Клуб Смисъл: Berlin: The Public Interest amid Radical Urban Transformation

Language: English with Bulgarian interpretation

Guest speaker:
Architect Manfred Kuhne – from 2008 until his retirement in December 2024, he headed the Urban Planning and Projects division of Berlin’s Senate administration for urban development, building and housing. Previously, he headed Berlin’s heritage preservation authority and the municipal urban planning office in Stralsund.

Berlin’s history spans its rise as a metropolis, two world wars, two dictatorships, division, and multiple recoveries. At this event, we will connect this special path of development with the conflicts, policies, and instruments for practical solutions at different scales of urban development.

- How is the public interest safeguarded? Municipal strategies implemented through cooperation projects with private investors, public companies, and civil society.
- How does Berlin approach its existing urban fabric? Policies focused on social and economic stabilization.
- How does the city develop new areas amid a rising real estate market? New housing areas with fixed shares of affordable apartments and mixed-use technology parks.
- How is cultural heritage preserved? The challenges of integrating heritage into contemporary urban life.
- What role does civil society play? Co-funding and support from the city, with meaningful participation by activists in culture and sustainable development projects.

Different scales, a shared challenge: sustainable urban development in turbulent times.

As a prelude to the event, you can join a guided tour of one of the bomb shelters in Lozenets on 3 October at 10:00 a.m.