We are back in Kreuzberg!
We moved again and this time for real.
Find us at Charlottenstraße 2 where, together with LABELS (Cee Cee Creative), we will create a space for creativity the way we love to do it: with plants and sketches.
We will share more updates of this amazing space where we would love for you to come and say hi!
#tspa #office #urbanplanning #berlin
A smart city is not only a city full of screens and self-driving cars. It is a city that employs data to better allocate resources, cover needs, and make places more accessible for everyone. Public toilets are the best example of how using data helps to design people-centered smart cities.
The European Commission defines a smart city as a place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient with digital solutions for the benefit of its inhabitants and business. In the same notion, TSPA has developed two city-wide concepts for Berlin and Düsseldorf that provide a demand-oriented supply of public toilets. To do so, we identified priority locations based on geodata and a distance ratio allocating the city resources in the best possible way.
The approach is integrative for the objectives of the idea, not only quantitatively but also qualitatively. We accompanied city policies with the involvement of interest groups and parts of the city’s administration. To provide a detailed strategy we used a wide range of data provided by public and private authorities, analysed basic human behaviour patterns, and compared with other cities to develop a sustainable concept. We considered data such as existing facilities within a certain range, people densities, tourism patterns, and many others. Only the combination of these tools and variables can help to elaborate a holistic strategy. As a result, the number of publicly accessible toilets will be increased to 200 locations in Düsseldorf and 257 in Berlin.
Public Toilets might be overlooked as part of the backbone of a city’s infrastructure, but that doesn’t mean that it is of great importance for its inhabitants and visitors. Big data analysis and cross-sector comparison are tools that improve the provision of such a basic service.
The provision of public toilets is a realistic way of thinking about how cities can be smart because it contributes significantly to the quality and accessibility of a city’s public space. It influences how we move around in the city and whether restrictions arise for some groups of people. Making the cities more interactive and responsive, safer public spaces, and meeting the needs of an aging population.
We are aware that there are a lot of things to improve when it comes to public toilets. How to achieve gender equality in its provision? How to keep it functional and accessible for everyone? How can these be safe without displacing vulnerable populations of public space?
We might not have all the answers, for one it is clear that intelligently chosen locations can at least help to tackle the issue of unequal spatial distribution or unmet capacity. The data-driven planning here steps as the main pillar.
Last Week, Thomas Stellmach presented in the Annual National Planning Conference Highlights in Chengdu the presentation Nature-Based Solutions in the context of Data-Driven Urbanism invited by Isocarp. We parted from two main premises:
Climate hazards around the world during 2021
With all its effects, climate change is so familiar, from flooding, heat waves, melting polar caps caused by the man-made transformation of our surroundings. It has become the number one issue of our time. While we face this challenge, we see another big change happening, the shift towards big data and its automated analysis, affecting all realms of our life.
This July the Berlin’s Strategic Smart City Framework was handed over to the Senate for its operationalisation and implementation phases, the framework is part of the “Smart Cities Model Projects,” supported by the Federal Ministry of Interior as part of Berlin City’s effort towards a Smart City Strategy.
Thomas Stellmach will hold a workshop about Smart City Governance for Future
Can bureaucracy be creative and innovative?? Often outdated structures leave no space to adopt change. The Creative Bureaucracy Festival creates a space to discuss current struggles and point out new directions.
“The Creative Bureaucracy Festival celebrates outstanding innovation in the public sector and its contribution to a better, more sustainable, and more just world. It brings together bureaucrats and their allies – those who, at all levels of government, fight for the common good and make a difference.”
TSPA’s founder, Thomas Stellmach, who is actively involved in the Smart City Strategy for Berlin development as an Advisory Board member, will hold today at 16:00 a workshop about Smart City Governance for Future.
More than 20 years after the reunification, what shapes Berlin today?
The news broadcaster Al Jazeera interviewed three Berliners, and one is our founder Thomas Stellmach, who experienced city changes in the post-wall ’90s and now understands current ongoing processes such as gentrification and recognises the importance of a vision for Berlin and Brandenburg’s future development.
We were delighted to be considered as a valuable source to understand and reflect on the city.
Since the beginning of July we relocated our office space. Together with our beloved plants and sketches we moved to the industrial side of the district of Charlottenburg.
You can now find us at
Quedlinburger Str. 11
10589 Berlin
Germany
Feel free to send us recommendations about the area or come and visit us for a coffee!
Earlier this year, TSPA team started a new project – CityScan. An initiative for data-driven urbanism. We presented its first analysis at the Greentech Festival where we shared how the principles of sustainable urban planning combined with data can support the future of mobility planning.
How does City Scan approaches data driven urbanism?
