Tempelhofer Feld: Berliners defend themselves against development plans!

Tempelhofer Feld: Berliners defend themselves against development plans!

Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin, Deutschland - The Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin, once a busy airport, has been transformed into an important inner -city open space since its closure in 2008, which is available to Berliners for leisure and relaxation. In a current architecture ideas competition for future use, four out of six winning designs underlined the great importance of the field as an undeveloped area. According to nd currently it is a popular place for roller skaters and inliner, and the authors of the victorious designs emphasize that no changes to the protection law of the Tempelhofer Field should be required.

The Senate Department for Urban Development has initiated a dialogue process in this quarter, in which 275 randomly selected Berliners discuss the future use of the field. In the previous workshops, the participants clearly opposed the development and possible privatization of the Tempelhofer Feld, which has been protected by a public law since 2014. In an explanation of July 13, signed by almost 40 of the approximately 80 present, they say that the dialogue process could be used to create a sham participation without taking its rejection of the development seriously.

development plans and civic engagement

The mood on site remains tense, especially after the government coalition of the CDU and SPD examines the possibility of a careful margin. In the meantime, the majority of Tempelhofer Feld continues to be used as a recreation room, for sports and culture. berlin.de reports that an international ideas competition is part of a broad dialogue process to include the Berlin public in the planning.

The concerns about the development are not new. Under the impression of a changing city and the challenges on the housing market, there are signs that some actors primarily regard the field as a building area. Tilmann Heuser, Managing Director of BUND Berlin, considers this to be questionable because he sees the experience from previous citizen participation processes as not taken into account. Many Berliners want the field to be preserved as a place of relaxation and sport, as has been the case since the introduction of the THF law, which was passed in 2014 by referendum.

anniversary of the citizen participation

An important occasion is imminent: On September 27, 2024, the beginning of the largest participation process for the development of the Tempelhofer field for the tenth time. This event is accompanied by some talks and digital lectures, which are intended to focus on a sustainable development of the area. BUND Berlin informs that further information about the planned events is available in which the engagement of the citizens is discussed on the subject.

How the next few months develop remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: the Berlin population is more than ever determined to secure the preservation of Tempelhofer Feld and to use it as a valuable space for leisure and cultural activities.