18th Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy

Welcome!

Thank you for your interest in the Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy.

The Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building, in cooperation with the Conference of German Building Ministers, the Association of German Cities (Deutscher Städtetag) and the German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB), cordially invites you to the 18h Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy at StadtHalle of the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock.

Click the button below to access the registration page for the 18th National Urban Development Policy Congress.
Please complete your registration to confirm your participation.

Well done! Shaping high-quality neighbourhoods

All across Germany, in cities both large and small, today’s good ideas are giving rise to “neighbourhoods with a future” – locations where high-quality social infrastructure and inviting public spaces, an effective mix of uses and varied ownership structures, amenities close by and sustainable mobility, and climate change mitigation and adaptation measures are now practically the standard. However, ensuring neighbourhood development is sustainable and in the public interest remains an ongoing challenge.

The Congress is an opportunity to discuss current cooperation approaches to and strategies for urban development policy, and to progress ideas for sustainable, integrated development of urban and rural spaces at national, European and international scale.

There is no charge for attending the Congress. It is recognised as professional development by the M-V Chamber of Architects.

The City of Rostock is providing a limited allocation of room accommodation for the Congress period. Further deadline and reservation information is available here.

You can also book your accommodation separately from this allocation via the Rostock Convention Bureau’s general hotel listing (tel. +49 381 381 – 2948) or via other booking portals.

Sustainability is a key priority for us in organising the Congress. For a climate-friendly journey to the congress, there are exclusive ticket conditions from Deutsche Bahn.

Ticketshop Deutsche Bahn

To view the programme for the previous Federal Congress in Heidelberg, please visit our Media Library.

Further information about urban development policy is available on the websites of the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (German only) and the National Urban Development Policy

You can also subscribe to our newsletter there to receive notifications about current projects, events and publications relating to the National Urban Development Policy.

Programme

(last updated: 24/07/2025 / subject to change)

15 September 2025

7:00 p.m. onwards
Networking event jointly hosted by BMWSB and the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock at Kunsthalle Rostock.

Address: Kunsthalle Rostock, Hamburger Str. 40, 18069 Rostock

Given the venue capacity, participant numbers are limited to 450. Registration is required.

Welcome address

Dr Ute Fischer-Gäde, Senator for Urban Planning, Building, Climate Protection and Mobility of the Hanseatic City of Rostock

Welcome to Kunsthalle Rostock

Dr Uwe Neumann, Director of Kunsthalle Rostock
Lars-Christian Uhlig, Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development, in charge of the National Urban Development Projects programme

Moderation:
Anne Keßler, Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building
Katherin Wagenknecht, Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building

Part 1: Together for the neighbourhood

SPORT NETWORKED – together for movement in (social) space
Speaker: Markus Hirth, for Alba Berlin “Sport digital – more exercise in the neighbourhood”
Rochdale Barracks Bielefeld – A Space Full of Opportunities
Speakers: Johanna Trockels, Cultural Office, Michael Kellersmann, Construction Office, City of Bielefeld
Sustainable socioculture in the neighbourhood. Urban (district) development with artistic means
Speaker: Kristina Rahe, Federal Association of Socioculture

Part 2: Shaping responsibility – democracy at the local level

“This is how the future is created in the countryside”
Speaker: Kathleen Bartels, Mayor of the City of Grabow, Ludwigslust-Parchim district
“Kulturbahnhof“ Leisnig – Step by Step to an inclusive City
Speaker: Carsten Graf, Mayor of the City of Leisnig, district of Central Saxony
Health kiosks in the Seltenrain region
Speaker: Christopher Kaufmann, Mayor of the municipality of Sundhausen, Unstrut-Hainich district

Part 3: New start WE – young impulses for the common good

Check for common good
Speaker: Markus Schäfer, Department of Urban and Spatial Planning, University of Applied Sciences Erfurt and Felix Franke, Faculty of Spatial Planning, TU Dortmund University
Urban compensation as a driver for climate adaptation
Speaker: Maria Feil, Machleidt GmbH – Urban Development and Planning and Carl Rube, Martin Braun Group – Sustainability Management
RAUMPILOT*IN – A Handbook for Gender-Responsive Urban Planning
Speaker: Pia Winder and Laura Brezing, Professorship for Urban Design – TU Munich

16 September 2025

9:30 a.m. onwards
Admission and registration at the StadtHalle

10:30 a.m.
Opening of the Congress programme and welcome remarks

Overall moderation: Anja Heyde, moderator and journalist

10:35 a.m.
Welcome from the Hanseatic City of Rostock
Eva-Maria Kröger, Mayor of the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock

