Strategies for Bergheim

Heidelberg’s downtown is made up of the Old Town and Bergheim, which borders on the railway station, Weststadt, and the Neckar River. The district is defined by a colorful and diverse mixture of people and usages. The densely-built city and the university, everyday knowledge and experts meet here. A study was undertaken for the IBA: How can human knowledge be inputted into the development of the quarter? How can both everyday knowledge and specialist expertise be used in urban development?

Bergheim requires coalitions and interventions adapted to the special situations that strengthen its substance and promote coexistence in the neighborhood.

In the study, six development types take as their starting points places with great potential. The overall appearance is improved, niches filled. Initiatives and people can come together, and the companies defining the quarter are consciously addressed. Concrete projects translate the knowledge into tangible qualities, for example in useful links or easily used outdoor spaces, while people are motivated to become active for their districts.

With a purpose-developed planning instrument, a so-called »Discourse Machine«, people can together assess options as well as which planned interventions in a specific location are possible and meaningful. This playful approach bridges the gap between everyday language and that of experts. The planning instrument is structured like a game, enabling a discussion of social questions over and above building/investments. Using a specific kind of spatial constellation (»urban scene«) in which the diversity of a place is taken and factored in, one can then find out where the needs and potential for improvement are.

Three zones characteristic for the diversity of the district (focus spaces) provide prime examples of the many different ways in which Bergheim can be strengthened as part of the Knowledge City. Approaches have been devised for these three focus areas and concrete changes are pending. The »urban scene« instrument and the playful interaction show what constitutes the special nature of Bergheim and how it can be moved forward.