Landuse conflicts

The Berlin Senate presented its master plan for the development of the area in March 2013 which – for marketing purposes – was named “Tempelhofer Freiheit” (Freedom of Tempelhof). In May 2014 a referendum seeking to protect the entire field from redevelopment and opening it for public use was held. The majority of voters supported the decision making the field one of the largest urban green spaces in Europe. Following the referendum, the Law for the Preservation of Tempelhofer Feld (ThFG) was introduced in June 2014.

The closure of the airport hasn’t been uncontested. While some wanted to keep the airport open, others demanded to open the field to the public and preserve it from any development. The airport field was opened for public use in May 2010.

The contested 2013 plan sought to combine urban development through mixed uses (Fig. 1: including 4.700 housing units in red, public services in purple/blue and commercial areas in orange) while keeping the majority of the field, around 230 hectare, as open green space. Plans included two daycare facilities, one school and sport facilities as well as a large public library complex. The senate emphasized the need to develop parts of the area in order to meet demands for affordable housing.

A resident initiative named "Resident initiative 100% Tempelhofer Field" was established in 2011 to mobilize against the development plans by the Berlin Senate demanding a referendum which was successfully held in May 2014. The referendum mobilized an impressive 46 percent of eligible voters of which the majority (64 percent) voted in favour to protect the open space from any development. The decision resulted in the introduction of the Law for the Preservation of Tempelhofer Feld (ThFG) in June 2014. The law covers an area of 303 ha divided into interior meadow area of 202 ha which is focused on preserving the wild meadows. The remaining area of the exterior ring foresees a diverse range of uses including relaxation, recreation, spaces for social mixing, projects and other activities.

An addendum to the law in Jan. 2016 excludes sealed areas in vicinity of the airport building which are used for temporary refugee housing.

The Development and Maintenance Plan (EPP) resulted from an 18-month long collaborative to collect ideas, run workshops and public participation events involving around 500 people.

• 2016 Publication of the participatory Development and Maintenance Plan (EPP) which includes a permanent participation model for implementation and measures for further development of the Tempelhofer Feld
• 2017 Participatory development of the action plan for the Oderstrasse sub-areaThe concept seeks to increase different users and increase the quality of the area including additional seating areas, fitness and activity areas, two additional toilet facilities, water fountains, inclusivity through enhanced accessibility for all facilities, additional parking areas for bikes and cargo bikes as well as accessible stair systems including additional support for the blind
• 2021/2022 Begin of construction for the Oderstrasse areal including toilet facilties, natural experience realm and Building 104
• 2022/2023 start of pipeline construction/media development and from 2023 onwards, qualification of open space (Qualifizierung Freiraum)
• 2024/2025 foreseen completion of the Oderstrasse sub-area