The development vision transforms the former industrial site into an urban, mixed-use neighborhood. The proposal relies on clear spatial edges, strong address formation, and a carefully calibrated relationship between living, working, and public space. Distinctive building corners, a finely tuned grain, and a differentiated height profile create orientation and identity.

At its center lies a generous public playground that acts as the heart of the neighborhood, framed by active ground-floor uses. A continuous east–west connection strengthens links to the surrounding green corridors and introduces new addresses within the quarter. The courtyard structures draw inspiration from the characteristic Listhöfe, creating protected outdoor spaces for housing, childcare, and community uses.

The open space concept focuses on climate resilience, diverse planting, clear places to stay, and the option of a sponge-city approach. Flowering meadows, retention areas, and green facades support biodiversity and a pleasant microclimate.

The buildings draw on local typologies: office and commercial blocks with distinctive plinth zones, and residential buildings with colour-differentiated façades, dormers, loggias, and mansard roofs. Flexible floor plans allow long-term adaptability. An underground car park, bicycle hubs, and short distances support a car-free lifestyle. The result is a vibrant urban building block that brings together openness, diversity, and high-quality open spaces to form a clear and robust neighborhood.

Under the title 'Blankenburg Quartet', a new urban quarter is being created with four independent neighbourhoods that combine to form a diverse, communal and sustainable whole. The design further develops the plans for the circular city in the south of Blankenburg. Water cycles, biodiversity, microclimate, active mobility and diverse uses of open space form the basis of a resilient neighbourhood structure that gives equal consideration to social, ecological and economic aspects.

The neighbourhoods have different focuses in terms of landscape, mix of uses, public space and community infrastructure:

AuenKiez: Landscape-oriented residential quarter along the tram line, characterised by the Schmöckpfuhlgraben with retention areas and wetlands – a climate-adapted living environment.

WaldAllmende: Island neighbourhood with a school, sports hall, daycare centre, playgrounds and open spaces for residents, clubs and educational institutions. The adjacent forest remains a natural and recreational area.

ZenKiez: A combination of residential areas in the east and commercial courtyards in the west, combining work, everyday life and retreat, and integrating existing spiritual use.

Production triangle: Urban commerce with a circular hub at the heart of a resource-saving circular economy.

All neighbourhoods are connected via a common centre that serves as a social, cultural and functional meeting place. Existing paths and green corridors are continued, landscape structures are integrated and small-scale developments and green transition zones are used to mediate between them at the edges.

Sustainable and Community-Oriented Neighbourhood
The project is developing a sustainable, community-oriented and ecologically responsible residential neighbourhood. A central neighbourhood axis connects the neighbourhoods, provides recreational and play areas, and integrates climate-friendly elements such as trees, unsealed surfaces and rainwater management. Green courtyards structure the neighbourhood, promote biodiversity and create lively places for interaction.

Active Ground Floors and Building Types
The ground floors activate neighbourhood life with co-working spaces, workshops, guest apartments, a daycare centre, mobility services and small-scale commercial enterprises. Three building types – polygon, point and bar – enable diverse forms of living, clear orientation and serial, economical implementation. The project will be realised in four construction phases, integrating existing buildings.

Pilot Project for Circular Construction
The polygonal structure serves as a pilot project for circular construction. It is characterised by simple cubature, timber construction, biogenic insulation materials, low-tech building services, reduced spans and uniform grids. These principles ensure dismantlability, material efficiency, short construction times and cost advantages. The experience gained will form the basis for all subsequent construction phases.

Open Spaces and Climate Resilience
The open spaces are clearly structured and interconnected. Open courtyards, small neighbourhood squares and a car-free axis with play, sports and recreation areas ensure orientation, interaction and a high quality of life. Unsealed surfaces, climate-resilient vegetation, meadows and decentralised rainwater management create 'cool islands' and increase the climate resilience of the neighbourhood.

Diverse Housing Supply and New Identity
A total of around 440 residential units of various sizes and types are being built – from small flats to cluster and family flats. The mix of housing, community, social facilities and neighbourhood-friendly businesses creates a lively, sustainable and future-proof neighbourhood that is oriented towards the scale of the location and at the same time creates new identities.

