zubewegt

Zubewegt is a transdisciplinary project and platform focused on movement, gesture, and mobility in urban spaces. The name combines the German elements zu ("toward") and bewegt ("moved" or "movement"), conveying the idea of movement toward outcomes, ideas, or actions.

Origin and scope: The project began in 2014 in Berlin, initiated by choreographers, urban researchers, and technologists, with collaborators across Europe. It operates as a network rather than a single institution and seeks to connect art, planning, and citizen participation to examine how people move through cities and how space shapes movement.

Activities: Zubewegt runs residencies, public performances, and workshops that invite residents to participate in movement-based mapping and storytelling. It maintains an open data and software portal for visualizing mobility patterns (anonymized and aggregated) and publishes guidelines on participatory design and responsible data use.

Projects: Notable initiatives include Stadtbewegung, mapping pedestrian and cycling flows; Bewegt im Netz, an online gallery of choreographic snippets; and Zubegleit, a citizen-science program documenting micro-movements to inform urban interventions.

Governance and funding: The organization operates as a non-profit with a rotating board and advisory circle. Funding comes from cultural funds, municipal grants, European cultural programs, and private sponsorship, complemented by university and city partnerships.

Reception: Zubewegt is recognized for fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and public engagement around urban mobility. It also engages in debates about data privacy, inclusivity, and representation in movement studies, reflecting broader smart city discourse.

See also: urban mobility, participatory planning, data ethics.