Category: Competition

Decentralisation Goal
The federal government’s decentralisation goal sets out to create equal living conditions throughout the region, with a special focus on structurally weaker rural areas. Accordingly, this urban development concept assumes that Brandenburg’s existing towns and cities will be strengthened over the long term, in part to relieve the pressure on Berlin. The measures proposed here can accommodate up to twice the number of inhabitants in the metropolitan region without compromising the quality of outdoor spaces and with only a minimal amount of additional soil sealing.

Railway Rings
Berlin currently has an inner railway ring and an outer railway ring. Two additional railway rings will be created. These will link the existing centres along the radial railway lines, strengthening them and helping to reduce transit traffic through Berlin. The third ring will largely run on existing railway tracks or directly along the Berlin circular motorway or ring road and will connect towns such as Oranienburg, Bernau, Straußberg, Königs Wusterhausen, Beelitz, and Nauen. The fourth ring will connect the so-called ‘second-tier ’cities, including Brandenburg an der Havel, Frankfurt an der Oder, and Cottbus. Both rings could link new sites that emerge for industries and businesses (such as Tesla) with the next locations on the respective ring. As a result, these sites will remain close to the new settlements and to Berlin.

Sub-area Brandenburg an der Havel
The strengthening of second-tier cities such as Brandenburg an der Havel, Frankfurt an der Oder, and Cottbus is a focus of the strategic development concept. The great qualities of these cities – their unity with the landscape, their historic city centres, and their good connections to Berlin – make them ideal as regional centres. When expanding these cities, it is important to preserve their historical character and their close connection to nature. The city of Brandenburg an der Havel is a good example of a second-tier city. The existing structures and the natural and organic elements of the city are inte­grated and further developed. The existing buildings with their block structures are further densified and extended to the city’s edge, marking a clear transition to the surrounding landscape. The contrast between the organic forms of the city, which can be found in the historic centre, and the typical ele­ments of industrial development such as tall silos, is explored in the form of new landmarks. At the same time, the natural spaces also enter into the city, so that the city and nature reconnect in a variety of ways.

Sub-area Westkreuz
The basic ideas of the master plan are exemplified by the development plan for the Westkreuz area: densification within the settlement boundaries, the development and conversion of traffic areas and unused areas, and the strengthening of the intersections of the railway rings and railway radials. The ­Westkreuz suburban railway station will be expanded to become a regional railway station which, like the Gesundbrunnen station, will allow riders to transfer from regional trains from the surrounding areas to the suburban ring railway. The motorway will now run underground and be partially dismantled. This will eliminate its destructive ‘barrier effect’. A dense, socially and functionally mixed urban district is planned on the large site and will be networked with the surrounding quarters. At Westkreuz, and at the three other railway intersections (Südkreuz, Ostkreuz, and Nordkreuz), two high-rise buildings with a height of between 100 and 200 metres will be built as a gateway to central Berlin. These pairs of high-rise buildings frame the high-rise groups in the central locations in the city centre. Most of the old railway tracks will be converted into a park, which will connect Grunewald to the east-west axis via the Lietzensee Park. The east-west axis will be developed into a green boulevard with rows of trees and a bicycle expressway in the middle.

Sub-area Berlin-Mitte
A discussion of the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region cannot overlook its centre, the historic heart of Berlin. Although the strategic development in the present concept primarily focuses on strengthening towns on the rings, central Berlin plays a vital role for the entire region. The historical development of Berlin from a small settlement into the political centre of Germany can only be observed here. The cultural institutions in the city centre also radiate across the entire metropolitan region. For the medieval core, it is proposed that the existing buildings from the GDR era are brought into a dialogue with a critical reconstruction of the historic city plan, so that Berlin’s long history is once again legible and the individual histories of the buildings can be remembered through their historical addresses. To the east of Berlin’s medieval centre, Lenné’s ‘green corridor’ project is revisited, and the connection between the Engelbecken and Volkspark Friedrichshain (via ­Straussberger Platz) is converted into a continuous green corridor and monumentalised by large urban squares.

