From BZ/dpa
When discussing the future of Tempelhofer Feld, the Senate should involve Berliners right from the start. The non-profit association Mehr Demokratie insists on this.
“In projects of such central importance, those affected must already work on the participation concept,” he demanded on Friday, citing the corresponding guidelines presented by the Senate in 2019. According to the Berlin state spokesman for the association, Oliver Wiedmann, the Senate must bring all the important players to one table to talk about the participation concept.
In addition, not only alternative uses of the former airport site should be up for debate, but also the so-called zero variant. “Even the non-development must be seriously discussed. Anything else would be absurd in view of the referendum and would gamble away trust,” stressed Wiedmann.
On Wednesday, the Senate Department for Urban Development announced an unspecified new format for citizen participation in the discussion about the future use of the area. This process is to take place before an international ideas competition, which the CDU and SPD had agreed to in their coalition agreement.
Berlin’s urban development senator Christian Gaebler said on Thursday evening in the RBB “Abendschau” that a debate was planned in the city about future use, including the peripheral development. Many areas of the huge area should be preserved.
In a referendum on May 25, 2014, a majority of voters voted not to build on Tempelhofer Feld, which is no longer used as an airport, and instead to leave it as it is. This is also stipulated in a law. In view of the housing shortage in Berlin, however, there has been a discussion for some time as to whether this is still up to date.