machbaren

Machbaren is a term used in German-language discourse to denote the subset of ideas, proposals, or projects that are considered feasible to implement under given technical, economic, and social conditions. It functions as a planning filter in collaborative design and policy processes, guiding which concepts move forward to prototyping or funding rounds.

Etymology and usage: The word builds on machbar, meaning feasible, with Machbaren forming a nominalized or plural form in practice. It is not an official term with a standardized definition; its meaning and scope vary across organizations and projects.

Origin and development: The concept emerged in the late 2000s to 2010s within participatory design, urban planning, and hackathon contexts in the German-speaking world, where teams needed a practical criterion to distinguish aspirational ideas from actionable plans.

Core principles: Feasibility, scalability, and sustainability are central. Additional criteria commonly include cost, technical risk, regulatory compliance, resource availability, community acceptance, and evaluable milestones. Proponents emphasize iterative testing and transparent criteria to avoid bias.

Applications: In workshops, municipal projects, product development, and policy proposals, Machbaren helps teams prioritize ideas for prototyping or funding. A typical usage is to classify proposals as Machbaren and Non-Machbaren and to advance only the former.

Criticism: Critics warn that the criterion can suppress innovative or long-term goals, embed risk aversion, and reflect the power dynamics of who defines feasibility. Proponents argue that clear feasibility criteria improve accountability and resource use.

See also: feasibility, participatory design, design for manufacturability.