Strategic Reflections on the Process
As yet, there is no common, trans-national public discourse on the strategic development of the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region. With its plans and images, the Berlin-Brandenburg 2070 competition offers an outstanding opportunity to initiate and advance this discussion. The winners of the competition should develop a common and comprehensive concept for the area’s long-term development through a multi-year process involving a dialogue with the public. This should be conducted in cooperation with the joint state planning authorities and in exchange with the citizens of the two states.

Our strategy of gradually converting Berlin-Brandenburg into an urbanised-landscaped region is based on expanding and activating existing landscapes and infrastructural structures and reanimating latent existing ones. The strategy also involves introducing new innovative uses and leaving enough flexible spaces for unforeseen uses.
A sustainable metropolis can only be developed on the basis of the landscape or countryside as a starting point. For Berlin and Brandenburg, the typical landscape structures include waterways, tree-lined avenues, ‘Angerdöfer’ (villages built around a central village green), and fields. The various terrains, soils, water structures, local climates, and habitats are the basis for both the diversification of landscape structures and structural development strategies.
The Schmettau map series includes historical ordnance survey maps of the area and offers valuable clues for activating the landscape. Densification measures should occur along the existing, often well-equipped infrastructures, particularly the arteries along railway and tram lines. The existing access network composed of historic tree-lined avenues is well suited to accommodate new forms of micromobility (on-demand buses, shared mobility, e-bikes). This creates a close-knit development network between less densely populated ­areas. Motorway feeder roads lying within the outer ring road become expressways and serve to transport goods, thus supporting inner-city production sites and factories. Travellers heading towards the city centre with private modes of transport from the surrounding areas and outskirts can transfer to the suburban train on the outer ring.
A socially just and open society requires spatial and economic freedom in which diverse lifestyles and integration models can be tested and practised. Concept-based land-allocation procedures, designed to prevent the appreciation of real estate value, serve to promote cooperative, non-profit housing and make development projects accessible to smaller players. We illustrate our strategy of gradually converting the capital region into a landscaped-urbanised area with proposals for three specific locations. There are three main areas of focus: regional parks, new housing construction, and the transformation of the rays of the star-shaped settlement structure. Here, we specifically explore the settlements along the ray composed of Pankow, Buch, Bernau, and Barnim.
A socially just and open society requires spatial and economic freedom in which diverse lifestyles and integration models can be tested and practised. Concept-based land-allocation procedures, designed to prevent the appreciation of real estate value, serve to promote cooperative, non-profit housing and make development projects accessible to smaller players. We illustrate our strategy of gradually converting the capital region into a landscaped-urbanised area with proposals for three specific locations. There are three main areas of focus: regional parks, new housing construction, and the transformation of the rays of the star-shaped settlement structure. Here, we specifically explore the settlements along the ray composed of Pankow, Buch, Bernau, and Barnim.

Mosaic of Contextual and Inherent Diversity
The contour is formed by the contextual arrangement of five urban and rural elements that form a spatial mosaic: nature reserves; forest clearings; housing and regenerative microfarming; new urban areas; and special-use structures, large-scale projects, and energy infrastructure. These building blocks contribute to the densification of the star-shaped settlement structure and also strengthen the rural areas of Brandenburg, in part by reintroducing nature. Depending on the location, the mosaic can promote urban development or be a site of innovative agriculture and exemplary natural strategies. This is the strength of the contour: each building block consists of a variety of lifestyles, forest ecosystems, and biotopes.

Barnim Regional Park (Bernau-Werneuchten)
In addition to the existing nature parks, four special park landscapes – re­gional parks – are to be established, two of which are already well developed. The new regional park between Bernau and Werneuchen will function as an incubator, stimulating the landscape transformation process. The Schmettau map series provides a point of reference for the reconstruction and development measures, as the microtopography and soil conditions have remained largely unchanged. These natural areas are to be expanded exponentially in relation to the current state (approximately by a factor of ten). In addition, existing forests are to be gradually returned to their original condition or repurposed for land-use management or – as natural parks and nature preserves – integrated into the surroundings.

Contour Mosaic, Focus: New Housing in the Relevant ‘Mosaic Stone’
The contour consists of five different urban and rural building blocks and creates an ecologically, economically, and socially diverse living environment by offering a mix of new housing developments and introducing new flora. The example used here is the area between Buch and Schwanebeck, which is crossed by the A10 motorway.