10:45 a.m.
Introduction: Shaping high-quality neighbourhoods
Verena Hubertz, Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Building

11:00 a.m.
Keynote
Jette Cathrin Hopp, architect, Director at Snøhetta, Oslo (Norway)

11:25 a.m.
Discussion on the keynote
Moderator Anja Heyde in conversation with:

Verena Hubertz, Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Building
Jette Cathrin Hopp, architect, Director at Snøhetta, Oslo (Norway)

11:40 a.m.
Panel: Shaping high-quality neighbourhoods
Moderation: Anja Heyde

Mechthild Heil, Member of the German Bundestag, CDU/CSU (online)
Katalin Gennburg, Member of the German Bundestag, The Left
Daniel Schreiner, City Planning Officer, Fulda
Line Bernstein, Stadtverwicklung gGmbH, Weimar
Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Mario Tvrtković, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Coburg

12:30 p.m.
Lunch and discussions

Marketplace, exhibition, programme on the foyer stage with short presentations

Stage programme

NPOW project: A city plays utopia!
Sandra Engelhardt, Urban Lab Nürnberg
“Between concrete and participation: urban development promotion works in many ways.”
Dr. Frank Friesecke, Stadtentwickler Bundesverband e. V.
Health promotion in the neighbourhood: State programme “Health in Berlin – neighbourhoods at a glance”
Boris Metz, Gesundheit Berlin-Brandenburg e. V.
Europe Makes Cities: How URBACT & EUI promote sustainable urban development
Linn Tramm and Max Anton Dörr, German contact point for URBACT and EUI at the German Association e. V.

2:00 p.m.
Presentation on international urban development
N.N., Montréal, Canada

2:15 p.m.
Transition to the specialist forums
Information and explanations from moderator Anja Heyde, with
participants moving to the various rooms

2:30 – 4:15 p.m.
Specialist forums

Affordable housing is one of the biggest challenges facing our society. Existing structures present significant opportunities, especially in terms of sustainability. The Bauen & Wohnen (Building & Living) project is identifying solutions for more affordable housing at building and neighbourhood level and discussing suitable transformation strategies. This specialist forum will provide an update on the progress made to date.

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Urban transformation processes are encountering resistance in many areas. It is becoming increasingly difficult to gain majority support for new approaches. Which tactics and strategies are helpful in real-world applications? Possible courses of action and success factors for urban transformation processes will be discussed using the example of four National Urban Development Policy pilot projects in Homberg, Neuruppin, Nuremberg and Stuttgart.

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Putting the public interest before the highest bid – since 2023, Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume has been leading a process to establish a concept tendering model for real estate across Germany that prioritises the public interest. The first interim results – a systematic definition of the public interest and a tendering standard – will be presented and put up for discussion.

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How can mobility and urban and regional development be integrated in a meaningful way? IBA’s Mobility spaces initiative creates an environment for experimentation, fostering innovative projects that aim to enhance quality of life, promote sustainability and develop mobility solutions for urban and rural areas. The focus is on collaboration and new approaches that facilitate participation. In this specialist forum, experts will discuss the objectives and the initial projects aiming to redefine and advance the culture of mobility in the region.

Successful environmental and social transformation of the existing building stock relies on people’s acceptance and engagement. Transformation projects in urban and rural areas will be used to present public-interest strategies that acknowledge the realities of peoples’ lives, leverage temporary uses and foster self-driven co-creation. BDA and the Gemeinsam für das Quartier (Together for the neighbourhood) initiative will put forward their findings.

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There is plenty of discussion right now about the shortage of skilled spatial planners. What challenges are municipalities and independent firms facing in rural and urban areas? What ideas are there for tackling these? And who will put these into practice? We will discuss the findings from SRL’s semi-annual conference held in Erfurt in May 2025.

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As our climate changes, heatwaves are set to become much more intense. Cities will be especially affected by this. BBSR has launched the Urban Heat Labs research programme on behalf of BMWSB: from December 2024 to 2027, eight municipal pilot schemes are trialling integrated strategies for heat preparedness and mitigation in densely populated neighbourhoods and mixed-use urban developments. This specialist forum will address how heat preparedness and mitigation strategies in cities, neighbourhoods and the existing building stock can be improved through the interplay of construction-related, technical and nature-based actions.

