Who really owns the city? Who can still afford to live there? Who gets to decide how the city, public spaces, and everyday life are organized? Which perspectives are visible and which remain invisible? How can we unite and change this together? How can we expand our understanding of the Right to the City in order to become bigger, stronger, more diverse, and to win new struggles? We want to discuss these and other questions together with initiatives and interested groups at the Right to the City Forum in Offenbach from June 12 to 14, 2026.
What is the right to the city?
The Right to the City combines the demand for a more equitable city with the promise to shape it together. However, this right has not yet been realized: not everyone can participate equally in urban life, live there, use it, and change it. Especially in light of the many attacks on hard-won participation and diversity, it is important to consistently demand this Right to the City and to open it up further.
We want to engage with different perspectives and come together. The Right to the City Forum provides a space for learning from one another: Here, we want to support and encourage each other with our different experiences and backgrounds in order to unite our struggles. That is why this year's forum focuses on getting to know one another, building relationships, connecting, and forming alliances. To achieve this, we need collective spaces and meeting places—especially in Offenbach!
What’s going on in Offenbach?
Local authorities in Germany have long been facing a politically induced financial crisis. In Offenbach, the consequences are clearly visible. Radical austerity measures since the 1990s have destroyed much of the public infrastructure. At the same time, every effort is being made to enhance the city's image: image campaigns, creative policies and expensive new neighborhoods are intended to attract investors and rich people.
While the city's policies are oriented towards the wealthy, businesses and investors, many people in Offenbach are unable to participate. This is because high housing and living costs are combined with one of the lowest per capita incomes in Germany. Who decides on Offenbach? Who is the city made for? A large part of Offenbach's urban society is formally excluded from politics: many people are not allowed to vote because of their national citizenship. The goal of so-called “social mixing” pursued in city policy means displacement and exclusion, especially from public spaces such as the city center.
In recent years, initiatives and movements have resisted these developments and engaged in struggles, large and small, for a different city. Let us bring these struggles together! We must engage in politics ourselves! In the post-migrant society, we cannot rely on formal participation and current urban policy.
We have been planning the forum in Offenbach since the summer of 2025. We, the organizing team of the Right to the City Forum Offenbach, are an open group of (urban) activist individuals from different political contexts in Offenbach and the surrounding area.
Together for a just city and a good life for all!
We are all part of the forum. Are you active in neighborhoods, self-organized projects, urban and housing policy groups or associations? Then come to Offenbach in June and help shape the forum!
We welcome contributions such as workshops, discussions, lectures, performances, city walks or other formats of your choice!
Submissions on the following topics are particularly welcome:
However, these topics are only focal points and not “requirements.” We are open and, of course, welcome further contributions from you on many other topics!
The call is aimed at (urban political) initiatives and groups active nationwide—and especially local Offenbach groups and activists. We particularly invite groups and interested persons whose perspectives and topics have so far been overlooked in urban political debates!
Send us your program proposals (max. 300 words) by April 15, 2026 to:
info@rechtaufstadt-forum.de
Please include:
Please keep in mind that we want a broad and diverse program that people with different levels of knowledge can participate in. We welcome contributions from long-time activists as well as low-threshold formats that are suitable for people with little contact with the Right to the City movement. We would like to enable contributions in different languages.
Network with each other to design the program: You are welcome to organize workshops together with groups from other cities—or report on local struggles. The Program Working Group will support you with the detailed planning!
We also need your financial support! We would appreciate any donations in advance.
Please email us at info@rechtaufstadt-forum.de for our account details.
