The Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume: Creating Equal Opportunities in Urban Areas

Cover Photo: Stefan Bayer, Darmstadt / Translation: Karoline Brombach / Design: www.laborb.de

The Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume is a legally responsible foundation under civil law and is part of the group of the Montag Stiftungen in Bonn, Germany.

Creating Equal Opportunities in Urban Areas Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume Gemeinnützige Aktiengesellschaft Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany phone: +49 (0) 228 267 16-470 e-mail: urbane-raeume@montag-stiftungen.de www.montag-stiftungen.de/mur www.neue-nachbarschaft.de

To meet this challenge, the foundation has developed three programme areas: Supporting and Connecting Neighbourhood Initiatives Residents who, for example, put their commitment and their courage into creating a »neighbourhood living room«, managing a public swimming pool or launching a cooperative shop face many challenges.

With its New Neighbourhoods programme, the foundation supports these initiatives that collectively develop so-called »Immovielien« – real estate properties for the benefit of many. The foundation provides its unique expertise and know-how through customised consulting services and networking as well as creating bespoke networks for committed residents and specialists. These networks help neighbourhood initiatives position themselves as valuable local partners during development processes focused on equal opportunities.

Sylvia Lösche, Cologne

HauptwegNebenwege.de / Janet Sinica, Cologne

The Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume’s mission is to create equal opportunities in deprived neighbourhoods and to empower local residents to lead a self-determined life. To accomplish this goal, the foundation, at various levels, supports neighbourhood initiatives that engage in the joint development of properties while ensuring the best interests of the community are met.

Developing Properties with Common Value With its programme Initial Capital for Community Development Focused on Equal Opportunities, the foundation takes action locally. It invests both in people and in bricks: By investing in a property and in collaboration with communities and initiatives, the foundation generates permanent surpluses – funds that can then be used to support non-profit neighbourhood projects. At the same time, the foundation takes an active role in the neighbourhood’s community work.

By spreading dialogues and publications targeted at administrations, political stakeholders, businesses and organisations across the country, the foundation promotes its concept of developing properties with common value through initial capital.

Initiating Dialogue, Building Bridges, Changing the Framework Neighbourhood development that is committed to the public good needs many partners. It will only succeed if civil society, public authorities, and businesses work hand in hand with and for the local people.

The foundation sees itself as a bridge-builder between highly diverse neighbourhoods and stakeholders, bringing them into a recurring dialogue with each other. With its programme area Urban Dialogues, the foundation presents its topics, its attitudes, and its experience within expert discussions, engages in dialogue, creates networks, organises events, develops campaigns, and leverages its role as a member of various committees and associations.

Upholding the key concern of its founder Carl Richard Montag – promoting a spirit of community in our society – the Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume follows the foundation group’s overall mission:

acting with social responsibility.