Aktuell engagieren sich bei lala.ruhr:
lala.ruhr versteht sich als regionale Idee und als Netzwerk von Menschen und Organisationen jeder Art und Ihren Aktivitäten. Zu Projekten und Anlässen suchen wir Partnerschaften und Mitstreiter.
Sebastian Schlecht
Sebastian is an architect and urban planner. He is the founder of lala.ruhr. Until 2023, he headed the Green Cities and Regions division at Baukultur NRW, and prior to that, he was responsible for project management for the 2017 European Green Capital Award at the City of Essen. Sebastian has international expertise in green urban development and its interaction with mobility and climate. He is also an active member of the board of JAS Jugend Architektur Stadt e.V. and teaches at various universities.
Melanie Kemner
Melanie is a co-founder of lala.ruhr and an expert in the marketing and implementation of regional initiatives. Following the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010, she has been working as an independent cultural manager and communications consultant for organizations including Ruhr Tourismus GmbH, the Regionalverband Ruhr, the Pixelprojekt_Ruhrgebiet, and the Zollverein Foundation. She headed up marketing for the European Green Capital – Essen 2017. Melanie is also a co-founder of c/o raum für kooperation.
Johannes Zell
Johannes studied landscape architecture at the University of Kassel and works at the intersection of (landscape) architecture and communication. For several years, he has been responsible for marketing and public relations at Förder Landschaftsarchitekten. At lala.ruhr, his responsibilities include social media and visual communication.
Sira Kremer
Sira is the project manager for Urban Experience Ruhr at lala.ruhr and, since 2026, has held a master’s degree in sustainability sciences from Lund University, focusing on event-based sustainability strategies in the Ruhr region.
Annette Bathen
Annette studied philosophy and political science at TU Dortmund University. Her research focuses on cooperative politics at the local level, the role of civil society in political processes, and the development of urban living spaces. Annette has been with Urbanisten e.V. since 2017 and is part of the core management team.
Matthias Krentzek
Matthias is a creative entrepreneur based in Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf; his network of clients and partners is deeply rooted in the Ruhr metropolitan area. In recent years, he has successfully founded several companies and initiatives, including the Places _ VR Festival. He knows how to bring creative ideas to life, recombine familiar approaches, and seek solutions that go beyond the beaten path.
Roman Pilgrim
Roman Pilgrim is a freelance artist and the organizer of the Places _ VR Festival, Germany’s first free-to-attend VR festival. As the founder, he has built a network around himself through Insane Urban Cowboys e.V. that is attracting attention nationwide. For its work, the association was recognized this year as a “Creative Space” by Creative.NRW.
Bei bisherigen Projekten haben unter anderem mitgewirkt:
Sally Below
Sally advises and supports municipalities and institutions on challenging development and cultural projects, develops communication and discourse formats, and in collaboration with various partners, also brings her own ideas for the city to life. She is particularly passionate about fostering attitudes and perspectives and transforming spaces. To oversee the operational implementation of these concepts, Sally Below founded the firm sbca in Berlin in 1999.
Stephanie Stiehm
Stephanie is studying geography at Ruhr University Bochum. After earning a bachelor’s degree in climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, she is pursuing a master’s degree with a specialization in urban and landscape ecology. She is the first intern at lala.ruhr and also works as a student assistant in Prof. Dr. Christian Albert’s research group “Environmental Analysis and Planning in Metropolitan Areas.”
Isabella de Medici
Isabella is a landscape architect and a partner at the firm DTP Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH. She holds a teaching position at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and serves as a judge in various competitions. Isabella is also the spokesperson for open space planning and a member of the board of the BDLA NRW.
Nadja Grizzo
Since 2011, Nadja has been providing advice and support to cities across Europe on cultural matters and in their bids for the title of “European Capital of Culture.” Culture is also her favorite topic in her work as a freelance editor and copyeditor. A lot has happened since she joined the team for the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010: All across Europe, she’s meeting more and more people who are passionate about green and blue infrastructure, urban landscapes, and biodiversity and who effortlessly incorporate all of this into their work.
Johannes Baum
Johannes is a self-employed event planner (IHK) and a certified event manager (IST). The combination of his business training and years of experience in technical event sectors makes him an experienced liaison between the various trades. He plans and manages a wide variety of productions and events and ensures their smooth execution—in the Ruhr Metropolis, including for “European Green Capital—Essen 2017,” European Mobility Week, and Extraschicht.
Martina Nies
Martina holds a degree in geography and is an expert in co-creative processes and participatory formats. Through her professional experience in economic development, economic and political consulting, and academia and research, she has developed an understanding of diverse perspectives. She works as a freelancer under her brand, herdenintelligenz, and teaches as an independent lecturer at the University of Duisburg-Essen. At the Initiative for Sustainability e.V., she develops and oversees collaborative projects, such as the Urban Transformation Resource Center and the “Together for Urban Transformation” network.
lala.ruhrkooperiertaußerdem mit:
RVR – Regionalverband Ruhr
Kitev – Kultur im Turm e.V.
TU Dortmund, Fachgebiet Städtebau und Bauleitplanung
Citymakers Europe-China
TU Berlin – Fachgebiet Städtebau und Siedlungswesen
JAS – Jugend Architektur Stadt e.V.
Impact Factory
Die Urbanisten e.V.
Sally Below—sbca
Johannes Baum – planwärts.de
Nadja Grizzo
Büro Stadtforschen.de
BDLA – Bund Deutscher Landschaftsarchitekten
Planungsbüro DTP Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH
c/o-raum für kooperation
Open House Essen