Dossier « Réaffectations du foncier: régulation étatique, investissements privés et initiatives citoyennes » - Contestation et normalisation des usages du sol dans Berlin: l'ancien aéroport de Tempelhof

Abstract

A shrinking city following its reunification, Berlin has gained 40,000 additional inhabitants compared to 2014 and is nowadays a revitalized city. The period of shrinkage led to a radical rethinking of the uses of vacant land inside the city. Today, however, its attractiveness is changing land access opportunities as well as uses of vacant spaces. In the 1990's, many such vacant areas were used by renowned alternative projects such as Tacheles or YAAM. In the 2000's, a number of scientific research papers argued that this kind of temporary, in-between use (Zwischennutzungen - ZN) could be an asset for the city and provide a way to manage these vacant spaces and the duration of a vacancy. Local authorities in Berlin are exploring the possibility of formalizing this process as a pragmatic urban planning tool. The former Tempelhof Airport became the first example of such formalization. However, the limitation of ZNs to temporary uses by the local authorities has downscaled its effect to a controlled land bank. At the same time, by providing an opportunity for public debate, some ZN supporters are attempting to reclaim the commons and preserve open urban spaces. They are acting in close association with « 100 Tempelhofer Feld », a group who organized a referendum that contested the future development plan. On 25th May 2014, the vast 386 hectare area located in the heart of Berlin became a « no building land zone ».