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The BMWSB and City Centre Advisory Board expert forum will use municipal examples to demonstrate and discuss the importance of the residential function in central locations for sustainable city centre development in different types of city, which forms of housing are conceivable where and what needs to be taken into account with regard to competing and conflicting uses when there is a greater mix of housing in city centres and town centres.

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4:30 – 6:15 p.m.
Specialist forums

Vacant properties in small and medium-sized towns and cities offer great potential for affordable housing, climate protection and social cohesion. Through insights and practical examples, this forum will illustrate how new approaches to revitalisation outside major cities can be effective. The focus will be on networks and advisory services as drivers of strategic revitalisation of vacant properties.

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Cities and regions experiencing demographic and structural shifts are facing increasing challenges that call for unconventional approaches, innovative strategies and experimentation with new tools and methods. Between 2016 and 2024, more than 40 projects under BMBF’s Kommunen innovativ (Innovative municipalities) initiative sought to explore these through collaboration between municipalities and researchers. A selection of the projects will discuss their findings in this specialist forum.

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Presentation of a stress test for cities that can be used as an urban resilience tool. A municipal stress test application developed on behalf of BMWSB and BBSR will be used to demonstrate how cities and districts can be helped to implement municipal resilience strategies and how foresight in urban development can be achieved with consideration for crises and risks.

Neighbourhoods are the primary arena for implementing sustainable urban development. Well-designed open spaces play a major role – both as a living environment for local residents and as multifunctional green-blue infrastructure. This specialist forum will explore areas of tension and competing objectives from an interdisciplinary perspective.

In an interactive project walk-through, Urbane Liga and various guests (from neighbourhood to national level) will speak together and with the public about experiences and structural problems of conventional participation methods and about innovative solutions: who gets to participate, who does not and why? What roles can young urban changemakers and co-productive processes play?

Cohesion is being tested in cities and communities at this time due to societal crises, polarisation and uncertainties. Contact and exchange are the key to strengthening social bonds – especially at neighbourhood level. But which places, stakeholders and processes provide suitable opportunities for interaction there? How can spaces that contribute to a greater sense of community be created? This forum hosted by vhw – Federal Association for Housing and Urban Development will invite interdisciplinary dialogue and offer various perspectives on developing vibrant neighbourhoods.

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Social cohesion is a key element for the neighbourhood of the future as it promotes the integration ofdifferent socio-economic and cultural groups, laying the foundation for social coexistence. With polarisation on the rise, municipalities worldwide have a responsibility to facilitate spaces that foster social cohesion. An international perspective with approaches from the United States, Canada and Europe, commented on by decision-makers from Germany and South Africa, will provide an opportunity to discuss current trends, challenges and new approaches.

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Immovielien – real estate (Immobilien) from many for many (viele) – are key drivers of transformation and strengthen local participation and democracy. But municipal instruments, procedures and regulations are mainly tailored to large profit-driven actors and few are designed to serve the public interest or support self-organisation of the many changemakers. We will have an interdisciplinary discussion about the potential and challenges of immovielien cooperation.

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7:00 p.m. onwards
Evening reception at the StadtHalle

Welcome from the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Manuela Schwesig, Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Opening evening reception

Dr. Olaf Joachim, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building
Eva-Maria Kröger, Mayor of the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock

17 September 2025

8:30 a.m. onwards
Admission and registration at the StadtHalle

9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Breakout areas at the StadtHalle and external locations, including excursions

Please note that only some of the breakout areas will be held at the StadtHalle. Others will commence directly at the designated meeting places – please refer to the information for the respective breakout area.

The large-scale housing developments of the 20th century shape the reality of housing and daily life for a large part of the population of many cities. In contrast to previous assumptions, they are now seen as neighbourhoods of the future. This area will discuss their future in two respects:

• Which social concepts are suitable for fostering neighbourhood cohesion?
• Which urban planning/architectural measures contribute to the long-term climate neutrality of large residential developments?

Small and medium-sized towns and cities in conurbations are facing particular challenges in ensuring quality of life and remaining viable. This calls for integrated planning approaches for living and working spaces, climate-resilient infrastructure, attractive public spaces and good mobility. That is the only way they can continue to be independent, liveable places in a time of transition. This area will present examples of how this can be achieved.

