A notice about cookies
Some cookies are technically necessary for the website to function. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.
You will find more information about data protection in our Privacy Policy.
Many municipalities experience a continued or resumed population growth due to migration. As a result, new urban quarters emerge in numerous local authorities. However, this process has not been a focal point of academic and planning practice-related discourse, mainly due to the strong focus on the (re)development of existing urban areas and previously developed land. Nevertheless, new urban quarters are highly relevant for the development of cities and their hinterland, not least due to their size. This research project strives to give a comprehensive overview of the development of new urban quarters in Germany.
Recent years have seen a rising awareness of dynamic population development and linked housing shortages in many cities. As a consequence of rising rental costs and house prices, households face increasing difficulties in finding affordable housing in prospering urban agglomerations and university cities.
Many municipalities focus the development of new residential areas within existing urban areas with the aim of reducing greenfield development. In this context, the the main approaches are the regeneration of previously developed land, the use of vacant plots and urban intensification.
In the context of very tight housing markets – for example in the metropolitan areas of Munich, Hamburg, Rhein-Neckar, Rhein-Main and along the so-called Rhine Corridor – these often relatively small-scale developments are not sufficient to compensate for the existing deficits. Furthermore, many sites are not deliverable as residential land in the short term, which adds to a significant increase in prices in many places. These conditions make the development of affordable housing even more difficult.
In this context, the importance of developing residential areas of the size of new urban quarters has increased not only within existing urban areas, but also as major urban extensions.
Despite population decline in many areas, new urban quarters are not a rarity. Since the end of 2004, the BBSR has recorded new urban quarters in a database. By the end of 2006, this database comprised more than 180 quarters. The last systematic evaluation took place in 2012. At this time the database included approximately 300 new urban quarters (cf. Breuer, Schmell; 2007 and 2012). At the start of this project, information was available on around 580 quarters. These new urban quarters met the following criteria:
The main objective of this research project was a nationwide survey and analysis of new urban quarters in order to achieve a comprehensive, qualitative and quantitative overview of the development of new urban quarters. Quarters in the process of planning as well as completed developments were examined. In doing so, their distribution, location, main characteristics and planning process were analysed.
The research focused on large and medium-sized cities as well as on selected small towns – either in the vicinity of fast-growing metropolitan areas or with military conversion projects. With the completion of this project, the expanded database now includes 751 new urban quarters in 263 municipalities.
A cross-sectional analysis including all recorded projects shows the scope of the development of new urban quarters. The results demonstrate how requirements for new quarters and their development change and which planning procedures and instruments are applied.
The guiding questions for this research were:
The contractor of this research project was STADTRAUMKONZEPT GmbH, Dortmund in cooperation with the Institute for Urban and Real Estate Development (Nuertingen-Geislingen University) and Weeber+Partner, Institute for Urban Planning and Social Researches, Stuttgart/Berlin.
Franziska Bensch
Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development
Division WB 8 "Housing and Society"
Phone: +49 228 99401-1289
Email:
franziska.bensch@bbr.bund.de