The Henschel Quarter opens up hertitage sites to the public and secures them through flexible use. It is integrated into the city and is accessible to everyone. The aim is to preserve the historic industrial culture and make it usable. Listed buildings are carefully restored and remain part of the public space. The industrial past will be preserved through minimally invasive interventions, while new and predominantly commercial uses will revitalize the old halls. The open space will be transformed, historical traces such as tracks and crane runways will be preserved, supplemented by green spaces and playgrounds. In terms of urban planning, small-scale building typologies create the transition to adjacent districts, while high points mark important locations. Connections for pedestrians and cyclists create a continuous and close-knit network in the district. The existing buildings will be supplemented by new buildings whose design is based on the industrial character. Historic parts of the buildings will be retained and partially integrated into the outdoor space. In the center of the quarter, a "hall for all" with restaurants, culture and sports will be created, surrounded by creative and commercial uses.

The Henschel Quarter focuses on sustainability by preserving the existing buildings and reusing gray energy. Demolition materials are recycled on site and new buildings are constructed from sustainable materials. Renewable energies such as solar panels and geothermal energy supply the quarter, while open spaces improve the microclimate, and the combination of history, commercial, cultural and innovative offerings makes the Henschel Quarter a vibrant part of Kassel.

What potential does Frankfurt's city centre have for conversion and sustainable inner city development? The Gutleut district in the heart of Frankfurt has so far been an infrastructurally characterised transit area and largely isolated from the nearby banks of the Main. The concept pursues the vision of transforming the area into a productive city and combining urgently needed affordable housing with urban production and new neighbourhood infrastructure. Gutleutstrasse becomes a climate strip and connects the north and south of the neighbourhood as a linear open space. Green axes connect the neighbourhood with the water. Public and residential facilities such as a school, daycare centre, local supermarket and neighbourhood meeting point ensure frequency and short distances. Institutional spaces such as the sports hall and theatre open their doors to the neighbourhood.
The banks of the Main will be designed as a sports and recreational area and, together with the Klimastrip, will create a new blue-green neighbourhood character. In the overarching urban context, Gutleut-West will in future follow the guiding principle of a high-contrast, loosened-up and green urban landscape. Striking landmarks such as the power station and the water reservoir characterise the cityscape and mark the transition to the city centre. The central idea of 'infrastructure as a lever' illustrates the transformative potential of human-centred infrastructures. Such infrastructures go beyond their original, purely technical function and create the conditions for positive social developments. They offer the opportunity to attract interesting stakeholders from different areas and thus create synergies that radiate far beyond the built environment.

How can the quality of living and lifestyle of a city and village be combined? The urban village Lörick combines characteristics that are classically described as 'urban', such as high urban density, a mix of uses and good infrastructure, with those of 'village' coexistence, such as neighbourhood identities and a direct connection to green spaces. This makes it a meaningful and integrated addition to the Düsseldorf district of Lörick, which is characterised by the contrast between urban and village structures.
The landscape and urban design concept picks up on the historically anchored field structures developed over decades, which still characterise and surround the planning area today. The landscape was successively divided into strips of different widths with a north-south orientation and thus cultivated over the years. This existing structure is taken up spatially and transformed to meet the requirements of an urban village. Analogous to the north-south orientated field structures of the surrounding landscape, differently programmed 'field strips' are created that accommodate buildings and open space uses. Each building is given as large an intersection as possible with a green strip characterised by the landscape, so that the desire to live in the countryside is addressed despite the high urban density.

The historic port area of the Merwevierhavens (M4H) in Rotterdam will soon begin an extensive redevelopment. Once deeply embedded in the maritime world of the Port of Rotterdam, the area is now transitioning towards new futures. Industry is moving away, and new developments will transform the area towards into a vibrant mixed-use urban district. The planning framework envisions a circular economy, smart mobility and sustainable energy concepts, among other things.

