Last weekend, assemble.berlin, together with action week guests, explored, questioned, and temporarily transformed the Osthafen waterfront for the participatory workshop: “Reclaiming the Spree: Children’s Urban Visions for the Osthafen Waterfront.”

The session opened with an exercise in spatial curiosity, testing scenarios for accessibility, shade, and biodiversity. Together, the participants reflected on how to put Osthafen on the map for both human and non-human life and explored available mechanisms for the intervention. By bringing together children, parents, and neighbors of different ages, the session fostered an open, horizontal, and intergenerational dialogue.

Even though a sudden rush of strong wind and heavy rain eventually interrupted the outdoor event, the key conclusions and insights were already mapped. The first step of acting always involves being able to imagine alternative scenarios.