Partner: Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume gAG

There are many funding programmes for real estate and neighbourhood development projects in the public interest. Generally speaking, they all require the funds to be earmarked for construction and are limited to short-term operating funding. It is very challenging for the respective operators to ensure operations remain economically viable in the long term. How, when and with whom are futureproof operating models developed?

Partner: German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu), Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development (ILS), Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin)

For decades, new immigrants have found established support networks in “traditional” arrival neighbourhoods. But how can people settle into urban areas that have only recently experienced international migration? This expert forum will present experiences, findings and insights from around three years of work as part of a research project on strengthening participation in “new” arrival neighbourhoods.

Partner: Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB), German Energy Agency (dena) and Competence Centre for the Municipal Heat Transition (KWW)

Considering national targets, climate action at the city and neighbourhood level requires a rapid approach and the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders. This has become even more relevant in the context of heat planning. How can the heating transition be achieved quickly and with broad participation? What has been the practical experience of municipalities?

Partner: Association for Urban, Regional and State Planning e.V. (SRL)

The volume of urban development funding has been successfully increased. However, municipalities still face significant financial challenges and uncertainty about the contribution of the federal states. Together with the participants, SRL will address the key challenges and formulate approaches aimed at institutionalising solutions, delivering efficiency gains, measuring impact and increasing stakeholder engagement for a position paper for the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB).

Partner: Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB)

Most housingcooperatives aim to provide “more than just housing”. We will look at how their activities are aligned with the public interest at the neighbourhood level, strengthen social cohesion and stabilise the housing market. How can cooperatives be strengthened in their development to enable the creation of more housing, especially affordable housing? How can the “Bau-Turbo” law help with this?

Partner: Kleinstadt Akademie, ARL Working Group on Housing in Small Towns and the Specialist Unit for Integrated Community Development in Saxony (FS INGE)

Three perspectives – that of science, politics and practice – will be advanced to address the issue of housing in small towns. Between vacant properties and renaturation in rural areas and growth, price and land-use pressures around major cities, small towns face a whole host of different challenges. Concrete solutions will be presented using practical examples involving small towns. Affordable housing strategies and instruments, structural bottlenecks and support needs vis-à-vis federal and state governments will be discussed and approaches for a more differentiated urban policy will be formulated, with a focus on small towns.

Partner: Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) and German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development e.V. (DV)

This expert forum will show how the cooperation between smaller and larger cities at European level can provide key impetus for the successful implementation of local projects. Three examples will be presented from the European URBACT programmes, the European Urban Initiative (EUI) and the Territorial Agenda 2030.

Partner: Federal Association of City Planners (Die Stadtentwickler.Bundesverband e.V.) and German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development e.V. (DV)

Sustainable climate adaptation measures pose significant challenges for property owners and municipalities in terms of cost effectiveness and investment capacity. Innovative risk analysis and assessment approaches as well as harmonised climate adaptation strategies pursued by private and public parties (such as housing associations, municipalities, innovators and process managers) are becoming increasingly important.

Not quite Pecha Kucha, but a brief insight into the diversity of ideas and concepts in urban development: in the new Pitch Forum, you’ll discover various approaches through eight concise presentations – from Phase 0 to the public good dialogue, from the Climate Future Lab to the policy paper on the 9th University Day or on social planning.

Short presentations of 8–10 minutes each:

DASL e.V.: Policy paper for the 9th University Day of National Urban Development Policy

Stadtverwicklung gGmbH: The Common Good in Dialogue – Insights, Frictions, Connections

Kompetenzzentrum Großsiedlungen: Small housing estates in rural areas – a promising model or a thing of the past?

TU Braunschweig: Contribution to the OpenCultures Climate and Future Lab

DB InfraGO AG: Station forecourts as focal points for vibrant neighbourhood development

Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume: Phase Zero of the Local Development Plan Process (working title)

Netzwerk Immovielien e.V.: Housing, Construction, Acceleration

Stadt Oldenburg und Landeshauptstadt Hannover: Why does urban planning need social planning?

Partner: Wüstenrot Foundation in cooperation with location³ and Urban Expert

Opportunities for everyday interaction determine the level of social cohesion on the ground. Urban development, residential construction and neighbourhood work are needed to co-shape spaces for encounter, the quality of public space and types of housing. How and with whom can we create neighbourhoods that help reduce loneliness? This expert forum will outline concrete implementation approaches and offer strategic recommendations.

Partner: German Architecture Museum (DAM) in cooperation with other partners

Cultural sites and offerings shape urban spaces and influence how people live together in society. This expert forum will discuss strategies for increasing the impact and relevance of culture for good social cohesion in urban development. It will look at current examples of participatory, interdisciplinary and experimental approaches in Germany and Europe.

