Wegner promotes apartments on Tempelhofer Feld

Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner has campaigned for the Tempelhofer Feld to be built on the edge of the city with apartments. "I can't explain to Berliners that I have to build on inner courtyards but keep a huge area free," said the CDU politician on Monday evening during a discussion with citizens in the Charlottenburg district. "That is not socially just."

The creation of more affordable housing as quickly as possible is one of the most important social issues in this city. "We need more social housing in Berlin," said Wegner. To this end, the existing potential of land must be used.

In his view, a "genuine urban debate about the future of Tempelhofer Feld" is necessary, said the Governing Mayor. He and other supporters are only interested in peripheral development. If this were to happen, open and recreational areas larger than Central Park in New York would be preserved, he said.

"There was a referendum, and I take it seriously," Wegner added. It is therefore now necessary to develop a plan, a vision for Tempelhofer Feld. Then the people of Berlin need to be consulted again.

In a referendum in 2014, a majority voted in favor of not building on the former airport site in Tempelhof. In view of the housing shortage in the city, this is now being discussed again. The black-red Senate is planning an international ideas competition and a citizens' workshop. Whether there will be a new referendum or another form of consultation on a peripheral development is still open.

The citizens' dialog with around 150 participants at the Maison de France on Kurfürstendamm, moderated by Senate spokesperson Christine Richter, dealt with numerous topics that concern people in Berlin. In addition to housing policy, a lot of space was devoted to transport policy. Among other things, participants asked Wegner about the subway network, the state of cycle paths, how to make intersections and school routes safer and the renovation of the Schlangenbad Tunnel.

The event was the first in the new "Kai Wegner on site" series of talks. Interested parties could register in advance. In the coming months, Wegner also wants to answer questions from Berliners in other districts as part of the format.