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Problems and Purpose
When the project started, it was decided to close down the Airport Tempelhof in Berlin with its rich history and its urban location due to the plans for the new BBI airport. In an atmosphere influenced by the preceded, heated debate about the closing, the aim of the dialogue was to come back to a climate of constructive discussion about the future functions of the area and its buildings, and to develop ideas for that future.
History
In 1994, plans to close Berlin’s Tempelhof airport were made public the first time. The decision to close the airport was ultimately reached in 2008 after a heated debate and a referendum. Online participation has been used as an instrument to create ideas for the urban development of important places in Berlin since 2003. Citizens had given ideas and voted on strategies of urban development projects including the Public Space Alexanderplatz 2003, Masterplan Kulturforum 2004/ 2005, the redesign of the Gleisdreieck park 2005/ 2006 and the the Berlin Wall Memorial 2006. It is not a surprise, therefore that, having a need for a dialogue process about the future use of Tempelhof Airport, e-participation was chosen as the most desirable method. After the referendum deciding to close the airport, the Senate Department for Urban Development Berlin started a online dialogue process to discuss the options for the airport’s future use, coinciding with its official announcement of the upcoming declassification as an airport.
Originating Entities and Funding
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Participant Recruitment and Selection
Participation was open to anyone interested in the future use of the Tempelhof airport. In the end, participants included national and international private individuals, institutions, civil society initiatives, and investors interested in a limited interim use of all possible kinds and/or a long-term alternative use of the airport building that has a clear "market" focus. Over 36.000 people showed interest in the dialogue, 1.400 submitted ideas. 10.000 votes helped shape a ranking of best-liked suggestions.
Methods and Tools Used
The project is mainly an e-participation project with several stages, such as brainstorming, dialogue and ‘call for ideas’. The project is connected to and enriched with off-line-activities that are not particularly emphasised here: Events on the Airport, Workshops, open councils, site inspections etc.
Deliberation, Decisions, and Public Interaction
Process:
The e-participation process was set up in several stages:
The first part was designed as a brainstorming: During an 8-week period people could send in their answers to the question “What does Berlin need at this place?”. 3.400 ideas were sent in. These non-public answers were carefully evaluated by the online moderators and then sorted in ten categories.
In the second phase, a 4-week moderated online discussion, people could discuss their ideas sorted in those categories – in particular, they could activate and revise their previously-made suggestions or add new concepts, comment, rate other ideas, as well as link to other suggestions, locate them in the area virtually and upload clarifying or inspiring pictures.
These two first steps finally led to Top10-lists of suggestions in several categories (environment, sports, creative industry, housing) on how to use the Tempelhof airport area in the future. The Senate Department for Urban Development gave feedback on those ideas in a public open council. The Top 3 ideas were awarded, and their initiators presented the ideas directly to the director of the Senate Department. All results are documented on the project website.
The last step included a “Call for ideas” and aimed at groups and initiatives willing to use a special part of the airport area – the spacious and partly heritage-listed airport buildings. The call for ideas aimed to find competent partners and investors for the airport building who could develop ideas and launch projects – for interim as well as for long-term use. The real-estate institution and the Senate Department for Urban Development Berlin
checked the projects and contacted the initiators.
Influence, Outcomes and Effects
A positive image and the constructive discussion about interesting ideas from citizens was an important step to “re-open” the development of the Airport. The Senate received a ranked list of key aspects of activities on the place. The online dialogue produced Top10-lists of the ideas in the categories of environment, sports, creative industry, and housing. Experts in the Senate Department for Urban Development gave a public feedback on these ideas and the Top3-ideas were awarded and presented by their initiators directly to the director of the Senate Department. The winning idea - a youth playground - became reality. In this way, all interested citizens were included in the urban development of the Tempelhof airport area.
Analysis and Lessons Learned
The success of the initiative is demonstrated by the Senate Department for Urban Development's decision to launch a secondary “Call for ideas” for the airport building after the high amount of interest generated by the initial engagement.
External Links
Note
The original version of this case study first appeared on Vitalizing Democracy in 2010 and was a contestant for the 2011 Reinhard Mohn Prize. It was originally submitted by Christina Rucker.