“In my opinion, it is not expedient to try to stop urbanization in Africa. On the contrary, the focus should be on intervening in a steering manner to make it as sustainable as possible.”
– Thomas Stellmach at the German Bundestag in late December, where he gave recommendations in the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development regarding sustainable urbanisation.
There is exciting news: Today, Thomas Stellmach has been invited as an expert to a public hearing in the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development of the German Bundestag.
Last October we were part of the final presentation for the city extension of Berlin in Blankenburger Süden, for which our participation has come to an end. We look back into some of the key moments of this project and how it enriched us.
A year earlier, in October 2019 we were selected together with our partners from B+B and joined the cooperative workshop with the “Wild Card” this allowed us to experiment and try bold options for visualisation like building a model of the whole development area.
A 100 years ago today Berlin became Greater Berlin and a giant city emerged increasing its territory from 66 to 878 square kilometres, and increasing its population form 1.9 to approximately 3.9 million inhabitants.
TSPA and our partners Fabulism had the pleasure attend the opening event of the anniversary exhibition “Unfinished Metropolis: 100 Years of Urban Development for Greater Berlin” as one of the 5 awarded proposals which reflected on the city’s possibilities for 2070.
The exhibition, focused on the way living, working, traffic, leisure and recreation have unfolded through history, presents new ideas on the exemplary locations for future development.
You can now visit and see our proposal at Kronprinzenpalais, Unter den Linden 3, 10117 Berlin from October1st and until 3rd of January.
To learn more about the exhibition, visit the website below:
On October 1st, to mark the anniversary of establishment of Greater Berlin, Architekten- und Ingenieurverein zu Berlin-Brandenburg e. V. (AIV), together with Harald Bodenschatz, Benedikt Goebel, Christina Gräwe, Peter Lemburg, Marcus Nitschke, Wolfgang Schuster have prepared an exciting monographs “Unfinished Metropolis” While first volume presents history of 100 years of urban planning for Greater Berlin the second book contains entries from International Urban Planning Competition for Berlin-Brandenburg 2070. We are excited to have a sneak preview, as our latest project Landscape of Differences is among winning projects.
Find out more in the link below: https://dom-publishers.com/collections/monographs/products/unfinished-metropolis
Our founder and director Thomas Stellmach joined as a member of the advisory board set up by Mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller, to accompany the strategy development supported by the Federal Ministry of the Interior within the framework of the Smart City Call.
We are honoured to be part of a process with other 15 members from the city’s science, business and administration, and recognise this exercise as “a first step towards involving the urban community in the future development of digital infrastructure and exemplary pilot projects”.
Cooperation is a way to cope with complex urban issues. As a Humboldt Foundation and guest researcher at TSPA Aleksandra Katasonova will present some of her results exploring forms and effects of cooperation in urban development.
Join her in the online Tedx event next Tuesday 29th of September at 11am.
Register here: https://tedxkanzlerpark.online/…
Earlier this year, TSPA together with our landscape architecture partner B+B finalised the framework planning for the development of Blankenburger Süden. And since this week the results of the framework plan development for the south of Blankenburg are visible to the public on the website of the Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development and Housing.
As the largest extension of the city Berlin with the aim of accommodate the urban growth, it also gave us a chance to reflect on the influence of a planning project to the surrounding area and to propose a solution to balance between building construction and the existing nature. you can vote for our project! Through this online survey and a participation platform, questions can be asked and comments can be left .
We are very happy to announce that TSPA was awarded amongst the best projects in the International Urban Design Ideas Competition for the future of Berlin-Brandenburg 2070. The project “Landscape of Differences” developed with Fabulism office was selected as 4th place winner amongst 55 international participants by the Architects and Engineers Association of Berlin-Brandenburg. The competition theme marks the 100 years anniversary of greater Berlin. TSPA feels honoured to be selected as it is an exciting moment for contributions to the vision of our future cities and regions. The results of the competition will be presented in the exhibition “Unfinished Metropolis” in the Kronprinzenpalais from October on. You can find more information and details on the homepage of the Urban Design Ideas Competition.
Last Saturday June 27th TSPA opened its doors for the Tag der Architektur (Day of Architecture) organised by the Architecture Chamber.
After a convivial with drinks, our team presented some of our work and held a Q&A session.
Here are some snapshots of the event.
Thanks for everyone who joined us, we look forward to see you next year.
This 27th of June TSPA will participate in the Day of Architecture with an open office! Come and join us to hear more about or projects and exchange points of view. We will present our work and hold a session of Q&A followed by a convivial with drinks.
The event orgnaised by the Architecture Chamber will follow the existing hygiene regulations which include the registration of visitors.
