Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin
Regarding the question of how the site of Tempelhof Airport – which closed in 2008 – should be used in future, the Berlin Senate’s plans for a combination of residential development, parkland and event spaces have met with resistance.
The ‘100% Tempelhofer Feld’ initiative campaigns for the site to be preserved in its entirety for public use, launches a citizens’ petition and is ultimately successful in a 2014 referendum. This means that development of the site is no longer possible. A public consultation process on the future design of Tempelhofer Feld then began. The debate over residential development was reignited in 2015, when there was an urgent need to provide accommodation for refugees arriving in Germany.
As well as controversies surrounding urban development, this case brings together various dimensions of protest, participation and direct democracy, meaning that different focal points can be emphasised depending on the learning objectives.
