- Cautious urban Redevelopment in Berlin    click here to open paper content889 kb
by    FAN, Li | fanlifanli@gmail.com   click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper
Short Outline
After the reunification of Germany, the principle of cautious urban redevelopment in Berlin was used. Effective social, cultural and economic development took place in a short period of time. The Spandauer Vorstadt district is one of the areas selected for urban redevelopment.
Abstract
Urban redevelopment means development in the existing site, instead of spreading to the new area. Berlin, the new capital of Germany after reunification, was almost in ruins after the Second World War. This special history of Berlin makes it a city which experienced a big scale of reconstruction and redevelopment. City government of Berlin did not use strategy of big scale of new construction, but urban construction happened in a low profile: cautious redevelopment and critique reconstruction.

Immediately after reunification, the government organised promotion and funding program for important historic districts in former eastern part of Berlin. Redevelopment projects took places in those areas. About 18 years later, these projects came to an end. Great changes happened. New areas were selected for the next groups of redevelopment areas.

Spandauer Vorstadt, lying in the middle of Berlin, is one of the areas selected for urban redevelopment. With a central location and potential business opportunities, it attracts many investors. It could be easily developed to a commercial area, business district, or luxurious residential area. However, the principle of redevelopment is to keep its function of normal residents. There are several policies to protect the normal residents.

Positive effects of those programs are rather remarkable. Not only cultural values are preserved, but also social, cultural and economic development is effective.

Keywords
urban redevelopment Berlin
Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2008: Urban Growth without Sprawl
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