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Urban development law reform – anniversary conference

Change in the legal conditions for mixed urban districts

Urban housing construction remains the major political, social, urban planning and architectural challenge. At the Düsseldorf conferences of the last ten years, the German Institute for Urban Design has systematically and comprehensively analyzed and discussed the conditions and topics of urban development: questions of economy, ecology, politics, society, culture and technology in connection with questions of urban planning and architectural design the city. Most recently, the focus was on the mixed urban quarter, which, instead of functional zoning and the construction of residential areas, forms the basic building block of the compact European city and has to form again.

Much has been achieved in understanding what constitutes a mixed urban quarter in contrast to a settlement: the separation of public and private areas, the social and functional mix, the construction, population and activity density, the appropriate size of plots and house types, the architecturally appealing formulation of public spaces. But one central condition still stands in the way of the realization of such mixed city quarters: the building legislation. Regulations such as the building use ordinance originate from a time in which the dense city wanted to be overcome by loosening up housing developments. Or others like the noise abatement ordinance (Lärmschutzverordnung) only serve a singular goal without considering the impact on the city as a whole. The result is that, paradoxically, we are not allowed to build urban quarters like the most popular and best functioning ones in our cities – even if we want to.

2019 by DOM publishers, Berlin, ISBN 978-3-86922-511-1, Christoph Mäckler, Wolfgang Sonne (ed.)

With housing being scarce in large built-up areas, everyone is talking about urban districts that they can call home. That presents a great challenge for new urban housing projects in Germany because the designs for those mixed-use city districts have to be attractive, socially acceptable and functional all at the same time. Now is the time for city districts we can call home! How do we achieve a successful differentiation between public and private spaces in an urban setting? Which types of housing can help to create a functional mix and social diversity? How can we develop urban squares and streets that are full of character? How can communities and developers create such an urban district? Taking these questions as a starting point, the interdisciplinary discussions at the 9th conference on the beauty and viability of towns and cities explored ways of implementing the ideas developed at the recent Düsseldorf conferences by taking specific places as examples. Those taking part included representatives from housing associations and housebuilding firms, public bodies (from politics, municipalities and planning authorities) and other experts (scientists, architects, urban planners). Examples from Bochum, Dortmund, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg im Breisgau, Cologne, Paderborn and Regensburg were presented during the event.

2019 by DOM publishers, Berlin, ISBN 978-3-86922-732-0, Christoph Mäckler, Wolfgang Sonne (ed.)

architektur.aktuell, 28 May 2017 “If we didn’t have these conferences inaugurated back in 2010, we would have to invent them. In Germany there is in the meantime no other forum with a more prominent line-up for discussing the changing topics of urban development. … Despite differing opinions, all agreed on one thing: In contrast to the straightforward housing estate, the thing that characterises a vibrant urban district is the mix of different uses.”

Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, 8 May 2017 “If new residential developments are really intended to create lively urban districts, then they also need corner shops and small start-up businesses or workshops in backyards just as much as playgrounds and gardens. … But what does that mean for architectural and urban planning concepts? … In contrast to housing estates, where all sides are the same, in urban settings there are fronts, which define public spaces, and backs, which are private. At the front the façade wears collar and tie, at the back, pyjamas or a tracksuit.”

Bauwelt, 13 June 2017 “How does housing make a town? … Christoph Mäckler and Wolfgang Sonne are our hosts for tackling this problem, i.e. the rejection of the anti-urban housing estate ideology of the 1960s and 1970s, which is still preferred – even in competitions. … Quality is not defined by the density of housing frequently called for, instead by the difference between the public and private functions of a single building.”

2018 by DOM publishers, Berlin, ISBN 978-3-86922-693-4, Christoph Mäckler, Wolfgang Sonne (ed.)

BauNetz, 4 May 2016 “A group of prominent German architects, planners and theorists were invited by Dortmund University’s Deutsches Institut für Stadtbaukunst to discuss no less a subject than the ‘beauty and vitality of towns and cities’.”

Frankfurter Rundschau, 7/8 May 2016 “The treatment of the detail was fascinating – starting with the design of an entrance or the outline of a vertically articulated fenestrated façade. Why is a high plinth so unwelcoming in urban settings? Why is an arcade an appealing addition to an urban space? Why is it so important for orientation that an entrance be easily grasped?”

Die Welt, 14 May 2016 “But the façade of a building is the face it shows the public, and this face has an effect on many more people than just those who enter or use the building. Even at the start of the 21st century, whether architecture satisfies or instead tends to repel the observer, that is still essentially down to the façade. It is not surprising that ‘featureless’ is one of the words most often heard when it comes to criticism of new buildings. Therefore, we cannot commend the Deutsches Institut für Stadtbaukunst highly enough for making the façade the subject of its annual conference on the beauty and vitality of towns and cities.”

2017 by DOM publishers, Berlin, ISBN 978-3-86922-602-6, Christoph Mäckler, Wolfgang Sonne (ed.)

The “Cologne Declaration on Urban Planning Education” triggered a considerable discussion that was supported by Bauwelt, Bundesstiftung Baukultur, StadtBauKultur NRW, the BDA and DASL NRW. Based on this, the 6th Düsseldorf conference attempted, together with all participants in the discussion, to draw up basic requirements for future urban planning education in courses of study for architecture, town and country planning, landscape planning and transport planning.

2016 by DOM publishers, Berlin, ISBN 978-3-86922-511-1, Christoph Mäckler, Wolfgang Sonne (ed.)

5th volume accompanying the conference on the beauty and viability of towns and cities organised by the Deutsches Institut für Stadtbaukunst A compilation of presentations and discussions on the subject of “urban life instead of living”. Today, urban living embraces all aspects of human life. Housing is part of towns and cities, which are built to serve all the necessities of life, not just selected functions.

NIGGLI 2015 / ISBN 978-3-7212-0938-9, Christoph Mäckler, Wolfgang Sonne (ed.)

4th volume accompanying the conference on the beauty and viability of towns and cities organised by the Deutsches Institut für Stadtbaukunst. A compilation of presentations and discussions on the subject of “the normal city and its buildings”. The aim of the conference is to bring together again the disciplines of architecture, town and country planning, transport planning and civil engineering – disciplines that have drifted apart.

NIGGLI 2014 / ISBN 978-3-7212-0894-8, Christoph Mäckler, Wolfgang Sonne (ed.)

2nd volume accompanying the conference on the beauty and viability of towns and cities organised by the Deutsches Institut für Stadtbaukunst. A compilation of presentations and discussions on the subjects of “town and trade” plus “town and energy”. The aim of the conference is to bring together again the disciplines of architecture, town and country planning, transport planning and civil engineering – disciplines that have drifted apart.

NIGGLI 2012 / ISBN 978-3-7212-0823-8, Christoph Mäckler, Wolfgang Sonne (ed.)

1st volume accompanying the conference on the beauty and viability of towns and cities organised by the Deutsches Institut für Stadtbaukunst. A compilation of presentations and discussions on various urban theory, urban economy and urban planning topics. The aim of the conference is to bring together again the disciplines of architecture, town and country planning, transport planning and civil engineering – disciplines that have drifted apart.

NIGGLI 2011 / ISBN 978-3-7212-0778-1, Christoph Mäckler, Wolfgang Sonne (ed.)