A community-oriented neighborhood is taking shape on the site of the former municipal plant nursery, combining living, education, care, and nature conservation.
The existing fabric, including the greenhouses, seedbeds, and wild green spaces, shapes the design. The characteristic sloped roofs become a design motif, while generous green spaces invite the landscape to flow into the neighborhood.
At the heart of the quarter lies the ‚Werkhof' – a vibrant hub with workshops, gardens, a canteen, and programs offered by the Montag Foundation and the Neue Stadtgärtnerei initiative. Care facilities and a café complement this communal enter. The residential buildings follow the north-south orientation of the existing layout. The timber frame construction allows for flexible layouts and supports diverse living concepts. Shared outdoor spaces encourage neighborhood interaction.
A green belt with wild zones, large trees, and seedbeds links the neighborhood to the landscape, fosters biodiversity, and invites exploration along an adventure trail.

The design is based on the historical elements of Münster's cultural landscape and incorporates them into the spatial concept. Starting from the waterway, a carefully configured open space framework of landscape and park areas with site-specific focal points and functions structures the space and forms the basis for an attractive and future-proof model district. A combination of a high mix of uses for revitalization and open-use structures for flexible development
forms the structural backbone of an adaptable and sustainable urban quarter. New ideas of living, sharing and working together will become a living reality here.

The open space concept pursues a careful interlocking of landscape and urban development, in which the natural topography and existing biotope structures are integrated into the urban development. Starting from the waterway, the landscape flows through the entire design area and connects the new buildings with their surroundings. This creates a harmonious interplay between open cultural landscape, urban life and natural design. The focus here is on the use of rainwater, which is integrated into the open spaces not only functionally but also in terms of design.
The mobility concept is based on the promotion of eco-mobility with a clear focus on public transport, cycling and walking and thus contributes to reducing emissions, increasing quality of life and climate-resilient development of the
neighborhood.

The proposed neighbourhood combines compact urban living with generous landscape access. Two distinct spatial characters define the overall structure:

1. Ems-Karree, an urban block structure anchored by a central neighbourhood square, providing space for local amenities, working and community uses.

2. Ems-Gärten, a residential area of green courtyards and open structures with a direct link to the restored Ems river landscape.

A public axis connects the main road to the southern riverside. This spine creates a coherent sequence of urban spaces and green corridors, ending in the Deichterrasse – a central public landscape element with promenade, playground and open lawn.
The urban figure responds to topography and noise with a robust perimeter edge towards the Münsterdamm and a gradual opening towards the Ems floodplain. Different housing typologies and compact building forms allow for a mix of uses and flexible living models.
The open space concept merges urban squares, shared courtyards and riverside landscape into a continuous network. The Ems cycle path links the neighbourhood to regional routes and reinforces the experience of nature as part of everyday life.

Hanover's Vahrenwald district is on the move. The development of the previously isolated area around the Musikzentrum and the reconnection with its surroundings offer the opportunity to act as a catalyst for sustainable neighbourhood development in the surrounding and beyond - as an exciting productive quarter for cultural industries and urban production, as a green corridor that connects and improves the urban climate and as an open, inviting urban space for play, sport and exercise, especially for children and young people.

In terms of urban space, the neighbourhood has two central qualities. On one side, the urban space is characterised by the typical 'Vahrenwald block' - clearly structured spaces, characterised by residential use and protected greenery in the inner courtyards, but also a lack of public green, recreational and play areas. On the other side, the railway line borders the neighbourhood - a strong barrier effect, noise pollution, but also biotope structures worthy of protection and plenty of space for previously underrepresented uses and new ideas.

A targeted opening towards the neighbourhood and a diverse mix of uses will turn the site into an inclusive meeting place that combines commerce, housing, culture, education and social participation. Low-threshold cultural and leisure activities not only promote creativity and equal opportunities, but also strengthen the residents' sense of belonging. By reflecting on different planning scenarios, an overall concept was developed that focuses on resilient, phased urban development, utilises the potential of the existing buildings and anticipates the dynamics of the local cultural scene.

