Berlin urban design A Brief History of a European City

Harald is from sociology, political science, psychology, and economic, educational background. He Studied at Munich and Berlin Obtained a PhD degree in the field of urban land reform in Italy. A professor in architecture and urban planning in TU Berlin from 1995 to 2011 and now is an associate professor at center of metropolitan studies in the same university. He has taught architecture, urban design as well as urban and regional planning at RWTH Aachen University and TU Berlin since 1972. A spokesperson of several research centers in Berlin and New York and a guest professor and lecturer in Brazil and Berlin. His professional experience is in urban renewal. A city planner responsible for the renewal of historic centers and community and village centers in most areas of Germany. Harald is a member of several professional and programmatic organizations that include architects and engineers association of Berlin (AIV), the Association of German Architects (BDA), and the council for European urbanism Germany (CEUD). 

The author wrote the book for several audiences. Defiantly, because he is a social scientist the book focuses on social factors behind urban renewal. Urban designers will find rich content especially historical development of Berlin. People from political science will go through the politics and changing governance that caused the renewal of Berlin City. The book has a wealth of information for morphological studies and relevant people. Architects who are interested in the characteristics of a city and protecting heritage value also will enjoy the information of developing the historical areas in Berlin. Historians who are looking for reasons for changing the urban form of Berlin City this is the book they need to read. Finally, the book is an excellent reference for urban planners. Planners to stand on the socio-economic and political factors behind city development. Planners who want to define the main driver of city change.

The book is an exhibition and a show of a brilliant city design. It has a wealth of images, photos, maps, illustrations defining the major and attraction areas and points in Berlin City. It might be considered as a tourism guide for people who want to explore modern development in modern cities. The writer focused on the major factors that caused Berlin city transformation. He described the history of the timeline of Berlin city development supported by many drawings and plans. The politics behind the death and life of some development organizations and authorities. It’s a show for European city characteristics, making it one of the most important cities in Europe in terms of urban renewal.

Harald in his book introduction sends clear messages to the reader. The book is a concise introduction to Berlin complex urban design history. It opens windows to the ways the city is perceived and revealing the blind spots and distortion in construction. From these windows we see Berlin as an international model and its planning history till 21th century. Introducing the social problems of tenement housing and, as the author say the demons of the city history and urban horror. The book explains the production process of real estate and building sector. How Berlin dived into the international approach of conservation and “A future for our past”. The rise of two players in urban housing the developer and the land development company. The municipalities intervention to reorient the planning policy. Finally, the great efforts and procedures of gentrification of inner city.

Practitioners in the fields of urban design and urban planning benefit from this book from different perspectives. As the author shows in the book introduction that the book is written based on European approach and context. Development in Europe, as practitioners know it passes various stages from political governance , community involvement, private sector, and any interested individual or group. The process is not simple in obtaining approval for development. The writer in each section of the book introduces historical development not in great detail but the major concepts behind the development, which is a great value and importance. Urban renewal in several areas in Berlin city introduced showing the main problem and how the renewal happened and its final shape. Urban design development plans were laid out and shown by the author in various illustrations and the process of development as a series of concepts. Practitioners may not benefit from those projects as it is explained as concepts not what and how the process of development happened as practical work, but it’s very useful.

Berlin a brief history is a great book. The author carved the ideas of the book carefully, as he is a specialist in urban planning history. Every chapter reflects the chapter major idea relevant to the book content. The writer starts the ideas of the book linked to the timeline of the political development and movements and its effect on Berlin urban renewal. Old Berlin its criteria, and its transformation to a metropolis. The second world war period and political influence on development plans for the city. Modern movement as political movement and architecture and urban design movement effect on Berlin change. Finally, the urbanism influence on the city’s urban renewal and urban design projects.

The reader will enjoy how the writer was brilliant in linking and connecting the ideas of the book and chapter ideas. The huge amount of illustrations accompanying every development project and its maps, real world images as well as drawings makes the book very interesting to read. For individuals specialized in urban design , architecture , and planning actually need a little explanation for the development plans as it is clear from the sequence of illustrations , plans, drawings, images, photos. In every area and chapter of the book, a reader sense the book title reflection as the content reflects clearly the history of Berlin urban design.

The reader can effortlessly realize and know the book content from reading the book content. Here comes the writer’s cleverness in defining the major ideas of the book and the chapter’s ideas clearly in the book’s content. The book content introduces the several political status of Berlin government and its effect on the style of developing the city.

Reading a history base book about urban design requires some referencing. Harald, within his book chapters, stands on developing the historical areas introducing the related document, whether it is from academic, practice, or government to support the explained content and to give richness to the project. Urban renewal mostly happened within the private sector and here the writer gives references to these private sector bodies and their work. Urban design concepts and development always introduced with the body behind them and relevant documentation is referenced.

Many readers, regardless of their background look for something in the book they intend to buy or read. Here, if you are an urban designer and looking for urban development projects in European context, defects and failures projects face how urban development succeeds and who and what makes them succeed, then this book is for you. If you are a morphologist and want or know how the urban form changed, what were the factors that made the bad urban form transform to a good one? Then this book is for you. If you are interested to read about the influence of politics on the urban development, then you will find what you desire here.  

For more book reviews on urban design you can read a wonderful book – the urban design process- Click here.