Introduction to the Potsdam Lodestar Approach

Urban complexity, urban development processes and their governance are exposed to the dynamics of interference, conflict and unplanned events that reinforce these aspects. Disruptions occur (e.g., unforeseeable crisis situations, conflicts arising due to social change processes, consequences of wrong decisions or “mishaps”), or complex problems have to be dealt with (e.g., extensive socio-economic restructuring or upgrading infrastructure networks, integrative concept developments, adjustment or securing of financial or human resources). In order to cope with the pluralization and heterogeneity of demands, cities must usually organize and launch negotiation processes, which are often associated with interventions. This requires the development, testing and application of strategies that deal appropriately and successfully with the complexity of these tasks. Their purpose is to contribute to (re-)achieving a temporary state of equilibrium and the resulting routines, or moving closer to a target for a new status quo.