"Not in my backyard, NIMBY" is often said when it comes to projects that are undeniably desirable but that nobody wants in their immediate neighbourhood. This is the case with redensification, for example. Yet there are excellent examples and opportunities.
Flats are urgently needed, no question about it! But where should they be built? A brief study by the market, regional and economic research institute Bulwiengesa has identified a redensification potential of 625,000 flats for German growth cities and regions. The study focused on residential neighbourhoods from the 1950s and 1960s: Many estates from this period have generous open and green spaces.
Nationwide, there are currently 24 million flats in multi-family houses.67 per cent of these are in the pre-1978 building age categories. 29 per cent - or just under 6.8 million flats - are in buildings dating from 1949 to 1968. Around five million of these flats are owned by municipal housing companies, cooperatives and private housing associations.
The advantages of redensification in the housing estates of the 1950s and 1960s: cost savings through the use of existing plots, faster approval procedures, less urban sprawl, existing infrastructure, higher location quality compared to new housing estates. Of course, new housing construction in existing housing estates also entails temporary disruptions due to construction noise, possibly also more permanent shading and fewer open spaces.
The redensification of industrial sites is generally better accepted. One positive example is the planned construction of a modern residential neighbourhood in Berlin's Siemensstadt. Siemensstadt Square, with an area of 76 hectares and a floor space of over one million square metres, will provide living and working space for around 35,000 people. The project is one of Europe's largest urban development projects and a model of how urban development can be successfully realised in existing buildings.
Photo: © Moerschy, Pixabay
