15.10.2026
The international event “Parking Day” invites people to rethink the use of parking spaces, experiment with new possibilities for public space, and engage in conversation. On 19 September 2026, our «saarmila» network took part in the initiative in Saarbrücken for the first time. We had the opportunity to transform two of the 32 parking spaces along the stretch of road between Bleichstraße and Rosenstraße, which were temporarily repurposed for one day. During this time, the street was given over entirely to pedestrians and cyclists. This created a new interactive street space where people played, talked, made music, shared information, and introduced greenery. At the heart of the event was the question of how we, as a society, want to use the limited space available in our cities in the future, and what broader functions it could serve. Key issues concerning public space, such as the quality of urban life, the equitable distribution of space among different modes of transport, and the growing importance of climate adaptation, were made tangible through direct experience, encouraging dialogue and exchange.
02.10.2026
An attractive, practical, and equitable public transport system in Saarland can become a reality by developing innovative approaches, sharing experiences, and bringing together perspectives for sustainable mobility. The joint Mobility Congress organised by the Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Mobility, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (MUKMAV), together with IZES, the Saarmila research project, and the Future – Transportation – Society (FTS) competence centre at htw saar, addresses these challenges. The congress brings together stakeholders from politics, public administration, academia, transport companies, municipalities, and civil society, creating space for exchange, reflection, networking, and new ideas around public transport and mobility in Saarland...
01.09.2026
From 1 to 4 September 2026, the Annual International Conference of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG), one of the largest international conferences in the field of geography, took place in London. Under this year’s theme, “Geographies of inequalities: towards just places”, researchers from around the world discussed how spatial and social inequalities emerge, reinforce one another, and can be overcome. For the Saarmila project, the conference provided an opportunity to bring current findings into a more strongly theoretical debate on mobility, power, and social inequality. In the presentation “Against the inevitability of cars: power, gender, and authoritarian mobility”, Dr Andrea Amri-Henkel explored why car-based mobility appears so self-evident and which social power relations are reflected in it...
30.06.2026
Our First Zine Mobility Culture in the Saarland provides a concise overview of the development of mobility in the region from 1945 to the present. As one of the first outcomes of our project, this zine aims to contribute to the contemporary discourse on mobility by opening up new conversations and encouraging shifts in perspective on the region's planned landscape. Through a retrospective analysis, we examine how political decisions, economic transformations, and urban planning principles have shaped today's transportation infrastructure. The zine focuses on why the Saarland has developed such a high density of cars and highways and explores the historical path dependencies that have led to this situation. At the same time, it investigates how everyday mobility needs have evolved over time and how different social groups have been affected by these changes...
25.06.2026
On 25 June 2026, the first Mobility Workshop was held at Saarbrücken Castle as part of the Saarmila research project. The event focused on a key question: How can everyday cycling for local and intermunicipal travel be strengthened across the Regional Association of Saarbrücken? To address this topic, representatives from almost all municipalities within the Regional Association, the Managing Director of the AGFK Saarland (Working Group for Bicycle-Friendly Municipalities in Saarland), and representatives of the Regional Association’s Road Traffic Authority came together for a day of exchange and collaboration. The workshop aimed to strengthen networks among municipal staff responsible for cycling and mobility planning while establishing new channels for intermunicipal cooperation. This newly created forum is intended to support the identification of shared challenges and enable municipalities to formulate common support needs to be addressed by the Regional Association. The event opened with an interactive introduction that not only allowed participants to get to know one another but also created a spatial connection between the participating municipalities. The programme continued with two keynote presentations. The first, delivered by AGFK Saarland, highlighted the importance of intermunicipal cooperation and networking in advancing cycling policies. The second presentation, given by the Regional Association’s Road Traffic Authority, provided insights into the authority’s general approach to cycling-related measures and explained its statutory responsibility to ensure road safety. The presentation was complemented by practical examples from municipalities where the authority had successfully supported the implementation of cycling infrastructure and traffic management measures. Together, these contributions stimulated lively and constructive discussions among participants. The final workshop session built on this momentum by inviting participants to develop a shared vision for the future of cycling within the Regional Association. Central questions included: What role should cycling as a sustainable mode of transport play in the region’s future mobility system? What common long-term vision should municipalities work towards, and what characteristics should define this future state? Through collaborative discussions, participants developed initial draft strategic objectives. These will be continuously refined throughout the duration of the Saarmila research project. Ultimately, this process may result in a broadly supported vision for sustainable mobility in the Regional Association—one that could also serve as inspiration for a future state-wide mobility vision for Saarland. With its transformative research approach, Saarmila seeks to initiate, support, and scale such co
30.05.2026
After extensive planning and preparation, the day had finally arrived: on Saturday, 30 May 2026, the Road Safety Day in Homburg took place, and the “saarmila-wohnizmmer” moved out onto the streets. At four interactive stations, families with children as well as other interested visitors were invited to share their experiences of mobility. The discussions focused particularly on journeys to kindergarten and school. The teams from Saarmila, BIN Saar, and fugeefilms, who had joined forces for this project, were delighted by the strong public interest....