Smart cities and regions are using digital applications for sustainable, integrated urban development. The Smarte Hanse example illustrates how the cities of Lübeck, Neubrandenburg, Rostock, Schwerin, Stralsund and Wismar have formed an alliance with a focus on effective networking to enhance the quality of life of their residents through smart technologies and future-oriented projects. How this can be achieved will be demonstrated through thought-provoking expert presentations and a visit to smart collaborative projects from the BMWSB-funded Smart Cities pilot initiative in Rostock.

The provision of affordable housing is one of the most pressing social issues of our time. In many regions, the strained housing situation also calls for the development of new urban districts. But what defines a future-proof neighborhood with a focus on the common good? What design, architectural, social, and procedural qualities must new districts offer? And how can these qualities be ensured through the interplay of planning, participation, and implementation? Arena IV “New Urban Districts” addresses these questions in a dialogue-oriented working format, featuring examples from Bremen, Sweden, and other parts of Europe.

Aboard the MS Mecklenburg, the arena travels along the Warnow River from Rostock’s city harbour through Germany’s largest Baltic Sea port to Warnemünde. The accelerating, globally driven transformation of ports is creating new potential for urban development through conversion, but also poses massive challenges such as the constant adaptation to growing ship sizes and space requirements, for example, at Rostock overseas ports. The arena will also explore, with a view beyond the Baltic Sea, how strategic port development can be designed, which usage conflicts must be overcome, how successful cooperation can be achieved for the port, and what role the port can play in Germany’s energy transition.

The event will demonstrate how cooperation between European cities can lead to common solutions for integrated and sustainable urban development. Cities from Germany, Finland and France will present the implementation of innovative approaches supported by funding from the European Urban Initiative (EUI) and the URBACT programme. Afterwards, there will be the option to visit EU co-financed projects on the Campus Südstadt of the University in Rostock.

12:30 p.m.
Lunch and discussions

Programme, exhibition and project showcases in the marketplace

Stage programme

Common Good Matrix
Line Bernstein, Stadtverwicklung gGmbH, Weimar
The federal government’s Baukultur Guidelines “Shaping spaces for good coexistence together”
Stephan Mayer, Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building
Guidelines for gender-responsive urban development
Marie Mense, Expert advisory board and René Zieprich, City of Leipzig

1:30 p.m.
Plenary congress programme

Overall moderation: Anja Heyde, moderator and journalist

1:35 p.m.
Five years of the New Leipzig Charter
Input: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Angela Million, Professor of Urban Design and Urban Development, Institute of Urban and Regional Planning at TU Berlin

Panel: partners in the National Urban Development Policy
Moderation: Anja Heyde

Dr Olaf Joachim, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building
Christian Pegel, Minister of the Interior, Building and Digitalisation of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Bernd Düsterdiek, German Association of Towns and Municipalities
Prof. Hilmar von Lojewski, Association of German Cities
Dr Ute Fischer-Gäde, Senator for Urban Planning, Building, Climate Protection and Mobility of the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Angela Million, TU Berlin

2:50 p.m.
Conclusions and outlook

Moderator Anja Heyde in conversation with:

Dr Olaf Joachim, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building
Dr Ute Fischer-Gäde, Senator for Urban Planning, Building, Climate Protection and Mobility of the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock

Approx 3:00 p.m.
Conclusion of the Congress

Venue

StadtHalle Rostock
Südring 90, 18059 Rostock

https://www.inrostock.de/orte

The StadtHalle Rostock is the sports and congress centre of the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock. Its flexible space concept makes it ideal for the Federal Congress.

Following renovation, expansion and modernisation works in 2017 and 2018 and with a new light-filled foyer covering some 2,000 m², the StadtHalle is now an even more versatile and comfortable multi-functional venue for conferences and other events.

StadtHalle Tag (c) Fotograf Steffen Spitzner

Bus & rail

The StadtHalle has its own tram station – StadtHalle (approx. 90m walk) – and can also be reached directly from the main train station (Hauptbahnhof, approx. 350m walk). A Deutsche Bahn Event Ticket is available for climate-friendly travel to Rostock.

Car

From Berlin via the A19 motorway, exit at the Rostock junction onto the A20 motorway and then exit at Rostock-Südstadt. From Hamburg via the A20 motorway, exit at Rostock-Südstadt.

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Speaker

This year, we are once again expecting a selection of renowned experts and representatives from politics, urban development and civil society.
With interesting presentations or contributions to the panels, together with you they will make a siginificant contribution to the quality of the 18th Federal Congress on National Urban Development Policy.

If you would like more information about the individual persons, please use the link in the photo.

Downloads

Conference Paper
Programmheft