For more information on how to register and review the map with all the participating projects, objects, open spaces in Berlin click here: https://www.ak-berlin.de/baukultur/tag-der-architektur/tag-der-architektur-2020.html
It’s common for city actors to compete for the same flows, instead, could there be a model towards a joint action aiming for solutions that would benefit everyone? This is the third post of the series about cooperation in city-making which describes insights learned from the Berlin-based grassroots initiatives. We will continue to observe city-making practice from different angles within
AutumnAnother Academy Berlin.Authored by our guest researcher Aleksandra Katasonova.
This is the fourth publication of the series “From work desks to work platforms” in which we share the strategies and tools that have helped us doing remote-work even before the Coronavirus Pandemic. Here we present two out of nine tools,Remote communication and basic office arrangement.
Video and Audio Conferencing, Screen Sharing, Chat and direct Exchange: Riot & Jitsi
This is the third publication of the series “From work desks to work platforms” in which we share the strategies and tools that have helped us doing remote-work even before the Coronavirus Pandemic. Here we present two out of nine tools, remote presentations, data collection and data analysis.
Presentations on Site and Remotely: Slides / Powerpoint / Keynote
As opposed to the previous chapter, that dealt with internal presentation, here we talk about external presentations — be it to a client or a lecture at a conference. We searched for a tool that lets develop presentations quickly, intuitively and work simultaneously with external collaborators. Another essential demands are easily grant access editing rights and offline working mode.
This is the second publication of the series “From work desks to work platforms” in which we share the strategies and tools that we have used doing remote-work even before the Coronavirus Pandemic. Here we present two of the nine tools we use. In the next posts we will share more.
File Sync, File Sharing, File Versioning: Dropbox
This is the second post of a series exploring how different city actors could act together towards a good city in the organization of an Autumn Academy in Berlin. Follow us for more updates.
Issues that modern cities are facing today are too big and complex for one actor or one sector to effectively manage. New capabilities are needed to help people think and act differently to adapt to rapid change. At present, across Europe city residents are engaged and motivated to demonstrate their ability in creating innovative solutions for important social issues. In this context cooperation between diverse partners from public, private, and community- based organizations is needed to foster equal footing to impact the city. Working together actors could empower each other with knowledge and expertise creating a better city.
In June 2019 the appointed Curator of the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale Hashim Sarkis introduced the theme of the next year’s event “How will we live together?” where architects were invited to think of a new spatial contract in the context of widening political divides and growing economic inequalities. Today, the main premise remains the same, yet the context now involves the consequences of a pandemic. So we at TSPA now ask ourselves “How Will We Act Together?” This is a relevant moment to think of the role of cooperation, self-organization and knowledge exchange to deal with long term crises.
Greetings from TSPA!
We are very happy to start the end of the decade busy with very exciting projects and a growing team. We started this year feeling 20/20.
Whether in Germany or overseas TSPA explored all of its capacities building climate resiliency, thinking of sustainable solutions, designing the neighbourhoods of the future and planning for all. We are looking forward to continue doing so in 2020.
Last week our team joined Bureau B+B in Amsterdam for an intensive design workshop.
Together, we developed the concept of our design proposal for Blankenburger Süden, a 120 hectares urban development on the north edge of Berlin.
The results of our collaboration provided ideas and images to develop a new structural and utilisation concept for the largest urban expansion site in the city.
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TSPA together with B+B has been selected as one of the teams that will form part of the cooperative workshop process in the development of Blankenburger Süden, Berlin largest urban expansion site. Starting in autumn 2019 and continuing until spring 2020, four teams will develop as many different test designs as possible for the planned new city district. The resulting ideas and images will be used to develop a new structural and utilisation concept (so-called “Alternative D”) for the south of Blankenburg.
Our team is happy to be part of a cooperative workshop process in which teams create the test designs simultaneously. The workshop process is the third building block of the so-called laboratory phase. The first two building blocks of the laboratory phase are “Sharpening key objectives” and “Clarifying framework settings”.
The area to which the sketches will be tested is of around 150 hectares. It extends from the former location of the Fachhochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft (FHTW) in the north to the approx. 90 ha core area – formerly a Rieselfeld, today arable land – to the Heinersdorf industrial estate in the south. In addition, the test designs will focus on the connection to the neighbouring neighbourhoods.
Some of the topics we will be discussing critically and creatively are: uses and functions, urban planning, open spaces and ecology, mobility and transport, and interdependencies with the neighbourhoods.
We are very happy to exchange ideas in this workshop with our salted collegues:
YelowZ
bgmr Landschaftsarchitekten
UmbauStadt
MLA+
Fugmann Janotta und Partner
CITYFOERSTER
Felixx Landscape
The south of Blankenburger Süden development is a response to the housing shortage in the state of Berlin located in what is still considered “a phantom” of green grounds and one of Pankow’s most rural regions. The 90 hectare core area projects to accommodate 5,000 to 6,000 apartments.
