BELT studios
One belt.
One region.
Plenty of local potential.
What are the BELT studios?
In the BELT Studios, students from Roskilde University and TH Lübeck - University of Applied Sciences work on different spatial development issues. Each studio is dedicated to finding recommendations and implementing them in urban development concepts or action plans for a specific location as well as a specific theme within the Belt region. The studio work is done in collaboration with local actors, at citizen and community level.
Scroll down for more brief information about the studios...
Studio 1
Neustadt in Holstein
Summer 2023
The first BELT Studio took place in Neustadt in Holstein. Students previously developed a spatial development strategy for the outskirts in the context of the new German-Danish belt region based on theoretical knowledge and an inventory analysis. This was then transferred into an urban development concept in the studio and subsequently applied to an area on site in Pelzerhaken.
Studio 2
Stubbekøbing
Winter 2023/24
BELT Studio 2 took place in Stubbekøbing in collaboration with the Stubbekøbing 4850 Initiative, which works to develop a centre for art and culture in the former DLG area with silos and warehouses at Stubbekøbing harbor. The students developed spatial strategies for a connection between Stubbekøbing town centre and the 4850 Initiative both in terms of tourism, business development and general revitalization of the old town centre. The students' concepts were presented to local citizens and municipal decision-makers.
Studio 3
Lübeck - Bad Schwartau - Ratekau
Summer 2024
In the third BELT Studio, Master students from Lübeck University of Applied Sciences and Roskilde University worked on urban development concepts for the Lübeck - Bad Schwartau - Ratekau region. They analysed the effects of the newly emerging interdependence and changed spatial configuration as well as the possibilities of transforming the region from a transfer space to a transformation space. The students developed future scenarios, carried out spatial analyses and drew up corresponding development concepts, ideas and cross-cutting issues.
Studio 4
Nakskov
Winter 2024
In what ways can we describe and understand our cities other than through planning documents, municipal plans and neighbourhood plans?
This question was raised at BELT Studio #4 in Nakskov, Denmark. Here, graduate students from RUC and THL conducted fieldwork focusing on life in Nakskov as experienced by the locals. Working in groups, the students gained insight into various aspects of local life, including billiards at the bodega, the bowling club, the trade association, and the volunteer forces in the local church. Through interviews and photographs, the students created photo essays depicting what makes Nakskov a special place for its residents and workers. The aim was to challenge the negative portrayals of Nakskov that have appeared in the media in recent decades.
Studio 5
Lübeck's Old Town
Sommer 2025
In Studio 5, we focused on the question: What role will the Old Town play in the future, particularly for young people? Lübeck's Old Town has undergone significant changes in recent years. Our focus was therefore on the transformation of the city centre, empty shops, and temporary projects such as 'Übergangshaus' and 'Schrangen'. These initiatives respond to the challenges currently facing the Old Town, such as public spaces being perceived more as transit areas than places to spend time in, and outdated department stores and commercial spaces lying empty. Urban planning students from THL and RUC documented everyday life in the city centre through photo essays and conversations with local citizens, creating a comprehensive portrait of Lübeck's historic Old Town.
Partnerships
