed us how much energy and creativity lies within our community!
The World Visits the Lab
Did you want to know from which countries we welcomed delegations at CityLAB this year? We have visualized it for you on an interactive world map – click through and discover for yourself how diverse and international our exchange was!
Our Classics
Proven Projects in a New Look
Prototyping is about quickly validating promising ideas. But what proves successful in the test should, of course, live on. That's why we are increasingly focusing on how our successfully tested products can be sustainably improved and consolidated over time. Depending on the product, there are various scenarios, from permanent in-house operation to handing over to other interested parties. Here are some of our classics that are not only still relevant but are getting better over the years.
Gieß den Kiez
Fresh Look and New Features for Healthy City Trees
One of our longest-lasting prototypes in a new look: After over four years of "Gieß den Kiez," we have given the platform a fresh coat of paint. Thanks to new features, the individual water needs of the trees are now faster and more precisely recognizable. The community can also see how active it is at a glance – with our new "Stats" feature: Over 10,000 dedicated volunteers have already donated more than two million liters of water over the years. Respect! Also new is the possibility for the diligent waterers to network directly via the platform – and the whole thing is now also available in English!
QTrees
Smart Predictions for Green Cities
Even after the project's conclusion in 2023, climate-related tree die-off remains a highly relevant issue. As part of the BMU-funded QTrees project, we collaborated with our partners to explore how an AI-driven forecasting system, utilizing diverse datasets, can support the targeted irrigation of urban trees. The insights gained from this research are being shared with other cities following the project's completion — and this year, we were even nominated for the BMUV’s "Blue Compass" award.
Handbook on Public Design
Our Bestseller in a New Edition
Our handbook is now available in its 4th edition, including an upgrade of the online version with even more methods! From preparation and team composition, through research and idea generation, to the development and testing of solution approaches, everything needed for impactful and evidence-based work is covered here.
Digital Vereint
Digital and Social: Volunteering Also Goes Online
The Corona pandemic brought many Berlin clubs and initiatives to their limits, as there was often a lack of digital skills, time, or resources to transfer their work to the digital realm. With Digital Vereint, CityLAB offered a quick support offer from 2020, strengthening civil society through networking, workshops, and events. After four successful years, the project will be continued in the future as an engagement platform by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion. A great success!
Hilf-Mir.Berlin
Secured Future: Support for Berliners in Crises
What takes a long time is finally consolidated: We are pleased to continue operating Hilf-Mir.Berlin in cooperation with the Senate Department for Science, Care, and Health (SenWGP) for the next two years, providing all those seeking help in psychosocial crises with a low-threshold information offer on all Berlin counseling centers. With Hilf-Mir.Berlin, it only takes a few clicks to find the right contact point – quickly, clearly, and anonymously.
Our Team
The Engine Behind Our Work
Behind every idea, project, and innovation at CityLAB is a dedicated team of creative minds working with passion and expertise for a better future. Our now 37-member team is not only the fuel for everything we do – it is also the driving force that inspires us to find new solutions again and again. With a good mix of different talents, perspectives, and an unwavering team spirit, we work together to implement visions that shape our city of tomorrow. Time to take a look at how we have grown as a team after five years!
Anja Lüttmann
Smart City Designer
Our Minds
Full of Ideas!
Who are the people behind CityLAB? In our blog series “The Minds of CityLAB”, we let our colleagues speak for themselves.
Our colleagues tell what drives them, what they are working on, and why sometimes chaos is a method. Whether idea jugglers, deep thinkers, or "I've never done it before, but I'll try it" types – there's no shortage of fascinating personalities here. Check it out and get to know the team that brings CityLAB to life!
Moments That Connect Us
From spontaneous lunches at Platz der Luftbrücke (who took the last hummus again?!) to legendary evening events and adventurous team outings – it's exactly these special moments that make the CityLAB team so unique. As the year comes to a close, we're taking you behind the scenes – where the truly important things happen: shared laughter, quirky-genius ideas, and those small moments that create lasting connections. Because let's be honest: Without these highlights, the everyday wouldn't be nearly as much fun!
Our CHO 🦮
(Chief Happiness Officer)
Four paws, one important job: Our LABdog Yumi not only keeps the CityLAB team in high spirits but also brings plenty of smiles, spontaneous cuddle sessions, and yoga breaks during stressful moments. Her biggest weaknesses? Squirrels and treats!🐾
CityLAB-Babies
Even outside of working hours, we’re shaping the city of the future – this year, our team grew in a very special way! Four little CityLAB babies were born, already bringing fresh energy to tomorrow’s city.
Subscribe to Our Channels
Stay up to date and don't miss any news – just follow us on our channels! You can find us here: