Construction can soon begin on the island of Gartenfeld! The conclusion of the urban development agreement between the state of Berlin and the project developers clears the path for a forward-looking model development.

It is one of Berlin’s biggest new construction projects: in Spandau, an innovative model development is being built on the island on Gartenfelder Straße. The development Das Neue Gartenfeld will provide residential and commercial space to over 10,000 people. The path for this is finally clear: the urban development agreement between the state of Berlin and the project developers has been signed!

Around 3,700 apartments, 600 commercial units and extensive communal areas and facilities are being built on more than 40 plots on the approximately 34-hectare site, enabling a significant social, functional and community-orientated mix.

In combination with the 5-109 development plan, the urban development agreement regulates the scope, quality and use of the development on the site and clarifies mutual rights and obligations, for example regarding traffic routes and compensation. The agreement also stipulates that the project developers – jointly planning private, municipal and cooperative enterprises – will pay the state approximately € 22 million for a school to be built on the site by HOWOGE. The facility will be designed for around 1,300 pupils. Three daycare centres are also planned on the site, with space for 331 children.

Thomas Bestgen, managing director of UTB Projektmanagement GmbH, Gartenfeld initiator from the very beginning and, alongside BUWOG Managing Director Eva Weiß, managing director of the planning consortium:

“The initial idea and the political will to turn this location into a model development for the City of the Future initiative date to 2015, and the conclusion of the urban development agreement is an important step so that construction can now get underway. All stakeholders have used the time to perfect the overall plans for infrastructure, sustainability and the social and architectural qualities of this new development.”

Eva Weiß, managing director of BUWOG Bauträger GmbH: “The design of Gartenfeld Island as an open development is a priority for us. A key criterion for success is the mix of living, working and cultural opportunities and publicly usable open spaces available to local residents and those from the surrounding areas alike. This model development for the City of the Future initiative will therefore offer a significant degree of amenity value, for example along the riverbanks and by the central water basin – and of course within the individual plots, for example through green courtyard areas and pocket parks where people can spend time and socialise.”

The Das Neue Gartenfeld development will comprise a total of around 3,700 new apartments, at least 25 percent of which will be subsidised rentals. The idea for Das Neue Gartenfeld is a model city focused on sustainability, a social mix and innovative solutions such as an app for the development that can be used to book mobility services (car sharing, etc.). In order to make the most of the space in the development for the creation of residential and commercial locations as well as for new environmental amenities such as water or green areas, the plan is to shift motorised private transport to the edge of the development. To this end, there will be mobility hubs where private cars can be parked and people can switch to bicycles, scooters or other e-transport solutions.

An agreement regulating the so-called Quartierswerk, the development’s own utility, was already concluded in 2021 for the design and operation of all technical and energy solutions. It is the technical backbone of Das Neue Gartenfeld as a smart city. ENGIE Deutschland GmbH and GASAG Solution Plus GmbH have formed a joint venture for this purpose. They plan, build and operate efficient energy supplies and other comprehensive supply services for modern, urban living in smart cities. Quartierswerk itself also operates photovoltaic systems on some of the buildings as well as an e-charging infrastructure.

Facts & figures:

• Plot size / B-plan (binding land-use plan) area totalling 598,630 m², of which 103,930 m² is intended for general residential areas
• 65,930 m² of green spaces
• 2 mobility hubs for around 2,300 parking spaces for cars
• Approx. 9,100 parking spaces for bicycles
• 3 daycare centres with approx. 331 places planned
• School campus for around 1,300 pupils (primary school, secondary school, upper secondary school), adult education centre and music school, sports hall + sports pitches
• Costs for soil remediation and construction of the infrastructure: around € 337 million