The transformation of Trnavské Mýto into a dynamic cultural and urban hub is entering its next phase. With the building permit secured, Istropolis—designed by CITYFÖRSTER and KCAP in collaboration with Immocap—will break ground in summer 2025.

The project will introduce a state-of-the-art concert and congress hall, modern residences, and high-quality office spaces. The 3,000-person venue will host diverse cultural and business events, featuring in-the-round seating and multi-event flexibility. Offices will include a grand atria and flexible workspaces, while the residences will be nestled within green courtyards and pedestrian-friendly streets.

Istropolis sets new standards in sustainable urban development, integrating passive climate solutions, energy-efficient design, and biodiverse public spaces with 147 trees, 70 local plant species, and dedicated cycling infrastructure. Long overlooked despite its central location, Trnavské Mýto will soon be revitalized with green promenades, fountains, and a lively public square, supporting markets, gatherings, and everyday life.

With construction set to begin, Istropolis moves from vision to reality, shaping the future of Bratislava through architecture, sustainability, and vibrant public life.

The concept identifies three potential areas for careful urban extension: two urban neighbourhoods adjoining Feldmoching and Ludwigsfeld, and one landscape-oriented neighbourhood north of the Fasanerie. Areas of high landscape value such as Feldmoching North/West, the Obermoos and the Schrederwiesen remain undeveloped. The new neighbourhoods connect sensitively to the existing urban fabric, with open spaces acting as linking elements. A broad range of housing types strengthens social mix and creates long-term perspectives for existing residents. Local supply facilities as well as new social and educational infrastructure complement areas that are currently underserved.

The mobility concept relieves existing neighbourhoods by prioritising public transport, cycling and walking. The "Landscape Tram" connects neighbourhoods and recreational destinations with the regional public transport network, while compact districts offer additional options such as car sharing, bike sharing and micro-mobility.

The landscape concept builds on the productive character of the moor and heath landscape, structured by park corridors and a fine-grained network of paths. Lakes, avenues and riparian zones provide continuity and orientation. The management of rainwater and groundwater becomes a strategic component of a co-productive landscape, integrating retention areas, greywater reuse, soil-sensitive land management and rewetting strategies.

The Cetrumprogramma Papendrecht 2040 sets a clear direction for the integrated and sustainable development of the village's heart. Strategically located in the Drechtsteden region and directly connected to the Merwede, Papendrecht Centrum offers broad opportunities.

Through a three-phase process- from analysis to scenarios to the final program -CITYFÖRSTER and BLOC developed a participatory vision with citizens, stakeholders, and the municipality. The 2040 programma positions the centrum as a vital, green heart that unites the historic Dijkdorp character with new connections to the Merwede and the economic strength of the region.

Key interventions include transforming the waterfront into the blue-green face of Papendrecht, developing Winkelpark De Meent into a mixed-use hub, and redesigning the oversized 1980s Market Square into a green, human-scale meeting point. Together with the municipality, long-term goals, a timeline, and project ideas provide a step-by-step path toward realizing the vision.

The following link leads to the comprehensive booklet:

bloc.nl/wp-content/assets/251009_pap_centrum-programma_ml.pdf

The overall objective of the assignment is to develop a Tourism Master Plan for the Tourism Development Area (TDA) of Dushanbe and surrounding areas that is seamlessly integrated with plans for national, regional, and urban development, including relevant legal and regulatory requirements, sociocultural and environmental safeguards, financing needs and modalities, and assessment of economic viability of proposed investments along with more detailed pre-feasibility studies on the highest-priority individual projects. To achieve the overall objective, the following specific objectives are established:

1. Conduct a comprehensive Strategic Analysis for tourism development in Dushanbe, including tourism demand and marketing mix fundamentals of tourism clusters, supporting factors and resources for destination competitiveness and sustainability, infrastructure and urban services in tourism clusters, regulatory/planning framework, sociocultural and environmental impacts.

