All Things Urban

For a generation, people living in the traditional industrial heartlands all over the world have been buffeted by a technological and services revolution, the decline of manufacturing, and the rise of a borderless global digital economy. The result is deepening inequality, ongoing political support for right-wing populists and a hollowing out of the middle class. This three-year project and its partners from the U.S. and Germany are dedicated to creating new opportunities in old industrial heartlands in both countries by forging a transatlantic dialogue, exchanging best practices and developing political strategies and policy solutions for a better, greener and more democratic future in the “places that don’t matter”. The main goal is to deliver increased living standards and opportunities, while also working towards rebuilding trust in democracy in the U.S. and Germany.

Young leaders, practitioners, and thinkers up until the age of 35 from Germany and the US who are passionate about the industrial heartlands and interested in shaping a better, greener, and more democratic future through transatlantic dialogue.

Fill out the application form, including two short essays on your interest and motivation to join the project, by 22 May 2023. A jury of experts in transatlantic relations as well as in topics of eco and democracy in the industrial heartlands will short-list the most promising candidates. The eligibility criteria for the application can be found below.

You will become the representatives of this important initiative and join us on two week-long delegation trips through the industrial heartlands in the U.S. and Germany. Fellows receive a networked platform to publish and present policy briefs that showcase their work to audiences in both countries. There is no financial compensation.

Das Progressive Zentrum (The Progressive Centre) is an independent and non-profit think tank based in Berlin. The organisation aims to foster new networks of progressive actors from different backgrounds and to promote innovative politics as well as economic and social progress. To achieve this goal, Das Progressive Zentrum involves mainly young thinkers and decision-makers from Germany and Europe in its progressive debates.