New Residential Construction
This mosaic stone establishes an experimental field that promotes ecological and social living spaces as well as diversity. As an ‘edge habitat’, it can accommodate various lifestyles within a parcel and promotes a decentralised, collective method of supplying energy and water. The structure and scale of the settlement is based on the dimensions that are required for agricultural self-sufficiency. The average parcel measures around 150 × 150 metres, which can be expanded or subdivided according to location and use. Existing landscape and building structures are either integrated or delineate the structure. Each parcel is surrounded by a public network of roads that can be flexibly assigned to different types of traffic.
Mixed-use constellations are to be ensured by an application process in which the applicant’s socio-ecological innovation concept is stated. The ensuing diversity in lifestyles will enable new qualities: economic construction methods; mutual care; carpooling; diverse public spaces; and innovations in agricultural-­ecological undertakings. The parcels are leased and not sold.

Lifelines, focus: redesigning a section of a radial street within Berlin; redesigning a section of an arm of the star-shaped settlement (Brandenburg).
The sub-area considered as an example lies in northern Pankow near Französisches Buchholz and Blankenburg. The development builds on the historical landscape structure with its tree-lined avenues, ditches, and villages and includes more recent additions, such as the motorway and the suburban railway. The redesign is based on the principle that existing and developed infrastructures in this area, which is characterised by low density, can and should support more residents and activities in a growing metropolitan region. The radial roads are integrated into a network of various arteries and forms in which the waterways, motorway, and suburban railway become supporting radials. This network constitutes the arteries of the star-shaped settlement structure and links the contour’s mosaics with the star’s interior. Along the arteries, between the arteries, and especially where transport routes intersect, higher densities are created through densification, the formation of public spaces, city projects, and the promotion of local and regional trade and production. The existing transport infrastructures become their ‘lifelines’.

Berlin-Brandenburg and Europe
The global shift towards sustainable modes of transport and the expansion of railway and water transport are turning the Berlin-Brandenburg region into a hub of diverse cultural and trade corridors in the German and European context. Accordingly, this railway and waterway network is undergoing continuous optimisation. Growth takes place along the radial axes and connects the towns and city. The urban expansion areas follow the star-shaped railway lines between the protected natural landscape and cultural landscapes, thereby transforming the scattered settlement areas into more compact urban structures. In this way, buildable land for one million new residents is gained without radically altering the character of the urban structure or disturbing the harmonious natural areas.

The Countryside Comes to the Towns
The Berlin countryside is characterised by forests, lakes, and agricultural areas and harbours unique potential for the climatic and ecological regeneration of the region in the future. Strengthening the spatial connection between these areas and improving their incorporation into the growing and increasingly populous urban region is central to our concept. Natural and cultural landscapes will be boosted with the appropriate infrastructure and networks of paths for outdoor activities. Cultural landscapes reinforce the perception and appreciation of the region as an integrated entity and intensify the population’s connection with it, promoting empathy between the rural and urban residents.

The radial settlement arteries complement one another along the railway lines with their adjacent cultural landscapes. They reinforce Berlin’s star-shaped settlement structure and result in a coherent structure with complementary qualities: city, cultural landscape, and agricultural land. The third ring connects the radial arteries. We are adding a new third ring to the first and second rings to accelerate the connection routes between the towns on the outskirts of Berlin, thereby avoiding detours through Berlin. Because of the density and proximity of many towns in the north, east, and south, the third ring will also link these places; and the third ring will join the second ring to the west of Potsdam. This bypass optimises the internal dynamics of the second and third rings. The area inside Berlin’s first railway ring becomes the geometric centre of Berlin’s series of concentric transport rings. The third ring significantly increases mobility in the areas surrounding Berlin and reduces their dependence on the city. This ring will be realised in phases. The first segment will be built in the northeast, since the greatest added value is expected there, in coordination with the growth of Brandenburg’s centres. One can ensure the desired network optimisation, even when building the third ring in stages, by connecting it to the radial transport axes.
Urban centres, composed of housing, commercial spaces, and social infrastructures, which will in turn benefit from optimal transport infrastructure, will emerge near the intersections of the rings and radial axes. Thus, ­Brandenburg’s growth areas near the third ring will see more opportunities to develop and connect with one other independently of Berlin.

