Housing policy - Discussion about Tempelhofer Feld: Senator rejects criticism
Senator Christian Gaebler dismisses Green objections to the future of Tempelhof Field participation process as incorrect. "I find it quite difficult that ten years after a popular vote, one is not even allowed to discuss which uses are possible or not," Gaebler stated to the German Press Agency. "This is a discussion process, not a decision-making format, and not a decision against popular votes. Discussions must always be possible."
Greens are critical of the process
Green fraction leader Werner Graf criticized the senate's planned form of public participation on Tuesday, labeling it a farce and accusing Gaebler of trying to force his policy "without regard for losses" against Berliners and Berliners. "Berlin clearly voted for the Tempelhof Field to remain undeveloped in its entirety. But, as with many popular votes, the black-red government here does not feel bound by the electorate's will," Graf stated to the coalition.
Gaebler considers the accusations unjustified: "The Greens are increasingly saying that one should not even discuss it," Gaebler said. However, the party usually advocates for public involvement. "We ask the citizens what they can imagine. And then one must consider what one can initiate a broader debate about in city society."
Gaebler: Criticism is pulled out of thin air
"It's a discussion process, it's not a participation format with a decision at the end. And that's why this accusation of farce and violation of democracy is pulled out of thin air," Gaebler said. The approach is to discuss with a group of randomly selected citizens who represent the composition of the Berlin population.
The Left in the House of Representatives disagrees with the Greens' criticism: "This process today starting is a fake participation," said Hendrikje Klein from the Linke fraction. The option of non-development is not even on the table. "CDU and SPD want to legitimize their desired development of the Tempelhof Field with this."
The Left shares the criticism of the black-red plans
The expressed majority will of the people should be undermined. "Black-Red once again reveals its tactical understanding of public participation, which is only validated when it leads to the desired result," criticized the spokesperson for public participation in the fraction.
Approval for Gaebler comes from the SPD: "The relationships in the city have drastically changed in the past ten years since the popular vote on the Tempelhof Field. Rents have more than doubled," said the spokesperson for urban development in the fraction, Matthias Schulz. "Many people are desperately searching for affordable housing."
If circumstances change, laws, whether passed through a popular vote or parliament, must be reconsidered. "We need affordable housing in state ownership. The outer edge of the Tempelhof Field should be included," argued Schulz. "Even with a peripheral development, Berlin would remain one of the greenest metropolises in the world."
Kick-off meeting for the Dialog Workshops
The participants for the so-called Dialog Workshops come together for the first time for a kick-off meeting on Wednesday. Initially, a sample of 20,000 people aged 16 and over from the Residents' Register were invited and asked to participate. Approximately 1000 people expressed interest, 275 of whom were selected by lottery.
According to the Senate, they are supposed to propose Theses for the development of the Tempelhofer Fields. Their estimations are not binding. However, the results are supposed to influence the task statement of the planned international Ideas Competition. The Senate is for a development of the Tempelhofer Fields with peripheral construction. However, the result of the referendum on May 25, 2014, in which a majority of voters were in favor of not developing the field, still applies.
- Gaebler emphasized that leisure time activities are important considerations in the discussions about Tempelhof Field, highlighting the potential for it to become a hub for urban recreation.
- The German Press Agency reported that the Senate's housing policy, which includes construction plans for Tempelhof Field, is facing criticism from Alliance 90/The Greens.
- SPD spokesperson Matthias Schulz argued that the increasing demand for affordable housing in Berlin justifies reconsideration of the 2014 referendum result, which had favored not developing Tempelhof Field.
- The results of the Dialog Workshops, in which randomly selected Berliners discuss Tempelhof Field's development, could potentially influence the task statement of an upcoming international ideas competition, according to the Senate.
- Society's need for affordable housing and the future of Tempelhof Field are key issues in the ongoing debate, with many Berliners participating in discussions and expressing their concerns through referendums and other democratic processes.
- Concerns about the execution of involvement processes in German democracy have been raised, with critics arguing that decisions may not always align with popular votes, such as the one in 2014 against Tempelhof Field's development.
