Event Recap: Is Berlin-Brandenburg futureproof?
On 23 January 2025, our three-part Lab-Talks series “Futureproof – Engineering Resilient Cities” began at Aedes in Berlin. It explores how cities and regions can address the challenges of climate change, urbanisation and digitalisation.
Given increasingly complex problems, solutions must be flexible and interdisciplinary to remain futureproof. The series examines the city in the context of three scales: regions, neighbourhoods and buildings 鈥� and shows ways to equip cities with the tools to face these challenges. The kick-off in January focused on the city and metropolitan region, using Berlin-Brandenburg as an example. Together with our speakers, Ute Schneider, Lech Suwala, Benjamin Herkommer, our moderators Anika Buchmaier and Sebastian Seelig and front row peers Daniela Riedel, Thomas Stellmach und Matthias von Popowski, we discussed the question: Is the metropolitan region of Berlin-Brandenburg already futureproof, and if not, how can it become “futureproof”?
To answer this question, we first need to define “futureproof”. A futureproof city or region is sustainable, adaptable and resilient to future challenges 鈥� ensuring the long-term well-being of its residents.
Polychances for polycrisis
Our society faces many challenges: housing shortages, climate crisis, economic upheavals, technological change and social polarisation. Every era had its crises, but today they occur simultaneously, interdependently and reinforce each other. This simultaneity of crises is called polycrisis.
Cities function like magnifying glasses, as the effects of a polycrisis are particularly tangible here: The climate crisis leads to heavy rainfall, causing floods in urban areas. Heatwaves create heat islands that endanger residents’ health. Economic upheavals, such as the energy crisis, raise questions: How will we heat in the future? Technological change shifts commerce to digital, threatens retail and leaves city centres empty.
But cities are not just problem zones; they are also spaces for changes: It is here the majority of people live and answers to polycrisis emerge. Crises create opportunities, for instance the decarbonisation of energy and transport sectors, the transformation of our cities into sponge cities or the transition to a greener economy.
Many future challenges are unknown today. Yet, urban planning requires predictability 鈥� a contradiction that confronts planners and politicians with the question: How can we design sluggish systems, such as cities and metropolitan regions, to respond to the unforeseen?
Uncertainty requires visions. They not only provide positive outlooks but also motivate citizens to participate and create new alliances. Visions must send messages. What does the city stand for? in which direction should it develop?
Transforming cities means primarily developing existing structures, which means different spatial typologies gain importance, for instance the halfway city, peri-urban areas, commercial areas, industrial sites and science locations. The question is: How do we make them futureproof?
Visions for the futureproof city
The demand for positive models leads to two approaches: strategic narratives and mission-orientated innovation policy. Mission-orientated approaches aim to solve specific societal challenges, such as climate change, social inequality or sustainable mobility. They define clear missions aligned with the United Nations’ sustainability development goals (SDG) and serve as a guide for planning and implementing projects. These approaches promote cross-industry collaboration and create flexible value chains.
Strategic narratives tell compelling stories that convey a vision for the future of a city or region. They facilitate the communication of complex planning processes, promote citizen participation and create a shared understanding of goals and priorities. A clear, inspiring narrative can mobilise support and engagement.
Integrating strategic narratives and mission-orientated approaches helps cities respond to future challenges and create sustainable, resilient communities.
Two corridors: NeoCity and Berlin-Lausitz
Two examples illustrate the impact of these approaches: the innovation corridor “NeoCity” between the inner city of Berlin and the new airport Berlin Brandenburg, and the Berlin-Lausitz corridor.
Berlin-Brandenburg Airport offers enormous development opportunities for southeastern Berlin and neighbouring Brandenburg. The strategic narrative “NeoCity” aims to guide the development of this area. Visions and flagship projects are crucial to achieving long-term goals. The region needs its own growth engines, similar to Adlershof, Wildau and the Tesla gigafactory in Gr眉nheide, as well as a mobility strategy that promotes public transport and mixed-use. NeoCity relies on “NeoKieze” (neighbourhoods) with specific guiding themes developed by local stakeholders.聽
The Berlin-Lausitz corridor represents mission-orientated approaches. It benefits from structural funding and the phase-out of fossil fuels such as coal. Business, science and politics work together in clusters aligned with sustainability goals. Public-Private-People Partnerships involve civil society and the environment. Instead of promoting industries, missions such as climate protection or sponge city principles define the agenda.
Integrative concepts and cooperation
Futureproofing requires not only interdisciplinary but also spatially comprehensive strategies. Berlin-Brandenburg offers ideal conditions for this. Strengthening cooperation between the two areas is crucial.
An example is Berlin’s “Potato Plan.” Inspired by the architect Patrick Abercrombie’s “Social and Functional Analysis Map” from 1943, it shows the city as a network of neighbourhoods and centralities. Such plans open new perspectives on regional structures and integrate social and spatial aspects into planning.
The Lower Lee Valley in London shows how metropolitan and integrative planning can succeed. Before the 2012 Olympics, the area was marked by decay. The Games offered the opportunity for renewal: The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and improved infrastructure have sustainably increased the quality of life.
Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport also serves as a model. It combines transport, open spaces and natural areas into a sustainable model. The collaboration of various stakeholders and the consideration of environmental aspects make the region around Schiphol Airport futureproof.
Collaboration between different stakeholders and the inclusion of open spaces and natural areas are crucial for successful urban development. Integrating social and spatial structures into planning promotes sustainable and resilient cities. This way cities and regions can more effectively respond to the complex challenges of the future and create sustainable, inclusive and resilient communities.
Conclusion
The event showed: Berlin-Brandenburg has great potential. The polycentric structure, transport network, green spaces, young population and innovative economy are strong foundations. But to become futureproof, it needs more than concepts. It needs:
- People: Strong personalities in institutions and local authorities to steer development.
- Tolerance: A tolerant society that attracts smart minds.
- Speed: Rapid implementation of planning projects.
- Foresight: Forward-looking planning orientated towards missions such as the heating transition.
- Courage: Bold movers who drive big ideas, instead of settling for the lowest common denominator.
Futureproof series
Futureproof, a three-part event series, was launched by 海角视频 on its 30th anniversary in Germany, in collaboration with Aedes. The next events will focus on two more scales: Futureproof M deals with existing neighbourhoods, Futureproof S with climate-neutral buildings.
- Futureproof M 鈥� City & Neighbourhood: 20 February at 6.30pm at Aedes, Berlin
- Futureproof S 鈥� City & Building: 3 April at 6.30pm at Aedes, Berlin