The Third Ring as an Elevated Railway
The third ring is conceived as an elevated railway in order to protect the cultural landscape, agriculture, and wildlife. This also simplifies intersections between roads, motorways, and rivers. Lightweight construction fosters a harmonious relationship with nature and agriculture. The elevated trains provide a pleasing view of the surrounding countryside, and the suburban train stations in the towns become attractive centres.
We have selected three locations to illustrate the master plan. We analyse each location in terms of mobility, history, growth, and landscape. Two of the locations (Tempelhof-Südkreuz and Bernau) are situated at the intersection of radials and rings; the third location (Schwedt) is situated along a radial. Using these locations as examples, we demonstrate the characteristic features of the Berlin-Brandenburg region. These include: urban areas with contradicting histories; industries; diverse natural areas; good railway networks; and strong growth potential.
Tempelhof-Südkreuz has always been an exceptional area as it has remained undeveloped and is characterised by railways, meadows, barracks, and training areas. Today, the neighbouring intersections of the first ring and railway radials (Südkreuz) and of the B96 motorway, the underground, and the urban motorway (Tempelhof) offer unique potential for urban development.
Tempelhofer Feld is important as a recreation site and cold-air production area for the city centre. The optimal transport connections near Tempelhofer Damm make it ideal for large cultural projects in Berlin-Brandenburg. The former airport site could house a new state library, university campuses, and research centres. The areas along the railway will be mixed-use districts. The three prominent high-rise buildings at the junction of the B96 motorway, underground railway, and urban motorway make it an ideal location for a regional centre. The railway line is accompanied by a bike path, which enables fast journeys between the railway station and airfield. The urban motorway is ­ideal for future bicycle use. No longer isolated, Tempelhof-Südkreuz is now integrated into the urban landscape and fulfils an important function in Berlin.
Bernau bei Berlin is a great example of a Brandenburg town with a colourful archi­tectural history. The structure of the medieval wall and rampart continues to shape Bernau today. Socialist modernisation policies established in 1975 damaged but did not eradicate the fabric of the city centre. The railway runs from Berlin to the northeast, towards Szczecin and the Baltic Sea. The two military facilities testify to the importance of railway connections for the city. The construction of the third ring – and of the intersection with the north–south radial – will transform Bernau into a transport hub, which will promote the development of the areas near the railway station and the old town. The repurposed military complexes could accommodate new homes and research facilities. The renaturalisation of the Panke River and Panke Park ­nearby will allow residents to live surrounded by nature and enjoy optimal connections to other locations in the region. For regional tourism, the district of Barnim, starting from Bernau, offers an ideal point of departure, not least for tourists on bicycles.
Three city models characterise Schwedt an der Oder: the medieval city (1265), the baroque city palace (1685) with its magnificent landscaped axis leading to the Mon Plaisir summer palace, and the model socialist city (Selmanagic 1960, Paulick 1962) built for the workers of the crude oil processing plant. Under the socialists, the city palace was destroyed in 1962 and replaced with the Palace of Culture. All three city models are in a fragmentary state today. Beyond the Oder lies a meadow landscape with one of more important bridges across the river. A railway line connects Schwedt, via Angermünde, to the radial axis running through Berlin, Stettin, and the Baltic Sea. We wish to optimise this connection, so that the radial axis will include a high-speed train from Berlin to Szczecin via Schwedt. This high-speed train will then continue along the Oder to the Baltic Sea. Appropriate city planning measures in Schwedt can bring together mobility, urban history, and nature to form a complementary and symbiotic relationship. It is possible to reanimate the three city models: by restoring the old town; by building around the castle near the theatre; by revitalising the green axis and the Mon Plaisir park; and by completing the town centre based on the socialist city model, with new buildings for research and tourist facilities. The new significance of the railway station will lead to urban densification and better transport connections. Former prefab building complexes will be renatured, and the alluvial landscape will be protected against development. These interventions and the growing regional tourism along the Oder, with its new port, municipal swimming complex, and national park, open up the best prospects for Schwedt, located on the railway line between the Baltic Sea and Berlin.