Our research project “InterMoDe—Designing the Municipal Mobility System” was represented at the “Neue Wege!” conference organized by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) in Bonn. The two-day event (July 1–2, 2026) brought together model projects and real-world laboratories from across Germany to exchange findings, experiences, and perspectives on research for sustainable mobility.
On the first day of the conference, Julian Schwarze from the OIMD participated in a panel discussion as an expert in design, science communication, and mobility design. The discussion focused, among other things, on the role that design plays in the transfer of research findings and how research, administration, and municipal practice can interact productively to ensure that pilot projects lead to lasting change. After all, whether new mobility offerings are accepted depends largely on how they are designed and communicated.
On the second day, Hanna Bader, Andreas Blitz (City of Offenbach), Anton Viehl, and Julian Schwarze (HfG Offenbach/OIMD) presented the project at the InterMoDe booth. The focus was on the use of VR simulation in mobility research: immersive visions of the future make intermodal mobility tangible before it is built—thereby breaking down mental barriers among both decision-makers and citizens. The numerous conversations at the booth confirmed the great interest in design-based and immersive methods for the mobility transition.
The conference made it clear: there is no shortage of ideas and proven solutions—the real challenge lies in implementation, that is, in actually forging new paths. With this mission and many insights gained from exchanges with neighboring projects such as RaMo and Klimapakt2030plus, we are returning to Offenbach.
