Urban Commons: Moving Beyond State and Market By Agnes Katharina Mueller

Urban Commons: Moving Beyond State and Market By

Agnes

Katharina

Mueller

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

Agnes Katharina Mueller Here are a few key points you need to know about her: -Coordinator of Urban Planning and Mobility at TechnischeUniversität Berlin -Her Linkedinaccount didn’t say much more..

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

Chapter: From Urban Commons to Urban Planning—or Vice Versa P a g e s

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History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

“Berlin is poor but sexy” A while back, the government sold many abandoned buildings to the private section. Therefore, they ended up having no control over today’s Urban Development.

And the people…? Well, they weren’t too happy about it.

So they protested against the government.

Urban Commons – A movement to keep, defend, or create a common community in an urban setting.

We’ve got 3 elements that constitute commute – A. Common pool resources B. Community C. Institutions/regulations created by activities commoners

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History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

What is Muller trying to say with this article?

BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN

In this article, she attempts to analyze the role Urban Commoners could play in urban planning processes.

It’s that simple!

She’s going to use Gleisdreieck Park in Berlin as a case study.

Her argument – Urban commons are able to play an active part Counterargument – They could also become “bottom-up” initiators for urban participatory planning processes

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

What is Muller trying to say with this article?

BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN

Here’s a summary of what she wrote in her article (then we can further discuss them in our next slides!!)

Point 1

Urban planning Outcome of public participation How urban commons gets connected

Point 2

Gleisdreieck Park: show different forms of political involvement that urban commons could have

Point 3

Link case study to definition of urban commons

Point 4

Analyze their role on planning process

Point 5

Her thoughts on urban commons in urban development processes.

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

A movement to keep, defend, or create a common community in an urban setting.

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

Participatory planning and urban commoning Public participation – even though it’s integrated in the notion of urban planning – isn’t always an obvious part of urban planning.

Until the 1970s, politicians, architects, and investors shaped the structure of the city without direct participation of the inhabitants. During the 1960s and 1970s, people started to protest against huge urban planning schemes, especially ones that aimed to remove traditional tenement houses in order to build modernist social housing and massive traffic infrastructures.

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

Participatory planning and urban commoning Resident protests triggered local governments to implement different forms of “public participation”, like informing, consulting, involving, collaborating, or even empowering. City governments should change their perception of urban commons and accept and deepen its enabling. However, method of achieving this are not always evident.

The story of Gleisdreieck Park will show us the different conflicts urban commons might face within urban development politics.

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

The story of Gleisdreieck Park Without the engagement of citizens, Gleisdreieck Park would have never existed. If the politicians had had their way, there would have been a highway, a bus terminal, the unfinished construction of a Ferris wheel and many more construction sites. Only due to the commitment of hundreds of citizens during almost four decades was such a scenario circumvented.

In 1974, a group of residents tried to prevent berlin local government from demolishing a playground somewhere and building a highway in its place. At the same time (just in case) the group was looking for an alternative for the playground.

They found a lovely area of wilderness: the Gleisdreieck territory (156 acres).

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

The story of Gleisdreieck Park In industrial times, the area consisted of many railway and subway tracks, train stations, and industries. During WWII, many tracks and buildings were destroyed. The area remained vacant.

Also, the territory became a political vacuum as ownership was complicated and ambiguous. As a result, the vegetation in the abandoned zone had a chance to grow uncontrolled over the railway tracks and facilities.

The Western city government planned a highway on the site. However, in 1974, residents protested and aimed to stop the highways. They imagined a green landscape instead! In the year 1998, after many years of protests and fighting for their “green” solution, the government finally gave in.

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

The story of Gleisdreieck Park However!

In 1997, (one year before) the Berlin senate urban planning department published a new concept for how to develop Gleisdreieck territory, designating a park and various construction sites.

However, the public were not yet engaged in the process.

So! Different neighborhood associations organized a “planning workshop” to gather ideas and desires.

Residents: Can you just try to see things from my perspective?

The government:

Sound great right?! Lol.. Not so much.

Just months later, this happens: 1. A private investor gets permission to build a parking garage that’ll house 1,500 cars 2. The highway was back on the agenda.

3. They changed the zoning plan to create more available construction sites.

4. A big Ferris wheel as a touristic attraction.

5. A huge amusement park on the site was even suggested!

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

The story of Gleisdreieck Park From that moment onwards, a long and heated debate commenced among: the Berlin government, the owner of the territory (German national train company VIVICO), and the activists together with the interested public. However, in 2005, the local government and VIVICO signed an urban development contract which would lead to a compromise between all parties.

So! They staged an open landscape competition for the park and landscape architects Atelier Loidl won. Then the public participatory procedure started. Meeting where held where residents got to present their own design visions of the park, which were quite distinct from the ideas of the architects.

Eastern part of the park = completed and opened in 2011 Western part of he park = opened in 2013

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

The Gleisdreieck territory struggle seen through the lens of urban commoning This case study shows the influence residents finally had in this specific urban planning process. Activists in the process of protests could be understood as a form of communing, the citizens’ initiatives as the community, the contested territory as the common resource, and finally, the Gleisdreieck Park in total as a commons.

Common resource – from an ‘abandoned illegal zone’ and into a large public park.

Community – the activist groups and residents who fought against the highway. They had a common goal.

Institutions – urban political activism. They threatened the residents’ resource.

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

The urban commons’ role in official planning procedures This could be analysed in two ways: a)

Commoning as a tool to obstruct ‘top-down- planning processes.

b)

Commoning as the foundation of public participation in official planning procedures.

Hardly any planning process by the investors involving the Park was accomplished without conflict or discussion with the commoners. At the beginning, the protests ideas by the residents were not acknowledged at all, and by the end of the development process the commoners became an active yet unequal part of the planning process.

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

Gleisdreieck Park – a model for urban participatory planning?

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Urban commons can be an indicator showing the actual necessities of certain groups of residents.

Governments and urban planners often perceive urban commons as a threat because their goals might seem too contrary. However, they should understand hem as a serious partner.

Engagements of urban commoners in urban development could lead to unintended consequences as well (rising rents).

For long-lasting successful urban development, all levels of public participation should be considered. Plus, that way, people are more likely to continue to take care of their resource.

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227

History and Theory of Public Space | Bauhaus Universität Weimar | Arida 121227