Grounded Urban Practices (GUPs) refer to alternative initiatives engaging cities and public space that have emerged over the past decade in response to economic and political shifts. They engage space as an agent for change, an approach known as spatial activism, and share three main characteristics: a) being grounded, community-based and bottom-up; b) adopting a critical position vis-a-vis the status quo, market forces, government policies and conventional practice; and c) experimenting with alternative methods and tools, as well as legal, financial and organizational models.

In the second round of research, CLUSTER, Cario, Non-fiction, Amstedam and Z/KU, Berlin developed a research framework to study and engage Grounded Urban Practices in Berlin that have emerged over the past decades, within the context of post-WWI history of the city and its reunification thirty years ago. While similar questions were raised regarding the roots, structure, tools and challenges, this round addresses the specificity of the politically-active GUPs in Berlin raising three key questions about a) their pedagogical role and knowledge dissemination programs; b) their networking and history of alliance building; as well as c) the political influence and proactive engagement with local authorities.