Living Together with Water

Context

Water shapes everyday life in Zurich. Rivers, lakes and streams are places for recreation, movement and social encounter, while also becoming increasingly important in the context of climate change, heat, drought and flooding. Yet people experience and relate to these waters in very different ways depending on their backgrounds, neighbourhoods and daily routines.

Many of these personal experiences and local forms of knowledge remain largely invisible. At the same time, there are few opportunities for residents from different backgrounds to exchange perspectives on how water influences their lives. "Living Together with Water" addresses this gap by creating spaces where people explore their own relationships with urban water and collectively investigate what water means for a good life in Zurich.

About the project

The project explores how urban waters are perceived, used and remembered by people with different backgrounds living in Zurich neighbourhoods. Together with residents, it develops new knowledge about the social, cultural and ecological significance of water in the city. Participants become citizen scientists and actively shape the research process. They develop research questions together, conduct interviews in public space, analyse the collected material and help decide how the results are shared.

The project combines scientific research, artistic practice and social exchange. It strengthens connections between residents, fosters new perspectives on urban waters and contributes to the development of participatory research methods that can be applied in other neighbourhoods and cities.

Project phases

• Co-design and preparation (Autumn - Winter 2026)
  Partnerships with Zurich community centres are established, workshop formats are developed and participants are recruited.
• Workshop series (Spring - Summer 2027)
  Participants take part in a series of seven to eight workshops. They share experiences of water, explore local waters through artistic activities, develop research questions, learn interview methods and conduct interviews in public spaces. The collected material is analysed together. Participants interpret the findings and collaboratively develop creative formats such as texts, audio pieces, visual works or performances.
• Public presentation and further development (Autumn 2027)
  The results are presented to the public and documented. At the same time, the project team develops a transferable methodology that can be used in future Citizen Science projects on urban water.

Participate in the project

Residents from different Zurich neighbourhoods are invited to participate. No previous research experience is required; only curiosity about water, the city and meeting other people. The first workshop series will take place at the community centre (GZ) Heuried in spring/summer 2027. Registration will be possible through the community center.

Participants are involved throughout the entire research process. Together they develop research questions, learn qualitative interview methods, conduct interviews in public spaces, analyse the findings and help shape the project's public outcomes. Their experiences, local knowledge and perspectives are essential to the project. They make it possible to explore aspects of urban water that would otherwise remain unnoticed. At the same time, participants gain insights into research methods, meet people from different backgrounds and contribute to new knowledge about water in Zurich. The results are shared through public events and creative formats and will also contribute to a practical methodology for participatory research on urban waters.