A1: ‘Growing City’ Policy Statement
What are the political factors driving the development of an area such as ‘Mitte Altona’? What interests underpin the objectives that politicians are pursuing in this project? What objections to this rationale do the project’s critics raise?
In this lesson, the process is explored on the basis of the ‘Growing City’ mission statement. Using extracts from the document, pupils learn to develop an understanding of which political decisions are key – which guidelines, which strategies and which calculations underpin the decision to develop the site.
With an understanding of the mission statement, it also becomes clear why opposition to the construction of flats in attractive locations can arise. The objections are set out clearly in the manifesto ‘Not in our Name, Marke Hamburg’, which is also the subject of this lesson. Divided into three groups – ‘Urban Development Authority’, ‘City Marketing Organisation’ and ‘Citizens’ Initiatives’ – the pupils adopt different perspectives and develop their own concepts for the emerging neighbourhood.
The teaching materials include text extracts from the city’s mission statement and the critics’ manifesto, tasks for group work, and a document containing guidance on implementation and references to background texts.
