Planning in Berlin: Radical urban visions versus pragmatism

Abstract

Berlin’s unification in the last 12 years was not only a political, social or civil task to be solved, but it was essential to go with a readable and coherent urban structure. This was attempted with the elaboration of the 'Planwerk Innenstadt', a structural land use plan for central Berlin covering an area of 30 km2. The urbanism and architecture practised in the last decade reflect the rigid and conservative aesthetics and inflexible guidelines of traditional European townbuilding, set up by the plan and the Senate. Consequently, most ideas and projects of modern urban or architectural expression were left aside, whereas the interests of a globalised real estate market with anonymous international developers prevailed.

Keywords

• destruction
• fragmentation
• critical reconstruction versus 'Stadtlandschaft'
• traditional European urbanism
• 'Planwerk Innenstadt'