What does the urban district of tomorrow look like?

Dr. Svenja Haferkamp: We are currently in the marketing phase of the 6-Seen-Wedau development, and we are about halfway through. We acquired the site in 2019 and have prepared it so far. Now, we are marketing it in lots.

Dr. Svenja Haferkamp: The questions that concern us every day are: What does such a future urban quarter look like? What proven concepts can we implement, what innovations can we introduce? What do the people of Duisburg, for whom we want to provide a home there, like? How can we bring the areas to market so that partners want to support this sustainable vision of the city of tomorrow with us and who are the right partners? 

This involves all questions of integrated urban development - from mobility to health, gastronomic issues, educational opportunities, cultural institutions and ultimately the question of how people want to live there and how to make it all affordable. 

As these 120 hectares [of 6-Seen-Wedau, Technologie-Quartier-Wedau and Duisburger Dünen together, editor's note] are municipally owned by GEBAG, we also have the opportunity to think holistically about new mobility concepts. One approach we are currently examining in a feasibility study is an urban cable car over the new areas. We want to dovetail the new districts as best as possible with the existing ones. The issue of mobility as a precautionary infrastructure must be considered from the outset.

Dr. Svenja Haferkamp: We are pursuing sustainability aspects throughout the entire development. By revitalizing this brownfield site, we can set new urban planning accents. The planned open space proportion of almost 60 percent will certainly contribute to making 6-Seen-Wedau a livable place that integrates as well as possible into the existing urban structure. The large noise wall along the railway line has ensured peace and quiet and opens up the view to the 6-Seen-Platte. This has an urban effect that also benefit the surroundings.

However, it is very important for us to think 6-Seen-Wedau in conjunction with the development of the Technology Quarter-Wedau. By establishing a new technology center, we are creating employment opportunities and providing a home for innovative young companies, start-ups, and spin-offs, as well as offering the University of Duisburg-Essen a new campus.

Dr. Svenja Haferkamp: It was not an easy process to bring the site back into municipal hands through GEBAG, a city-owned subsidiary. This required a lot of courage. Where others see a wasteland, it takes visionary minds to imagine that in ten to fifteen years, people will be living, residing, and working there, and then collectively advancing this vision. GEBAG, with its Managing Director Bernd Wortmeier, is an important and driving force here. However, this would not have been successful if the city had not equally supported this decision - and they did so three times. We have not only the 6-Seen-Wedau area but also the Technology Quarter-Wedau and the Duisburger Dunes, where there was only a small window of opportunity that made municipal acquisition possible.

Dr. Svenja Haferkamp: The challenges in the construction sector are the same as those that affect the entire industry: increased construction costs, lack of space, the turnaround in interest rates and the search for skilled workers.

One important question - and Duisburg's experience shows this - is whether we have land available and at reasonable prices. The first thing that inevitably comes to mind is the issue of brownfield revitalization, which is of particular importance in the Ruhr region for historical reasons.  In order to enable the sustainable development of such areas, it is also crucial what role the public sector can play. The fact that Duisburg has strengthened its municipal design sovereignty by acquiring land is certainly one of the secrets of our success here.

The other way is reliable framework conditions. To date, we have had very reliable housing subsidies in North Rhine-Westphalia, which have enabled us to operate well - both in our new-build projects and in the development of existing properties. The question that has preoccupied us in recent weeks and months is how the federal government will behave and to what extent public funding will be available. A neighborhood development like 6-Seen-Wedau takes at least 10 years. This requires continuity, reliability and a funding backdrop that you can plan with.

I believe that the Ruhr region has incredible opportunities. It is a region that is already characterized by transformation and is now simply taking the next steps in its transformation - together with local authorities, business and science as a strong university location. The Ruhr region can jointly address issues of the future in a new way and set new priorities.

Dr. Svenja Haferkamp: In my division, we have our own department that takes a holistic approach to sustainability. However, we know that this is always a negotiation process between economic, ecological, and social aspects. I always have conflicting goals that need to be negotiated in the balancing process, including with local residents. This is a task that we face up to.

At GEBAG, we have a two-pronged approach. With GEBAG's land development in the new neighborhoods, we can rethink sustainability from the ground up. We can enter into discussions with investors about what a sustainable building of tomorrow will look like, and how a sponge city or a water-resilient city can be built. We deal with topics such as circularity and cradle-to-cradle principles through to integrated and holistic energy and heat supply concepts.

However, we see the greater challenge in existing buildings. This includes districts that have been under urban development funding for decades and have building stock that is not in energy efficiency class A to B, but even lower. Naturally, this is the focus of our portfolio development. We also buy vacant properties, which are often referred to as problem properties these days, but which we see as innovation spaces rather than potential properties. This is where we at GEBAG try to set the tone.