2. Develop a Tourism Master Plan for Dushanbe based on its key success factors as international destination, defining strategic framework, spatial tourism planning, a governance structure for tourism development, high-level development plans in critical components of tourism competitiveness and sustainability, sociocultural and environmental safeguards, and investment plan with the prioritization of the proposed projects.

3. Prepare Concept Papers for the highest priority investment projects, including description, rationale, scope, and expected impacts.

Our design proposal for a pedestrian bridge competition in Meidling, Vienna, transforms the district by combining urban design, nature, and community. The task was to link the new security center development, with 4,000 employees located north of the highway and train tracks, to the tram station in Meidling to the south.

Instead of simply building a linear connection, we envisioned the bridge as a floating public space that reclaims underutilized infrastructure. Spanning roads and railways, the design connects existing parks, creating a cohesive green corridor. At its heart is an elevated public square- a vibrant space featuring green areas, a nature-inspired playground, a sports zone, and a café with views of Vienna.

This „hijacking infrastructure" approach reimagines the site not as a gap to bridge but as an opportunity to enhance engagement, recreation, and ecological richness in the surroundings. The design incorporates native trees, water-permeable surfaces, and rainwater management to improve its environmental footprint. Parks like Theodor-Körner-Park and Kasernenpark are unified under the MeidLine vision, offering complementary activities while enhancing space for greenery and biodiversity.

A participatory development process ensures the local community helps shape the final space, which could host events, markets, and performances. By prioritizing green infrastructure and flexible urban design, the MeidLine not only connects but revitalizes. This project demonstrates how underutilized infrastructure can catalyze social cohesion and environmental restoration, creating a greener, more dynamic future for rapidly growing cities like Vienna.

Renders by: The Big Picture

Large-scale networked, small-scale mixed and circularly organised - this is how we envisage the future urban expansion of the growing city of Leipzig. The landscape and urban space of Heiterblick-Süd is characterised by typologically very different settlement clusters within an open space shaped by woodland and agriculture. The design takes up this existing structure and supplements it with another compact and mixed neighbourhood embedded in a flowing and interconnected landscape - the neighbourhood island Heiterblick.

The landscape of the Paunsdorfer Bogen is continued both to the north and south and linked with the forest and field areas to the east of the motorway. The compact neighbourhood contour folds inwards and creates green fingers that act as climate corridors and ensure effective air exchange within the neighbourhood. This creates a total of five clusters that overlap in the centre and form a bundled, central district hub with a wide variety of uses. In addition to the common centre, five green squares will create a hub and meeting points for the various neighbourhoods. These will have clear addresses and different characters. The individual neighbourhoods each have their own mix of different residential building typologies, while the centre of the district is characterised by a vertical mix of uses and public ground floor zones. The focus here is on communal and sufficient forms of living.

At Campus Flensburg the landscape takes center stage. The site, which is shared between the European University Flensburg (EUF) and the University of Flensburg, features areas of dense urban structures juxtaposed against expanses of undisturbed nature. Because of its proximity to the town's centre, the campus constitutes an important site for enabling citizens' access to nature, as well as a social space and a logistical link for students. Our design acknowledges this, and despite expanding the campus to accommodate more students and add new uses, no additional land is sealed.

The plan was developed through a cooperative workshop procedure together with our team-mates at TREIBHAUS. It embraces the different urban planning qualities of the two universities and the connecting landscape park as well as the needs of all stakeholders, locating shared facilities for all users at the heart of the campus. A central element of the design is the campus loop, which serves as an important pedestrian route across the campus while also facilitating orientation. This path is complemented by the garden loop, a greener route creating connections to the open spaces and the surrounding area.

The overall campus design observes holistic principles of sufficiency and circularity; requirements for buildings, infrastructure and parking spaces are critically scrutinised, while sustainable mobility and energy solutions go hand in hand with integrated design to ensure that resources are efficiently shared and reused. The consistent development of ground-level parking and a strategy of redensification preserves the defining quality of the campus to be preserved - its green, open landscape.

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.