Urban Design Conference: Paris-Berlin in the City Hall “Rotes Rathaus”

Urban design lives and benefits from the international exchange of experience and ideas. Berlin has a long tradition of exchange and dialogue in this field. In view of the major urban planning issues of the future, however, the city needs new impetus in the international dialog and consequently target-oriented cooperation projects. Learning exactly how projects are managed elsewhere in Europe, how old and new centers, rail projects and urban main roads, parks and industrial sites, existing and new residential neighborhoods are designed for the future, is helpful and important.

On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the twinning of Paris and Berlin, the conference wants to give new impetus to the international exchange of experiences and ideas for European urban development following up an expert conference held in Paris on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the city partnership and aiming to lay a foundation for a future regular exchange.

The patron is the Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey, the organizers are the Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing with the Senate Department for the Environment, Mobility, Consumer and Climate Protection. The Architects and Engineers Association of Berlin-Brandenburg is a civil society partner and co-organizer.

The conference on the “Future of the (un)completed metropolises of Paris and Berlin” will focus on the urban development challenges that both the French and German capitals must overcome in the 21st century. Themes will include in particular:

• the development of centers and neighborhoods in both cities,
• the urgent challenge of building affordable, sustainable and beautiful housing in livable neighborhoods,
• the socio-ecological urban redevelopment in the context of the traffic turnaround and climate protection,
• the green qualification offensives for parks, shore areas, (rooftop) gardens, forests close to the city, which provide livable and ecological public spaces.

Speakers are invited to present individual projects which are being pushed forward in Paris and Berlin – among others the planning of the ” ville du quart d’heure ” and its impact on Paris and the suburbs; the strengthening of existing centers in Berlin and the construction of 17 new urban quarters to create new workplaces and new, affordable housing; the transformation of public space, traffic and mobility, as is being realized in Paris on the Avenue des Champs Élysées; Berlin’s green urban development and its measures and projects (Charter for Berlin’s Urban Green). The development of the metropolitan regions, i.e. the interconnections between Berlin and Brandenburg as well as Paris with its many suburbs in the Grand Paris region, is also always a focus.

Program: (details to follow shortly here)

Block 1:
The future of centers
Urban residential quarters of the future – mixture, densification, environment design

Block 2:
The future of mobility
Urban green / ecological transformation

All speeches will be simultaneously translated French German. A live stream of the conference will be online on this website.

Followed by: Reception with buffet

Location: Festsaal at the Rotes Rathaus Berlin