“Four teams of planners with a focus on urban development and landscape architecture will take part in the cooperative, urban planning workshop procedure. These four teams were selected via an EU-wide award procedure” explains Katrin Dietl, spokeswoman for the Senate Department for Urban Development (Schubert, 2019;Berliner Morgenpost).
In response to the housing shortage in the state of Berlin, the last legislative period prompted the search for suitable locations for housing construction throughout the entire Berlin city area. In spring 2016, the choice fell not only on ten further locations but also on the state-owned properties in the south of Blankenburg.
When the test drafts are available in spring 2020 – they should be as varied as possible and deliver concrete ideas and pictures – a draft can be derived from them which the Berlin House of Representatives will finally vote on.
Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Wohne, “Blankenburger Süden Aktuelle Entwicklung” (2019)
Schubert, Thomas. “Ein „Klimawald“ für den Blankenburger Süden” ( 23.08.2019)
On the 24th of January 2019, our dear colleague and Premio Berlino 2018 winner Valentina Travaglino shared her story of working with TSPA for the last 4 months. Presented at the Italian Institute of Culture (Istituto Italiano di Cultura Berlino), she shared her experiences and presented a status update of her work within TSPA.
Premio Berlino has been awarded for the second time to young architects for the excellence in their work. The program allows two Italian architects, who excel in the reuse and urban regeneration of urban spaces, to spend 6 months working within an architecture or urban planning office in Berlin. This program is funded by the Italian Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs.
TSPA feels honored that Valentina chose our office to spend 6 months working and collaborating on certain projects, such as the Impulse.Berlin project and the currently developing project of the three cities (Alto Molúcuè, Gurué and Milange) in Mozambique. During her presentation she shared her time approach and findings on what kind of challenges Mozambique faces and will face in the future and the research she has carried out. The presentations at the Italian Institute were free to the public and we were happy to see that the evening was well attended.
Want to follow Valentina Travaglino and her work at TSPA? Premio Berlino has set a final presentation of the six month period in March 2019, which is also accessible to the public. The final presentation of Valentina’s time at TSPA will be held at the Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory, so keep an eye on this website for when the actual date has been set!
Updates will also be shared via our TSPA Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
MakeCity.Berlin – is an international festival for architecture and urbanism. It is a platform to initiate changes for a better urban development in Berlin. This year, along the list of many other interesting practices and institutions from Berlin, TSPA became a funding partner of MakeCity.Berlin. It was a great opportunity to become more involved in the urban planning scene in the German capital and connect with experts, who are equally passionate about new discourses and opportunities of the city.
Additionally to the sponsoring role, out team had a unique chance to develop and propose a new project Impuls.berlin. Together with a great team of external experts, TSPA helped to develop an idea for a new knowledge and expertise sharing platform. Impulse.berlin aims to create an ecosystem where urban actors have the time and space to think and create a good city”. To find out more information about the project, click here.
You can read more about our contribution here
TSPA and Kollectiv Data started platform to make spatial data more accessible.
As cities are more and more pressured with the rapid changes, data analysis and data visualization can help to speed up knowledge transfer and cope with the upcoming being more informed and involved. CityScan is a platform founded with the aim of preparing geodata and making it usable. With appealing visualisations, different groups of access to spatial data in an uncomplicated and efficient way. A cooperation project, CityScan consist of the interdisciplinary team with the experts from geography, urban development, mapping and communication fields. It started as a part of the MakeCity.berlin festival. The main vision of this platform is to to bring different actors together, transfer information more transparently and start a new initiative to make our cities more livable. Making Berlin’s geospatial data more accessible and usable the aim is to stimulate initial discussions.
Find out more information about CityScan here.
On April 14th, Berlin-based landscape office bgmr celebrated (more than) three decades of their existence. They invited Anna Bernegg of Urban Catalyst, Fritz Reusswig of PIK, Antje Stokman of HCU and Thomas Stellmach of TSPA to discuss the future of landscape urbanism. It was an interesting discussion – Happy birthday Bea, Undine, Dirk, Carlo!
Visit us at ‘Tag der Architektur’ on June 23. Open door, interesting projects, lively discussions… and Vermouth drinks until we are out (the drinks). Also with mekado and cba, JCA and other partners.
