Emilia Knabe

Emilia Knabe is a Researcher at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam's Design Department, affiliated with the Institute for Applied Research Urban Futures (IaF). She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, a B.A. in Product Design from Berlin University of the Arts, and an M.A. in Interface Design from University of Applied Sciences Potsdam (2021). Previously, she worked in technology start-ups and as a research assistant at the Design Research Lab (UdK Berlin), Weizenbaum Institute, and German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence.

Her research focuses on:

• Sustainable urban development through participatory approaches
• Designing inclusive digital tools for civic engagement
• Hybrid (digital-analogue) participation frameworks
• Accessibility in smart city technologies
• Human-centered design for urban planning processes

She currently leads PhD research within the federal program 'Modellkommunen Smart Cities', developing prototype formats for resident-inclusive urban development in Potsdam. Her work bridges academic research with municipal governance through collaboration with Potsdam's city administration.