Berlin – like most German cities – is often praised for its vast green space. But how green is the capital in reality? DW sat down with renowned conservationist Herbert Lohner to get his thoughts on the matter.
A green metropolis? Or the standard urban jungle?
Berlin is often considered one of the greenest cities in Europe. How close is this perception to reality? According to Lohner, this is not entirely the case.
Berlin is one of Germany’s greenest cities, but compared to other cities in Europe it is actually below average. After reunification, many of the areas that served as buffers for the Berlin Wall and were not accessible to city residents were suddenly transformed into parks and other grassy areas. That made things better for people living in those areas, but Lohner thinks Berlin could do a lot better.
The trend of green infrastructure
Currently, there are movements taking place not only in Gemrany – but around the world – to improve green infrastructure, especially in large urban areas. As more and more people continue to move to cities, this will become even more urgent. Currently, the Berlin government is working to improve the city’s infrastructure through instruments such as the protection of green spaces and trees.
But the problem is that green spaces in Berlin are deteriorating very quickly, according to Lohner. He says people are using them very intensively – that’s what they’re there for, to be used – but the problem is that rubbish is piling up, there’s a lack of resources for maintenance, too few staff and too few trained gardeners.
Also, although there are many green spaces in the city, others are vulnerable to construction. This is especially true in the face of the city’s housing crisis. Spaces that can also be converted into green spaces, such as pages in dark field, being sold. There is currently no protection for coffee places in Berlin.
But why are urban green spaces so important?
Urban greenery is beautiful, it makes the city more attractive and adds dynamics to the space. But it also serves a very important function that is not visible to the eye. It is vital for cooling cities, especially as climate change becomes a more pressing issue.
Green spaces mainly include parks and gardens, but they can also be grass strips bordering water bodies such as canals, rivers and lakes. For this reason, a big factor in the future of protecting the green of the city will be to ensure that waterfronts are not privatized and sold off in smaller pieces of land. This is also important for maintaining a healthy range of plant species – especially those that thrive in wet areas.
In Berlin, Lohner names the Natur-Park Südgelände and the Nordbahnhof park as both good examples of redevelopment projects, but that this should continue further.
Berlin must continue to protect its green spaces
Policies, resources and attention should be devoted to the long-term protection of the urban green of the city. Ideally, Lohner thinks that creating a green network, similar to the gray network formed by city streets, would be a great idea. More greenery should be introduced along the roads, on the roofs and on the facades of the buildings.
