STAD O5O is part of Stichting YOU (Young Optimistic Urbanists) -a platform within the firm De Zwarte Hond, led by Ellen Schindler- which aims to strengthen the relationship between young people and the built environment. The book’s primary goal is to help young people navigate Groningen with a deeper understanding of the stories hidden within the places around them. The project does not seek to cultivate a generation of future designers or planners, but rather to foster curious, engaged citizens who understand that cities are shaped through decisions, participation, and collective action.
"Every first-year secondary school student in Groningen will receive this book. It is not only a gift, but above all an invitation. The generation that will live longest in our cities has the least say in shaping them. That is not a lack of goodwill, but a design flaw in our democracy. And democracy is not learned only in the classroom, it is learned in the city."
Ellen Schindler, Partner, De Zwarte Hond.
Despite a growing interest in participation and co-creation, young people aged 12 to 18 remain largely absent from urban planning processes. Their perspectives are rarely included in discussions regarding the future of the cities they inhabit. In this context, the YOU Foundation was established to bridge this gap, providing young people with the knowledge, confidence, and opportunities needed to engage with the spaces around them.
“We build the future for young people, but rarely with young people.”
Ellen Schindler
The narrative for STAD O5O was written by Auke Hulst, while Martin Hillenga provided the historical content and expertise on the city’s history. The book brings together 21 local illustrators, 2 photographers, and 4 poets, and incorporates contributions from young people across Groningen. Through history, illustration, photography, and poetry, a collective portrait—structured in three parts—takes shape, encompassing the city’s past, present, and future.
Rather than offering a straightforward historical chronology of Groningen, STAD O5O weaves together history and imagination into a multidimensional narrative about an independent city in the north. From medieval merchants and city walls to student life, social shifts, and contemporary challenges, the book reveals the events and processes that have shaped Groningen over the centuries.
From Rotterdam to Groningen
STAD O5O builds on the success of METRO O1O, a graphic novel about Rotterdam created by De Zwarte Hond. Since the 2022/23 academic year, nearly 30,000 first-year students across 76 schools in Rotterdam have received a free copy of METRO O1O. What began as a single publication has evolved into a broader educational program, supported by 33 lesson plans covering topics such as citizenship, inclusion, equal opportunity, the energy transition, and climate change adaptation.
Beyond the classroom, METRO O1O has transformed into a platform for workshops, exhibitions, and public events, bringing together young people, residents, urban stakeholders, educators, and policymakers to explore the role that young citizens can play in shaping the built environment and the future of their cities.
The Rotterdam experience demonstrated the power of storytelling to make complex urban issues accessible, relevant, and engaging for a young audience. STAD O5O draws on these lessons while maintaining a character uniquely its own—deeply rooted in Groningen’s history, its contributors, its youth, and the city’s distinct identity.
Launch and exhibition
STAD O5O will be presented on Friday, November 6, at 5:30 PM at Forum Groningen. The program will feature contributions from council member Carine Bloemhoff, writer Auke Hulst, historian Martin Hillenga, Bart van Leeuwen (partner and urban designer at De Zwarte Hond), and Ellen Schindler.