Faced with the prospect of this change, Keilecollectief took the opportunity to ask itself "How do we want to build in the future?" This exhibition is a co-production of answers and further questions. It explores building cultures of the past, present and possible futures. The question is dissected into the themes of architecture, materials, urbanism, and landscape.

The question, "How do we want to build?" or rather, "How do we want to build cities?", inevitably entails the bigger question of "How do we want to live in future cities?" Cityförster's contribution to the answer is twofold. Over a historical-to-speculative timeline of 1900-2050, we worked to analyze the relations between socio-economic trends, spatial policy and iconic societal developments. Through this work it becomes clear that policy is always dictating a certain quality and style of life.

During the 20th century we observed the rise and increasing friction of our economy of growth, and how this resulted in the enormous climate impacts we are experiencing today. On the other hand, our research into four case studies reveals how urban factors such as the urban fabric, density and space ratios all impact our way of life. The study shows that high-density inner-city neighbourhoods are most cost-efficient, while also hinting that these neighbourhoods and their residents may generate lower ecological footprints.

Looking to the future, we propose spatial planning based on "sufficiency"; a rationale of urban design for a lifestyle of enough, instead of surplus. Owning less and sharing more is a key principle for community-based design, and future urban design should consider this at its core. With compact homes, biobased buildings and shared facilities, future cities should enable a sustainable lifestyle for all residents. This rationale, which reduces emissions of buildings, cities and residents, is what we call Carbon-Based Urbanism.

The exhibition was on public display from June 15 until September 15 2024 in Keilepand, Rotterdam, and was accompanied by a supporting programme filled with guided tours, open days, presentations, debate nights, movie screenings and serious games. Through this work, Cityförster contributes to the discourse about building practices in the Netherlands. The exhibition was a co-production with Keilecollectief, Group A/CarbonLab, Happel Cornelisse Verhoeven, De Urbanisten and Studio Adams, and was supported by Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie, Gemeente Rotterdam, Programmabureau M4H, AIR Rotterdam, Cordeel, Vandersanden, and Dura Vermeer Bouw Heyma.

The site of the former state authority building is located in the framework plan area of the federal district in Bonn. In the „Laboratory" area of specialization, this formulates a diverse mixed quarter with a residential focus for the site. Following a study on the distribution of use and building mass, an urban development framework plan was drawn up in 3 urban development variants.
This involves the preservation of two existing buildings with a gross floor area of around 45,000 m², the demolition of which had actually already been decided. Two urban residential courtyards and two high-rise buildings with a plinth level complement the existing „Liegende-8" and „L-building" to create a quarter with clearly defined urban spaces and, together with the green forum, form the robust basic structure.

To the north, a 120m high-rise building with the Secure Digital City Campus (SDC) and additional office space in the base leads across the opening square into the center and into the quarter. Privately financed residential housing is planned above the base. The counterpart to the high-rise building is the hybrid usage module at the southern corner with a three-storey primary school and daycare base and a small residential high-rise (max. 40 m), which houses subsidized apartments for students and trainees. The schoolyard is located under the existing trees along Nahum-Goldmann-Allee, while the outdoor daycare area is located on the roof of the base level.
One storey will be added to Liegende-8 in lightweight construction, accommodating the local supplier in the northern section and otherwise being used entirely by the city administration. The first floor areas form a generous arcade towards the green center and the 120m high-rise building. Two spacious residential courtyards (including the existing L-building) with active first floor uses towards the center (gastronomy & retail) complement the existing „Liegenden-8" to create an urban quarter.

The design taps into the potential to create a green, climate-adapted and carfree district for Münster Hiltrup that blends harmoniously into the existing landscape and settlement structure. Four compact neighborhoods with a large contact area to the open space will be linked by diverse green corridors in the interior (Green Delta) as well as a close-knit network of cycle paths and footpaths and attractively connected to the outside. Motorized traffic is reduced to a minimum and parking spaces are bundled. Within the neighborhoods, the mobility hubs form everyday hubs. A small-scale, differentiated development structure with ground floor uses at the neighborhood squares, social functions and various, mixed typologies suggest a people-centered scale with a rural character. In conjunction with an innovative climate adaptation concept and high ecological and energy standards, a future-oriented neighborhood development is being created for Hiltrup.