25.05.2026
On 25 May, an online workshop on science communication took place. The aim of the meeting was to develop a shared understanding of key concepts, logical relationships, and approaches in order to better align the communication activities of our regional network in the future. Our analysis began by examining fundamental concepts such as “communication” and “science communication.” We discussed different perspectives, focusing on how social, cultural, and political contexts influence our ability to create and negotiate meaning. With regard to our project objectives, we also identified the possibility of acting as “agenda setters” by addressing issues of sustainable mobility that are considered relevant within our regional context. The topic of “strategic communication” emerged as an important aspect of our research. This raises the question of how strategic communication can be connected to our participatory research approach. On the one hand, we aim to communicate research processes and findings in a targeted and strategic manner. On the other hand, we seek to keep our participatory approach open and act as “bridging actors” who bring together different perspectives. This includes actively involving different actors in the communication process and giving them the opportunity to shape the content, forms, and processes of science communication. We therefore understand science communication as a practice that is both strategic and participatory. This relationship needs to be continuously reflected upon and critically questioned throughout the project. For us, this means contributing scientific expertise and authorship while remaining open to other perspectives and forms of participation. Questions may deliberately remain open, while uncertainties and ambiguities are acknowledged and allowed to persist. We do not understand expertise and authorship as fixed roles, but rather as something that can be shared and collectively developed throughout the process. For us, it is particularly important to examine how participatory processes can emerge through continuous dialogue and the joint development of ideas about possible futures. In this sense, we pursue a research approach that seeks to make participants’ experiences and expectations a constitutive part of the emergence of new social realities. At the same time, our analysis adopts a self-critical perspective by addressing the inherent tension between strategic communication and participation. Strategic communication tends to limit participation: acting within a predefined brand logic or a predetermined agenda produces specific verbal and visual framings that risk constraining the participatory process. Against this background, we understand the project as a suitable case study for analysing, critically reflecting on, and gradually deconstructing our own communication practices through an iterative process. (Infographic 1.1)
05.05.2026
On May 5, 2026, the first stakeholder workshop titled “On-Demand Transportation in Saarland” took place at the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Mobility, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection (MUKMAV) in Saarbrücken as part of the Saarmila research project. Under the theme “Working Together for the Sustainable Scaling of On-Demand Transport in Saarland,” representatives from the various flitsaar projects came together, including the MUKMAV, the ZPS, as well as transport companies, public transport authorities, and municipalities from the three flitsaar regions.
18.11.2025
On November 18, 2025, the project team Saarmila conducted a walkshop in the Vogelsang Educational Quarter, applying the methodology of promenadology to gain a deeper understanding of the area. The educational quarter comprises the Vogelsang Primary School, the municipal daycare center Metzer Wiesen, and the Protestant daycare center. The objective was to foster a conscious and subjective perception of space, followed by a critical reflection on spatial quality, with particular attention to safety and quality of stay.
02.11.2025
Our transdisciplinary team is currently focusing on researching and communicating the historical and political factors that have shaped the present state of mobility planning in Saarland, as well as the effects such a system has on the everyday lives of its residents. This focus was developed on the basis of current data, which show that Saarland has the highest motorway density and the highest private car density of all German federal states. Drawing on regional and urban history, video and photographic archives, and field research, we analyze the broader context in order to better understand our surroundings from multiple perspectives.