Traditionell steht das letzte Wochenende im Juni ganz im Zeichen der qualitätvollen Baukultur. Am 23. und 24. Juni findet zum 23. Mal der Tag der Architektur, diesmal unter dem Motto „Architektur bleibt!“, statt. Das Programm dieses publikumswirksamen Ereignisses gestalten interessierte Kammermitglieder aller Bundesländer – mit Führungen durch zeitgenössische private sowie öffentliche Bauten, Freianlagen, Innenräume und/oder einem offenen Büro mit Standort in Berlin. Das diesjährige Angebot ist größer denn je. Allein rund 70 Projekte mit Führungen stehen auf dem Programm. In Berlin machen, passend zum Motto, nicht nur viele Denkmalumbauten anschaulich, wie sensibles Bauen im Bestand aussieht. Wer will, kann sich direkt mit denen austauschen, die all das geschaffen haben: Die Führungen übernehmen die Architektinnen und Architekten selbst. In den offenen Büros laden sie zu Vorträgen, Ausstellungen, Festen und Gesprächen ein. Das gesamte Programm sowie die App zum Tag der Architektur erscheinen im Mai 2018.
2018 findet zeitgleich auch das Architekturfestival MakeCity statt, das zusammen mit dem Tag der Architektur viele Aspekte des Bauens und der Stadtentwicklung thematisiert. Im Vorfeld findet am 16./17. Juni der Galerierundgang „Architecture Exhibitions Weekend“ statt.
To discuss the current gentrification process in Berlin’s neighborhoods, Kilian Immobiliengruppe together with Stiftung Zukunf Berlin organized the panel discussion ‘Remmidemmi in Rummelsburg – HURRA, DIE GENTRIFIZIERER SIND DA!‘
The debates about the gentrification process in Rummelsburg – about one of the most attractive and overlooked neighborhoods in Berlin, took a place in the new artist/studio quarter Gaswerksiedlung. Thomas participated as an urban planning expert and to share his insight about the impact of gentrification and different sides of this process.
Learn more about the event in the link below:
Quartiergespräch Remmidemmi in Rummelsburg
The municipal planning department of Berlin – the Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt – has commissioned a consortium led by TSPA to develop a comprehensive plan for the the Berlin’s provision with public rest rooms.
The project is intriguing, much more than we understood in the very first moment: How would a Toilet next to Berghain look like, in comparison with one at Brandenburg gate? What is the relation between Toilets and public advertisement in this city? What are new ecological approaches, and what do rest rooms have to do with tourism, safety, culture and public space in general?
We are looking forward to work with the colleagues at Zebralog and the Technical University of Berlin!
Die Versorgung mit öffentlich zugänglichen Toiletten beeinflusst nicht unerheblich wie wir uns in der Stadt bewegen. Dies ist insbesondere für die Jüngeren und Älteren, für Behinderte und für Touristen und Besucher der Stadt relevant. Es wird nicht nur darum gehen, dass die Versorgung sichergestellt wird, sondern auch in welcher Qualität. Um dies sicherzustellen, schlagen wir sechs Schwerpunktthemen – Wirtschaftlichkeit, Gestalterische Qualität, Sicherheit, Inklusion, Hygiene, Umweltfreundlichkeit – vor, die uns zu einem ganzheitlichen und nachhaltigen Konzept führen werden. Dazu haben wir ein interdisziplinäres Team zusammengestellt:
TSPA ist als Hauptauftragnehmer Ansprechpartner des Senats und übernimmt die Projektkoordination. TSPA trägt internationale Erfahrung im Bereich strategischer Stadtentwicklung und der Gestaltung öffentlichen Raums bei.
Ein Konzept für Berlins öffentliche Toiletten bedarf eines öffentlichen Prozesses. Zebralog wird den konstruktiven Dialog mit relevanten Interessengruppen herstellen und die Beteiligungs- und Werkstattverfahren gestalten.
Prof. Barjenbruch mit der Abteilung Siedlungswasserwirtschaft der TU Berlin ist herausragender Experte für Siedlungswasserverwertung sowie Technologien und Wirtschaftlichkeit der Toilettensysteme.
Diesem Kernteam stellen wir Experten an die Seite, die uns zu den Themen Inklusion und Tourismus beraten werden: Prof.in Dr. Bettina Möllring berät uns in Fragen soziokultureller und Genderaspekte, Dipl. Ing., Dipl. Slaw. Anna Haase trägt ihre Erfahrung im Bereich des Tourismus, kulturhistorischer Aspekte öffentlicher Toiletten und Ihre langjährige Ortskenntnis bei.
Unser Team ist ein Berliner Team, das gleichzeitig über globale Erfahrung verfügt und erfahren in der interdisziplinären Zusammenarbeit ist. Das erlaubt uns auch die Außenperspektive einzunehmen und Berlin im weltweiten Vergleich zu verstehen.
