The Case of Berlin
Berlin is a city of contrasts. In the last century alone, it faced two world wars, was divided by the Berlin wall, and, with its fall, witnessed a peaceful reunion. Whole hills like the Teufelsberg are made of rubble from bombardment during the second world war and parks like the Tiergarten served as firewood sources during the following cold winters. But the Berlin of the 21st century has reinvented itself – parts of the Berlin wall’s former death strip are now the Mauerpark, which is a place for social gathering. Today, the city is a global melting pot. It has a vivid art and club scene, a large LGBTQ+ community, and very diverse neighborhoods. But other green spaces like the Görlitzer Park are known for drug use and homelessness.
Constantly short for money, a big German newspaper called it “poor but sexy” – which is reflected in the limited maintenance of its green spaces and resulting wild growth – an offense to the German ideal of a perfectly maintained lawn. In addition to financial shortages, the city struggles with heat stress, water management, and housing shortages. At the same time, it is home to countless local initiatives supporting nature, education, and inclusion. While the dominant narrative is in support of urban nature based on its benefits, such as the omnipresent sponge city ideal, bureaucratic hurdles and budget shortages impede the realization of many projects and frustrate the administrative staff and volunteers.
The functional urban area (FUA) of the Case Study in Berlin.
Where else in Berlin can you experience real vastness? Unique public participation and governance models are emerging to preserve and improve urban green space.
Three examples of nature-based solutions in Berlin
The Tempelhofer Feld is a historical site in Berlin. Simultaneously, the space hosts urban gardens, bird protection areas, and it is maintained partially through grazing sheep. However, it has been contested as Berlin faces a dire housing shortage. In 2014, Berlin held a public vote to keep the field as it is and not allow buildings even on the edges. The field is a unique public participation and governance model aiming to preserve and improve the space.
When we talk about urban nature, graveyards are rarely the first actor that is mentioned, even though they can be found in all cities and provide quiet, green spaces to local plants, animals and citizens. The Central Berlin Cemetery Association wants to preserve its green spaces while struggling with less demand for traditional burials, water scarcity, and contestation of their space.
Located in front of the Museum for Natural Science in Berlin, there is a beautiful garden called the Pollinator Pathmaker. Designed by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg and realized by the LAS foundation in collaboration with the museum, it not only contributes to biodiversity – it also challenges our perception of art and nature. Humans maintain it, but it also evolves and grows. It is a space where events are hosted where science can be created through art.
Figure 1: Installation of the Pollinator Pathmaker in the historical garden in front of the Museum of Natural History, making the living artwork commissioned by the LAS Foundation a space for humans, flora, and fauna to interact. (Photo source: Katrin Merfeld)
Figure 2: Overgrown grave at the Georgen-Parochial II Cemetery in Berlin Mitte, where the biodiversity team explores new collaborations to harvest rainwater. (Photo source: Katrin Merfeld)
Figure 3: The green expanse of the former Tempelhofer Feld airport offers space for the coexistence of cyclists, bird sanctuaries and barbecue areas. (Photo source: Katrin Merfeld)