The "Konferenz „Commoning Spaces! – Räume fürs Gemeinwohl aktivieren“" is a three-day event organized by the social design lab of the Hans Sauer Stiftung in collaboration with the Hochschule München's Faculty of Architecture. Its purpose is to highlight, network, and advance initiatives that repurpose underutilized spaces—such as vacant buildings—for the common good through creative, participatory approaches.25 Targeted at practitioners, researchers, organizations, and initiatives from Germany, it bridges contributions from academia and practice, with a call for abstracts and project submissions open until April 28, 2026.25
Key topics include identifying spatial potentials, transforming spaces via commoning practices, and exploring necessary forms of participation. These align with ongoing cooperation between the partners on vacancy detection and activation, common-good-oriented urban development, and church space transformation. The conference features thematic focal points detailed in a "Call for Participation," with contributions expected to address specific questions on innovative space appropriation.25 During the event, the Hans Sauer Preis 2026—offering €20,000 total to three to five projects—will be awarded to initiatives demonstrating these principles, requiring completed concepts and initial implementations.145
Expected outcomes include strengthened networks among pioneers in space activation, visibility for practical examples, and further development of gemeinwohl-oriented strategies. Participation is free but requires registration, conducted in German at the Hochschule München venue.25