Affordable housing, sustainable financing models, land leasehold models, intergenerational living, green architecture: these topics have in common that we promote them as planners and architects. They also have in common that they are more easily said than done. To see what can actually be done, TSPA founded the housing cooperative urbancoopberlin, together with SammlerUsinger, LIST GmbH, Hervé De Giovannini, SUSTAINABLE SERVICES. As our first test case, we participated in the competition of the city of Berlin for the ‘Schöneberger Linse’ organised by Senate of Berlin. The competition asked a sustainability and renting concept besides the architectural proposal. The urbancoop proposal won the first prize, being awarded the plot and development opportunity. Have a look at the project here and learn more about the residents’ engagement process in this video.
Das Ziel ist eine Stadt, die für alle da ist…
(The aim is to build the city for everyone…)
What does it mean to us, that nowadays we live in the apartments, that have so little to do with the way how we live in the city? How to tame the increasing lack of affordable housing? What lessons can be learned from our other European countries? The article “Room to Live” about modern dwelling typologies and cooperative housing model tried to tackle these ubiquitous questions. Written by Thomas and his partner from urban coop berlin, Robert Ostmann this piece was published by Berliner Wirtschaftsgespräche.
See the entire publication here.
What is a connected and autonomous vehicle? How do CAVS work and how can urban streets be reclaimed and reimagined through their introduction?
Thomas is invited to the Berlin Design Sprint to answer these questions and discuss urban mobility.
The event is organised by BuroHappold and will take place on Wednesday, January 18 at InnoZ Berlin.
Other participants are:
More info at Berlin Sprinting Future and Design Sprint Berlin
In partnership with the government of Uganda, giz, UN-Habitat, and Pedro Ortiz, Thomas of TSPA will facilitate a workshop in Berlin to promote a compact, socially inclusive, integrated and connected system of cities in the Greater Kampala metropolitan region.
The MetroHUB workshop approach will combine capacity development in planning, governance and finance aspects and with “hands-on” team work on acupuncture projects. The main elements of the capacity development workshop in Berlin are a series of seminars and lectures, presentations on planning, governance and finance, exploration of and discussion on case studies and good practices, field visits, and the definition of acupuncture projects in Uganda.
Context (concept note):
Uganda is experiencing rapid urbanization which has serious implications in terms of demand for land, housing, water, health, education, jobs and urban services. While the country urbanization is still low at 15 % and young compared to her East African counterpart such as Kenya and Tanzania, the country has a high rate of urban growth estimated at 5.1% per annum. The country’s capital, Kampala remain the dominant city with a population of 1.5 million, but a clear growth of secondary towns remain evident with 50% of the urban population living in 22 designated municipalities and 174 town councils. It’s projected that the year 2035, 30% of the country’s population will be living in urban areas.
Over the past two decades, remarkable economic growth at an average rate 7 per cent in 1990s and early 2000s, coupled with political stability have led to increased urbanization and agglomeration of people and higher order economic activities. Within this context and unless urban areas are managed properly they will grow into large unplanned settlements. Currently, the country cities and urban areas are already experiencing urban planning and development challenges including congestion, development of slums and informal settlements, urban sprawl, environmental degradation, high levels of unemployment, urban poverty and crime, a clear indication that the urbanization process in the country needs to be better managed.
The urbanization challenges experienced in Uganda force the country to now proactively manage urbanization within its town councils, cities and in the secondary towns to ensure a better urban future for its residents. There is need to move fast as it is always easier to establish competitive cities by building solid foundations when the rate of urbanization is still relatively low. To do this, capacities of both central and urban local governments to manage the country’s urbanization process and partnerships to effectively manage urban growth need to be enhanced.
Thomas is invited as guest critic to the Midterm Presentation of the Design Studio (October 2016 to February 2017) organised at the Technische Universität Berlin (TUB) and the University of Petra (UoP) in Amman. The Presentation will take place on January 6, 2017 from 10am to 1pm at Technische Universität Berlin (TUB).
The aim of the workshop is to support the CBOs to develop designs for their green spaces in a participatory and innovative way; and to develop and implement small-scale interventions that contribute to sustainable resource management and greening strategies in refugee camps.
Final presentation will be held on February 17, 2017.
Team:
More info at Technische Universität Berlin – Habitat Unit
Urban coop berlin has been invited to the second round of the comprehensive concept selection process for the “Schöneberger Linse” in Berlin. The criteria for the final selection will be in particular innovative programme and architectural solutions, besides the usual commercial factors.
Urban Coop Berlin, of which we are a member, will start to develop on the base of the preference assessment of our aspiring members of the cooperative.
The “Schöneberger Linse” neighbourhood is envisioned as a model project in the South of Berlin. The 1,180 m² site will provide 900 apartments next to Berlin’s second largest train station Südkreuz. For the first time, the seat of Berlin plans to involve a mix of stakeholders as developers collaborating on a single site: building initiatives, cooperatives, investment groups and municipal housing agencies, to “ensure a stable neighbourhood development with a sustainable social and programmatic mix”.