Rainwater management follows the principle of the sponge city with the aim of minimizing intervention in the natural water balance, achieving near-natural rainfall-runoff behaviour, ensuring sufficient purification of the surface runoff that occurs, preventing flooding in the settlement area and reducing the runoff peaks into the watercourses to a natural level. Implementation is carried out as far as possible using near-natural methods with a small proportion of technical structures. In addition to the purely water management aspects, ecological benefits such as increased biodiversity and heat reduction are achieved. At the same time, blue-green structures are created that allow residents to experience the element of water.

The Bio-Tech Archipelago is a great opportunity for the city of Mainz to build on its global reputation in the biotechnology sector and at the same time develop a city for everybody. Here, optimal conditions for research and development are combined with housing, leisure facilities and a vibrant landscape for people and nature. The design focuses on favoring cooling wind currents, networking local biotopes and preserving the expansive landscape and thus fullfill the requirements of the sensitive urban location and the associated responsibility for our environment.

Located as a gateway to the city on Saarstrasse, it communicates structurally, spatially and programmatically between the cultural landscapes of the outskirts of Mainz and the biotech axis. It is both the entrance and keystone of the westward expansion of the city and generates a variety of added urban ecological values and offers for the local environment and the city as a whole. The urban figure opens up to the open landscape in spacious corridors. The building mass is divided into four sub-areas that unite to form a flowing archipelago-like urban landscape around a common open space.

A new entrée to the Villa Hügel

Based on the design principle "Landschaf(f)Stadt", the new Brandenbusch-Eck is a forward-looking and iden-tity-creating entrance to the Brandenbusch neighbourhood and the Villa Hügel in Essen. A neighbourhood that is being developed sustainably and serves as a centre of life for a broad range of residents. A small-scale and diverse density creates a lively place, uses resources sparingly, utilises infrastructure efficiently and relies on the mobility of the future - eco-mobility.
Building on the strong scenic framing of the Brandenbusch neighbourhood by the Kruppwald forest and the preservation of valuable biotopes and existing trees, the "green carpet" completes the new entrance to a closed biotope network. This public green space is designed as an inviting gesture to the Hügelpark and the Villa Hügel itself.
Brandenbusch-Platz, as a publicly effective square and protected new centre, links the new neighbourhood with the existing listed estate and promotes interaction. A new connection is created at the usage level: the social and cultural facilities in the neighbourhood are placed in a new context by the design. The connection between the church and the school is created by the Brandenbusch corner.

From an Mining Hole to climate-positiv urban destrict

The Jüchen South urban planning competition deals with a largely unanswered question: How do we want to deal with the post-mining landscape? And in particular: What does a settlement look like that is built on such an area? Do we leave it at the legally stipulated reclamation and pursue settlement development on a greenfield site? Or do we try to live up to the responsibility that comes with urban development and use the opportunity to make a fresh start, to make amends and to mitigate the damage done to the landscape and the global climate?

Our contribution formulates a district as a symbol of this new beginning and an exemplary path for the future. It is based on the circular bioeconomy as an innovative economic model. Based on circular principels, the concept focuses on the sustainable value creation of local resources, especially soil, and thus creates the basis for an attractive and healthy living environment. The concept envisages laying the foundation for a new cultural landscape in Jüchen - the Jüchener Stadtwald - on the artificially created landscape area of the former open-cast mine. This forest forms the landscape architectural foundation for the settlement development, has top priority as an efficient ecosystem, is the basis of a sustainable healing process and a central element of the circular economy. It stores CO2, provides climate-positive building materials and food, produces energy, functions as a sponge forest and retention area, protects against noise, wind and dust and offers diverse leisure and local recreational functions. The urban forest in its various typologies forms the economic, urban structural and identity-creating basis of the new urban district.