Partner: Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy gGmbH, Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) and German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB GmbH) with urban.policy

How can municipalities turn the vision of a sustainable city into action and become more economically, environmentally and socially robust? This forum will show how conflicting climate adaptation, healthcare provision and social justice objectives can be resolved when cities are designed to be climate-resilient and ensure (gender) fairness in use, access and participation in keeping with the Urban Green-Blue Agenda.

Partner: Agency for Municipal Climate Action at the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN)

In many local authorities, the importance of climate action is overshadowed by multiple crises. Furthermore, the potential social impacts of climate action are playing an increasingly significant role. This expert forum examines how climate action can be integrated into cities’ transformation processes in a socially responsible manner during times of multiple crises, and what role the common good plays in this.

Partner: Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) in cooperation with the German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development e.V. (DV)

How can homelessness be effectively tackled at the local level? This expert forum will show how close cooperation between municipalities, the housing industry and social agencies can secure, develop and deliver housing. It will focus on prevention, immediate assistance and proven models such as the “Endlich ein ZUHAUSE!” initiative. Join the discussion on transferable solutions for strained housing markets.

Partner: Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB), Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) and International Building Exhibitions (IBA) Expert Council

Special urban development formats, such as international building exhibitions, horticultural shows and regional initiatives, are setting new standards in many places. But what happens after the “temporary state of exception”? Discussions of practical examples and strategies will show how experience and forms of cooperation that emerge from implementing special formats can be translated into municipal action.

Partner: RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau

Strategies for resilient neighbourhood development are being implemented as part of the BMZ/GIZ project “Strengthening urban resilience in the areas of supply infrastructure and housing in Ukraine”. Civil defence, risk assessment, climate adaptation and integrated urban development experiences are being incorporated into the reconstruction work and also provide valuable insights for urban development in Germany.

Partner: Federal Association for Housing and Urban Development e.V. (vhw) and Dortmund Technical University

Land banking and interim acquisition are traditional instruments used by municipalities to steer urban development in the public interest. Shifting their use from expansion-based development to inner urban development offers significant opportunities but is also challenging. This expert forum will tie in with current research projects and discuss proactive public land policy solutions for the development of existing stock and inner urban development.

Organiser: Cologne/Bonn Region Association (Region Köln/Bonn e.V.)
Meeting place: Depot 2, Carlswerk site, 51063 Köln-Mühlheim

Given the complexity of transformation in spatial and economic contexts, intermunicipal, regional cooperation is increasingly becoming a strategic necessity for maintaining effectiveness in the public sector. This session will use specific examples to discuss which tasks arise at which spatial scales and which structures and formats are needed to ensure these tasks are future-proof.

Organisers: NRW Baukultur initiative
Meeting place: Zanders-Areal, An der Gohrsmühle 25, 51465 Bergisch Gladbach
(Participant limit: 200)

The value placed on re-use and recycling is transforming the building sector. Resource cycle planning is becoming increasingly important at political level, in cities and in the construction industry. This session will be an open discussion of matters relating to tendering of deconstruction projects, the certification of re-used parts and the development of material cycles.

Organiser: Conference of German Building Ministers
Meeting place: Palladium, Schanzenstraße 40, 51063 Köln

Urban development is no walk in the park. Exploring the balance between strategic action, sustained commitment and the desire for quick wins, this session will examine how urban development processes can be realigned going forward. Experiences and projects from cities and communities of different sizes and structures will be addressed in the dialogue and discussion formats.

Organisers: BMWSB with the City Centre Advisory Board
Meeting place: Citykirchenzentrum der Antoniterkirche, Antoniterstraße 14-16, 50667 Köln
(Participant limit: 170)

For several years now, public debate on city centres has become increasingly polarised. The central issue is safety, or rather the sense of safety. This forum is intended to give local authorities the opportunity to exchange views on possible strategies for action. The aim is to (further) develop, disseminate and discuss positive examples in the context of urban development.

Organiser: BMWSB, possibly with the City of Gelsenkirchen/URBAN.KI
Meeting place: Kulturbunker, Berliner Straße 20, 51063 Köln-Mühlheim
(Participant limit: 200)

Artificial intelligence can support data-driven, forward-looking and efficient planning and administration in municipalities. The URBAN.KI project will present examples of urban development use cases and invite discussion around shaping the use of AI in municipalities.

Organisers: BMWSB with the Association of German Cities (Deutscher Städtetag) and the German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB)
Meeting place: Halle 63, Dillenburger Straße 63, 51105 Köln-Kalk
(Participant limit: 200)

Almost a year since the special planning law provision came into effect, this session will take stock of the situation to date with municipalities, experts and policy-makers. How is the new instrument being applied in practice? What has been the experience of cities and communities? What opportunities does Bau-Turbo open up – and where are there still untapped possibilities? How can we accelerate construction without losing sight of quality, climate protection or the social mix?