Berlin’s housing stock becomes less and less affordable. Who doesn’t own an apartment yet, hasn’t got much room to move, speculation is rampant. We’re looking for new solutions. On Friday, October 14, we have shown as part of urban coop berlin, how alternative models can work:
Als erste Projektentwicklungsgesellschaft für Wohnbaugenossenschaften in Berlin zeichnet sich das Team mit Architekten (deGiovannini), Stadtplanern (TSPA) und Sozialwissenschaftlern (Sustainable Services) durch breite und vielfältige Kompetenzen und Erfahrungen im Wohnbau, Nachhaltigkeit und Gemeinwesenentwicklung aus.
Die urban coop berlin ist eine Plattform für alle, die anders wohnen und gemeinsam bauen wollen. Unter den Werten fair, flexibel, gemeinsam und verantwortungsvoll werden autonome genossenschaftliche Wohnprojekte geplant und umgesetzt, die sich zukünftig in einem Netzwerk gegenseitig unterstützen.
Fair bedeutet bezahlbar und nicht spekulativ; flexibel bedeutet einfacher Ein- und Austritt, Veränderungsmöglichkeiten innerhalb des Gebäudes und anpassungsfähige Wohnflächen; unter gemeinsam versteht man die Beteiligung der Bewohner bei Planung, Bau und in der Wohngenossenschaft und zu guter Letzt steht verantwortungsvoll dafür, dass sozial und ökologisch verträglich entwickelt und gebaut wird und zum Beispiel ein Nachbarschaftscafé eingerichtet oder der Gemeinschaftsgarten für andere geöffnet wird.
Die Herangehensweise an ein Bauprojekt unterscheidet sich im Vergleich zu Baugruppen dahingehend, dass bereits alle organisatorischen Strukturen geschaffen sind, die es ermöglichen, schnell zu agieren, sobald ein Grundstück verfügbar ist, die Sicherheit geben in Verfahren und im Ablauf – vom Kauf bis zum Abschluss des Baus – und die die Wünsche und Präferenzen der Wohnungsanwärter bereits vorab abfragt.
Insgesamt zeigt das große Interesse der fast 60 Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer an diesem Abend, dass wir ein Thema aufgreifen, das vielen unter den Nägeln brennt. Viele haben sich direkt vor Ort als Anwärter registriert und wollen, neben dem Wunsch nach bezahlbarem, gemeinschaftlichen und sicherem Wohnraum, auch beitragen zu einer veränderten Bau- und Wohnungspolitik in der Stadt.
See the presentation here, and check here, how to join urban coop.
In September 2016, urban coop berlin, together with TSPA, drafted policy recommendations for an affordable housing strategy in Berlin. The key recommendations are:
• to issue state equity capital guarantees for low-income households to allow them to join housing cooperatives
• to allocate state-owned land to housing associations using leasehold laws
See our full policy recommendations paper Cooperatives for long-term affordable housing (pdf, German).
Last week, the coalition agreement of the newly elected Berlin Government has been released, fully including our policy recommendations in the governance programme. An important first step for a more equitable housing market is achieved:
“Wohnen ist für uns ein Grundrecht. Wir erkennen die innerstädtischen Verdrängungsprozesse als Herausforderung und wissen um die Sorgen der Menschen, sich im prosperierenden Berlin ihre Wohnungen nicht mehr leisten zu können. Ein Schwerpunkt der rot-rot-grünen Koalition ist deshalb die Sicherung und die zusätzliche Schaffung von bezahlbaren Wohnungen. Diese wichtige Aufgabe werden primär unsere landeseigenen Wohnungsbaugesellschaften, aber auch Genossenschaften und innovative Wohnprojekte leisten. Private Bauvorhaben müssen zukünftig eine höhere Sozialrendite durch Schaffung von neuen bezahlbaren Wohnungen, Kita- und Schulplätzen sowie Grünflächen als Ausgleich für zusätzliche Versiegelung leisten.”
“Flächen für den Wohnungsbau sollen an landeseigene Wohnungsbaugesellschaften, Genossenschaften, soziale Bauträger wie auch Baugruppen vergeben werden. Die Kriterien werden so ausgestaltet, dass der Anteil von Wohnungen mit Mietpreis- und Belegungsbindung 30% bis 50% der Wohnfläche beträgt. Durch eine kleinteilige Parzellierung von Flächen, transparente Verfahren und Konzeptvergaben in Erbbaurecht soll ein niederschwelliger Zugang zu Liegenschaften für gemeinwohlorientierte Nutzergruppen und Träger sowie Genossenschaften gesichert werden.”
