BTU - BRANDENBURG UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY. COTTBUS, GERMANY
The
second OIKONET international workshop will explore the complementarity of growing and shrinking, two urban development patterns exemplified by the cities of Berlin and Cottbus, respectively.
All
over Europe, demographic change has become an undeniable factor for the
development perspectives of municipalities. Whereas large metropolises tend to
attract new inhabitants, many cities have to realize that growth is something
they can no longer rely on. Both growing and shrinking communities are emerging
simultaneously confronting cities with unprecedented urban and architectural challenges.
While at first sight growth and shrinkage seem to be contrary trends, they have
to be considered as two sides of the same coin. The ‘growth paradigm’ must be
paralleled by a ‘decline paradigm’ in order to allow us to conceptualize both
phenomena and to explore and envision possible futures for cities. Growth usually suggests development and wealth, but
this trend presents also a number of urban challenges: How can a city deal with
growth in order to maintain adequate living standards and infrastructural
supply for its inhabitants? Shrinkage often stands for decline and decay, but it could also be seen as
an opportunity for urban renewal. What are then the opportunities of shrinkage
and how can a place be downsized without being destroyed?
01 Case study
The
workshop will focus on the cities of Berlin, the German capital, attractive to global investors and with a
growing number of inhabitants, but also affected by housing shortage; and Cottbus, a former industrial city in Eastern
Germany, facing a decline of population and economic stagnation. As part of the
Brandenburg region, the two cities share a rich history. Despite their
geographical proximity, their development and socio-demographic forecasts are far
from being similar.
Using
these two cities as case study, the workshop aims to explore urban and
architectural scenarios coping with increasing and decreasing urban density.
The workshop program includes lectures, design studio work and site visits to the
areas of study. Preparatory learning activities will be carried out by
participants prior to the meeting in Cottbus.
Around
fifty students and twenty-five faculty members from the fifteen schools of
architecture and urban planning members of OIKONET are expected to participate.
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