Back to Projects

Conceptual Vision for the Communal Neighbourhood Forum of Berlin-Brandenburg

Region

Europe and Northern America

Date

April 2024 - July 2025

Service

Citywide Planning and Urban Transformation

Project Details

Location

Berlin (Germany)
Brandenburg (Germany)

Type

Commission

Team

Client

Kommunales Nachbarschaftsforum (KNF) Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.

Partners

Reicher Haase Assoziierte GmbH
bgmr Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH

The Berlin-Brandenburg Municipal Neighbourhood Forum (KNF) is a voluntary alliance of counties, districts, cities and municipalities across Berlin and Brandenburg. Its mission is to harmonise the objectives of its members, amplify the voices of economically disadvantaged regions, and foster a united regional identity and vision.

The main task of the KNF is to optimise cooperation processes, particularly in cross-border initiatives and processes, and to strengthen cooperation and exchange between members.

TSPA, together with bgmr landscape architects and the planning office Reicher Haase Assoziierte (RHA), developed a conceptual model in collaboration with the KNF as part of a 14-month support process. In successive phases, in addition to benchmarking best practices, the strategic goals and core statements of the KNF were refined, both internally and externally. We developed a future-oriented conceptual vision for the KNF that defines the association's main goals for the coming years and proposes initial steps to achieve them. We have worked to promote cross-border cooperation in the greater Berlin area and to create a common framework for future priorities.

Unlike a traditional mission statement or vision, the project produced a theoretical strategic plan as its end product: a roadmap with recommendations and case studies that will serve as a guide for the KNF's future work and enable coordinated action.

Understanding inter-municipal cooperation in Berlin and Brandenburg

Although Germany's federal system grants municipalities extensive autonomy in urban land-use planning and urban development, this freedom is subject to significant limitations in practice. Unlike in centrally organized states, Germany does not have uniform, nationwide building planning laws, but rather a complex interplay of federal laws, state building regulations, and municipal development plans. However, the biggest challenge for new residential construction projects and redensification lies in the real estate market: many cities and municipalities – even within the Berlin metropolitan region – have only limited land reserves of their own. Building land is often privately owned or blocked by existing uses, legal requirements, or high land prices, leading to bottlenecks in land development.

Stakeholder Universe of the active Members and members of the board (center, grey), the associated members, external engaged or possible future members and institutions for collaboration (white, blue)

In this context, a stakeholder universe offers clear added value: it visualizes the multitude of relevant actors, their responsibilities, interests, and networks at the regional level. This makes complex decision-making processes more transparent, identifies potential for cooperation, and addresses areas of conflict at an early stage.

The composition and areas of interest of the KNF can be derived directly from such an approach: As a network of cities, municipalities, counties, districts, and specialist administrations, the KNF brings together different interfaces and perspectives on transport, urban development, climate, open space, and infrastructure. The forum creates a platform on which these heterogeneous interests are constructively brought together in order to seek cross-state approaches to issues such as land scarcity, redensification, mobility, and environmental development.

Annual Themes and Strategic Vision - Learning from other interest groups and associations in an inter-municipal context

The KNF is an informal association of cities, municipalities, counties and districts in the core area of Berlin and Brandenburg that is characterised by exceptionally strong inter-municipal cooperation. Since the 1990s, KNF e.V. has been bringing together mayors, specialist administrations and political representatives in a trusting, voluntary dialogue – across state borders, on an equal footing and covering a wide range of topics. Its particular strength lies in its ability to address complex issues such as housing, settlement development, mobility, green and open spaces, water and social infrastructure jointly in working groups (AG North, East, South, West) and interest groups – through continuous exchange of information, expert contributions and coordinated development concepts. In this way, KNF e.V. supports regional control – with a clearly structured format, it provides a platform where decisions can be prepared in a spirit of trust, expertise can be contributed and joint projects can be initiated, enabling joint solutions that individual municipalities would not be able to achieve on their own – KNF offers a strong, partnership-based infrastructure to tackle these challenges together and across the board.

As an umbrella organisation, the KNF connects 47 municipalities in Berlin and Brandenburg, with a clear focus on the greater Berlin area. Together with associated partners and external stakeholders, the forum sets annual priorities for specific topics, most recently including traffic, transport and water management. Given the numerous bodies of water in and around Berlin and their tourist potential, the KNF attaches particular importance to how these resources can be sustainably developed and preserved.

