Climate-Friendly Badstrasse Neighbourhood

Together with local residents in the Badstrasse neighbourhood of Berlin’s Wedding district, we developed a climate adaptation strategy that aims to adapt the area to the changing climate. This heavily built-up area with high volumes of traffic faces increasing heat stress, drought and more frequent heavy rainfall events. We were looking for ideas and solutions to make it more liveable and sustainable.

To kick off the project in 2019, we took our cargo bike (refreshment point) around the neighbourhood and spoke to local people. We then carried out a SWOT analysis and used the findings from the data analysis and an online survey to create a climate map. The map depicts exposed, shadeless spaces with sealed surfaces, as well as existing shady pathways and areas which could be transformed into new recreation spaces. Local residents developed visions for various hot spots in the neighbourhood through a range of events, discussions, street conversations and climate workshops.

Potential locations for future climate adaptation projects include Bellermannstrasse and a new neighbourhood square in Eulerstrasse, which would provide plenty of shade and greenery. Four online surveys enabled residents to contribute detailed ideas for climate adaptation in the neighbourhood and also gave local people a chance to give feedback on our proposals. A climate workshop was held following the online participation event. Through a combination of hybrid and on-site events, we provided information about the project’s progress and enabled residents to discuss their ideas for climate adaptation at a local level with experts.

In addition to the climate adaptation strategy, another key aim of the project was to raise awareness in the community about climate protection and adaptation. Climate oases enabled us to highlight these issues in urban spaces in an easily accessible and highly visible way. We parked two shade-mobiles – trailers with greenery, seating and sun shades – at various on-street locations to create urban green meeting places. After the first trailer successfully encouraged neighbourly exchange, the second trailer was built by the social institution Gangway e.V. and young people who are active there.

The Bellermann Street Festival also gave the local community an opportunity to experience the potential of their neighbourhood streetscape. We closed a section of Bellermannstrasse to traffic for the day and organised activities together with other community projects. There were many different participation opportunites too: from walk-by concerts and adopt-a-tree workshops to a climate walk and a clean-up campaign.

Following almost three years of project work in the Badstrasse neighbourhood, we developed a climate adaptation strategy, which outlined an overall vision for climate adaptation in the local area and proposed specific measures to be implemented over the next few years.

The Bellermann Garden has already been on the site of a diagonal street barrier, which was erected by the local authorities to reduce traffic. We supported the creation of this community street garden – from getting local residents involved and planning the new garden, to applying for official approval and then constructing and planting raised beds. We will continue to assist the local gardening group until they are well established. Since the two-day workshop and launch party in July 2022, the garden has been flourishing.

The project was commended at the national awards for urban green spaces (Bundespreis Stadtgrün), which recognises outstanding achievements by cities and municipalities in open space development. We are excited to be one of the nine finalists from the 85 projects submitted for the Climate Adaptation and Quality of Life award.

The next step towards developing potential neighbourhood open spaces is the planning and implementation of a temporary public square on the corner of Eulerstrasse and Jülicher Strasse. This will create an opportunity to experiment with transforming a closed-off street section from a mono-functional traffic zone into a well-maintained, multi-functional communal open space in the neighbourhood.