“Die Koalition unterstützt stadtweit Modellprojekte, wie am Falkenhagener Feld und am Kottbusser Tor angedacht, für selbstverwaltete Mietergenossenschaften. Außerdem sollen Genossenschaftsgründungen aus der Bewohnerschaft sowie Ankäufe von privaten Sozialwohnungen durch Bewohnergenossenschaften gefördert und unterstützt werden.”
“Um das Wohnungsangebot für Haushalte mit geringen und mittleren Einkommen zu erweitern, sollen die Genossenschaften durch Wohnraumförderung, die Bereitstellung von Grundstücken und Kooperationen beim kommunalen Vorkaufsrecht stärker unterstützt werden. Die Koalition will erreichen, dass auch Transferleistungsbeziehende in Genossenschaften aufgenommen werden können und gewährleistet die Übernahme der Genossenschaftsanteile durch die Jobcenter. Für Haushalte mit geringem Einkommen wird ein Darlehens- bzw. Bürgschaftsprogramm geprüft. Die Koalition wird die Neugründung von Genossenschaften unterstützen. “
“Vergabe von landeseigenen Flächen für den Wohnungsbau, überwiegend an die städtischen Wohnungsbaugesellschaften und zudem an Genossenschaften, andere gemeinwohlorientierte Träger und Baugruppen in Erbpacht … Unterstützung von innovativen und generationenübergreifenden Wohnformen”
“Die Koalition wird die Beratung von Unternehmungen der solidarischen und genossenschaftlichen Ökonomie stärken und in der Wirtschaftsverwaltung institutionell verankern, damit diese die Förderprogramme des Landes besser nutzen können.”
Full coalition agreement (pdf, German).
Die Berliner Wirtschaftsgespräche, das interdisziplinäre Netzwerk Architekten für Architekten (AfA) und der Architekten- und Ingenieur-Verein zu Berlin (AIV) laden gemeinsam zur dritten Veranstaltung im Rahmen der Diskussionsreihe „StadtWertSchätzen: Positionen zu Stadtentwicklung – Architektur – Städtebau in Berlin 2016-2021“ ein.
Wir werden am Mittwoch, 12.10.2016, um 19:00 die Frage “Was ist Städtebau des 21. Jahrhunderts (in Berlin)?” erörtern. Neben Thomas als Vertreter der Stadtplaner werden Prof. Dr. Harald Bodenschatz, Annelie Schoen und Uwe Rilke die Akademische, Institutionelle, und Investment-Perspektive vertreten.
Berlin wächst. Seit Jahren übersteigt die Nachfrage nach bezahlbarem Wohnraum das Angebot. Gleiches gilt für Gewerbeflächen und die soziale Infrastruktur. Die internationale Zuwanderung verschärft diese Situation. Das führt zu einer immer stärkeren Veränderungsdynamik – in den Quartieren wie in der Stadtgesellschaft. Welche Herausforderungen stellt die „wachsende Stadt“ für Stadtentwicklung, Architektur und Städtebau? Wie lassen sich experimentelle Wege gehen? Und von welchen internationalen Vorbildern kann Berlin lernen?
Im Teil III unserer Veranstaltungsreihe sollen die Herausforderungen unter den folgenden Fragestellungen diskutiert werden: Was heißt für Berlin Städtebau des 21. Jahrhunderts? Welche städtebaulichen Konzepte braucht Berlin? Heißt Städtebau in Berlin notwendigerweise immer Blockstruktur? Wie können exemplarisch neue städtebauliche Konzepte entwickelt werden? Welche internationalen Ansätze sind auch für Berlin richtungweisend? Welche Vergabeverfahren braucht es dafür? Und welche (neuen) Beteiligungsformen sind nötig?
Ort
Zentral- und Landesbibliothek – Haus Berliner Stadtbibliothek
Ribbeck-Haus – Kleiner Säulensaal
Breite Straße 30-36
10178 Berlin
Begrüßung
Georg Balzer
Netzwerk Architekten für Architekten (AfA)
Kerstin Lassnig
Vorstand Berliner Wirtschaftsgespräche e. V.
Podium
Uwe Rilke
CESA Investment GmbH & Co. KG
Annalie Schoen
Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt, Referatsleiterin IIA: Städtebauliche Projekte
Thomas Stellmach
Direktor TSPA – Thomas Stellmach Planning and Architecture
Prof. Dr. Harald Bodenschatz
Architekten- und Ingenieur-Verein zu Berlin (AIV)
Moderation
Kerstin Lassnig
Immobilienökonom (ebs), Vorstand Berliner Wirtschaftsgespräche e. V.
Deutsch
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