As part of the initial assessment, a benchmarking analysis of comparable inter-municipal cooperations and associations throughout Europe was carried out. The aim was to define the future strategic direction of the KNF e.V. and to evaluate and examine potential developments in internal processes and external cooperation with other local authorities, planning authorities and political decision-makers. The associations examined were assessed in terms of mobility, development, energy, climate and green spaces, economy, tourism and digitalisation, among other things.

References, themes and key findings from the initial benchmarking analysis

How do we translate shared ideas into concrete action?

Within the consortium and together with the KNF, we have developed a conceptual guiding principle based on four central pillars for the foreseeable future of the KNF and its sphere of influence. The basis of this orientation refers to the following future tasks and positions:

1. Connectivity – Seamless linking of transport, infrastructure and networks

2. Region in balance – Promoting equitable development across areas of responsibility

3. Resilience and productivity – Strengthening adaptability to ecological, economic and social challenges

4. Uniqueness and beauty of the landscape – Improving aesthetics and preserving natural ecosystems

Future task: Connected region

Strengthen rail transport – expansion, modernization, and increased frequency of regional and suburban rail services (e.g., Project i2030), improved freight and commercial transport by rail and waterway to relieve road congestion

Exploit the potential of Berlin's outer ring – especially at intersections with radial rail lines

Supplement public transport – expand the regional rail network with efficient, cross-state public transport

Make mobility hubs more attractive – better connect, expand, and improve the quality of services

Promote cycling – develop cross-state cycling networks

Future task: Balanced region

Support cooperative axis development – strategically, compatibly, and qualitatively, in order to steer growth along existing infrastructure.

Strengthen internal development – with densities appropriate to the location and compatible typologies.

Enhance open spaces close to settlements – qualify them for local recreation and preserve unfragmented landscape areas.

Develop commercial and economic areas across state borders – provide technical support and coordinate between municipalities

Expand social infrastructure – support qualitative development and capacity expansion at the regional level

Manage compensation measures – coordinate and implement across state borders

Shape the edges of settlements – as intermunicipal areas of interconnection and compensation

Future task: Resilient and productive region

Promoting climate protection and climate adaptation together – strategically and cooperatively

Coordinating energy and heating planning – developing jointly, generating climate-neutrally, distributing efficiently, and consuming locally

Strengthen the landscape water balance – restore and develop buffer, sponge, and storage landscapes

Convert settlement areas to be climate-resilient – anchor sponge city principles in urban and open space planning

Promote the circular economy – establish and expand it at the regional and supraregional level

Future task: Uniqueness and beauty of the region

Strengthening natural diversity and regional identities – developing sub-regions and preserving characteristic landscapes

Expanding regional parks – establishing them as inter-municipal platforms for recreation, nature conservation, and sustainable development

Preserving cultural heritage – maintaining settlement structures and building culture that foster identity

Initiating pilot projects for landscape development – providing supraregional impetus and implementing model approaches

Integrated vision map for the KNF's sphere of action

Challenges and Results

Initially, KNF itself was uncertain of its core mission, which was in fact a key contributor for the project’s start. However, our role helped catalyse internal reflection and resurface critical questions that had previously been overlooked.

Coordination with a forum containing diverse actors, each representing different constituencies and agendas, was the project’s primary challenge. While all members shared a common overarching goal, their priorities and interpretations often differed.

Thanks to the neutral facilitation of KNF’s management team und the board, bridging the gap between multiple perspectives, we were able to identify shared ground. The outcome was a coherent, inclusive vision that aligned with the varied interests of all stakeholders.

Ultimately, the process proceeded smoothly, culminating into a clear and positive outcome. The next pivotal step now lies in implementing the strategic vision.

Various participation formats with the actors and participants of the KNF working groups

What Comes Next

For TSPA, this was the most significant collaboration in Berlin in recent years, a milestone that we welcomed with enthusiasm. Despite the typical dynamics between the institutions, the partnership was both productive and conceptually precise.

Further success now depends on the KNF's ability to implement the recommendations and translate the mission statement into concrete measures. We expect this vision for the future to be increasingly communicated to the outside world and to have a concrete impact throughout the Berlin-Brandenburg region.