Unfinished Metropolis
Berlin as we know it – with its centres, residential quarters, and suburbs – marks its 100th anniversary in 2020. A reason to celebrate, but also a spur to think about the future development of the region. After years of stagnation, dynamism is returning to the Berlin-Brandenburg region: population growth, new flows of commuters and goods, new quarters and housing developments, a new rail map, a radically new airport arrangement, and a growing public transport system. Berlin is a metropolis, its integrated hinterland extending far beyond its administrative boundaries. What we need now is a broad public debate ranging from sustainable planning of growth across the region as a whole to the specific role of individual neighbourhoods within the growing metropolis. Both politicians and representatives of business and civil society have repeatedly called for such a debate, and with good reason.
How can we shape the future city? The Architekten- und Ingenieur-Verein zu Berlin aims to fertilise the debate by organising a two-phase International Urban Design Ideas Competition for Berlin-Brandenburg 2070, coinciding with this year’s 100th anniversary of the founding of (Greater) Berlin. The main objective of the International Urban Design Ideas Competition for Berlin-Brandenburg 2070 is not to create a completely different, new metropolitan region beside or within the space occupied by the existing one, but to develop and improve the existing framework by building on its special strengths, features, and peculiarities. With a fundamentally outstanding transport network, diversity of centres, housing stock of above-average quality, and comparative lack of urban sprawl in its hinterland, the metropolitan region possesses ideal preconditions for future development. These need to be identified, maintained, developed, and improved. Achieving sustainable development means bringing together past and future in an integrated approach.
The object of Phase One is to prepare an overall plan of the Competition area with guiding principles for the spatial development of the Berlin-Brandenburg region at scale 1:100,000, as well as a planning concept for a selected site in 2070, which clearly represents the author’s concept and ideas for the city’s future. The site can be chosen freely from within the entire Competition area.
After examining the Phase One submissions, the jury will select 20 teams (firms) to submit expanded contributions in Phase Two.
Phase Two of the International Urban Design Ideas Competition will focus above all on deepening the structural development ideas through an overall plan at scale 1:100,000 and proposals for three specific sites, freely selected in connection with ten topics. Two slides are to be prepared for each of the three sites. At least one of the selected sites must be in Brandenburg and one in Berlin.
Architects or urban planners are eligible to enter, in collaboration with landscape architects. The organiser recommends drawing as applicable on planning expertise in other fields (for example mobility/transport planners).
The members of the expert jury represent the various disciplines associated with the Competition brief. The expert jury comprises ten members and two substitutes.
The members of the lay jury are representatives of the states of Berlin and Brandenburg and members of the Architekten- und Ingenieur-Verein zu Berlin. The organiser intends to include representatives of administration, politics, civil society and business as non-voting guests.