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Idea and intention

Schriftzug IDEE an einer Gebäudefassade in Berlin Idea Source: Robert Schmell, BBSR, Bonn

Werkstatt-Stadt is an information and transfer contribution to sustainable development. For sustainable urban development it is necessary to convey good examples from practical urban planning. This in an important insight gained from the discussions on sustainable settlement development, from Habitat II and Urban 21 to Leipzig-Charter.

Werkstatt-Stadt presents a collection of innovative projects from federal urban development practice. The idea is to share experience from urban development practice and to provide information from practical experience for practical use.

Werkstatt-Stadt wants to make a contribution so that innovative exceptions become sustainable normal cases over time. In this sense we intend to develop the collection of projects further.

Content and structure

Werkstatt-Stadt informs about projects which are not yet a wide-spread matter of course in urban development practice. In this, we do not see the term “innovation” as absolute novelty but as a synonym for good practice worthy of imitation. The innovative character can refer to the complete project, planning procedure, realisation process and the individual components thereof in each case.

The contributions of the innovation projects to sustainable urban development prove themselves in the following areas:

  • Social compatibility - contributions which support social balance and cohesion and promote social acceptance.
  • Environmental compatibility - contributions which reduce the use of resources and environmental impact.
  • Economical feasibility - contributions which can be financed permanently.

The quality standard of Werkstatt-Stadt consists of the fact that a project leads to improvements in at least one of the three areas in comparison with the status quo and does not lead to deterioration in any area. The project depiction’s scope and structure are targeted to a large circle of interested parties. A clear introduction to the core of the project offers laypersons and experts a specific access. At the forefront are the factual, spatial and time context, important project elements, aims and measures, and also innovation and the potential for problem solution. Further information is provided with every project for the deepening of individual aspects and the transfer of experience: further material (literature, links), stakeholders and sources.

Project type and source

Werkstatt-Stadt presents urban development projects which have already been realised or are being practically implemented. Extensive projects and individual measures, processes of participation and cooperation are of interest.

We collect examples from the following [fields of action]:

  • Land management

    Intelligent land management and a resource-oriented treatment of settlement area play a key role in sustainable urban development. At the centre is the innovative treatment of different requirements on land use in cities. This includes land registers, re-use of industrial, transport and military wasteland, strengthening of city centres, optimised use of inner-city areas and promotion of inner-city development.

  • Environmental protection

    The concerns of environmental protection result in central requirements to a controlled urban planning development. The implementation of environmental quality aims contribute to preventive environmental protection, for example with ecologically oriented adaptation of the building stock, integrated energy, recyclable material and water management.

  • Mobility management

    Mobility management compatible with cities reacts to the spatial separation of urban functions and to the burden on urban space and people living in cities. A central task is to take specific measures for the reduction and management of traffic on the basis of integrated traffic concepts. Mixed use urban neighbourhoods, projects for attractive public transport and new solutions for private transport are at the focus.

  • Socially responsible housing

    Need-based housing availability for the different population groups is part of a sustainable urban policy. Approaches for action can be seen both in new and existing buildings. This involves quarter and neighbourhood projects, renewal of and building up existing settlements from the post-war period and also the further development of large housing estates.

  • Sustainable economic development

    On one hand, these measures involve actions concerning vocational qualification and employment. On the other hand, it is essential to secure the economic bases for local businesses and to create conditions for new settlements. The local strategies are to be embedded in regional concepts in order to sustainably secure the economic bases for life.

  • Integrated urban development

    This area contains projects, which conceptually apply comprehensive on multilane spheres of activity on one hand. On the other hand it’s about projects with a cooperative and communicative approach, since sustainable development requires a planning and building culture which counts on acceptance from and action of many parties involved.

Prerequisites for presentation on the internet are:

  • Project maturity – Projects which have been realised or are in an advanced state of implementation.
  • Relevance for urban development – Projects with urban-spatial effect.
  • Practical feasibility – Projects, measures and procedures whose feasibility can already be verified in urban development practice.
  • Level of innovation – Qualities that go beyond the usual standards.
  • Suitability as a standard – Solution approaches that are transferable beyond the individual case or give impulses for similar cases.

We assume that important contributions for sustainable cities and communities often arise in the context of daily life activities. According to this we generate the project samples from practice-oriented research programmes, which are attended by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR).

The project depictions are mainly based on sources which were elaborated by the relevant parties involved in the project. We can therefore not guarantee being absolutely up-to-date, but we make every effort to keep up-to-date.

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