Last updated: November 2024
Since the 1980s, the Graefekiez neighborhood in Berlin's Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district has been a traffic-calmed area where all road users are treated equally, driving is limited to walking speed, and cars are permitted to stop anywhere. However, this once-progressive concept no longer functions effectively due to the significant increase in cars and delivery vehicles over the years. The streets no longer resemble a traffic-calmed zone, with traditional layouts featuring roadways, sidewalks, and parking spaces. As a result, many users fail to recognize the traffic-calmed nature of the area, leading to safety issues: vehicles drive too fast, delivery traffic causes conflicts, and streets are difficult to navigate safely. Berlin’s transport sector faces the challenge of meeting legally mandated CO₂ reduction targets. Achieving these goals requires bold measures, including limiting private motorized transport (MIV), especially in densely populated areas where residents and visitors have access to alternative modes of transportation. The "Graefekiez" project addresses these challenges through urban redevelopment aimed at improving livability and promoting sustainable urban mobility. Car parking has been banned from the streets, freeing up space for communal use such as lounge areas. As part of the "Graefekiez" project, the district office is converting parking spaces into green spaces and expanding tree disks to adapt to the climate and promote a sponge city. The project was developed collaboratively with residents and NGOs through a participatory process led by the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office, in partnership with the Berlin Social Science Center and Paper Planes e.V. Implementation began in 2023 on Graefestraße and Bockhstraße.After a six-month trial period, the district office decided in 2024 to make the measures permanent. This initiative advances a safer, greener, inclusive urban environment while meeting climate and community goals. (Ref. 1, 2, 3)
Graefekiez project
https://www.berlin.de/ba-friedrichshain-kreuzberg/politik-und-verwaltung/aemter/strassen-und-gruenflaechenamt/strassen/mobilitaetswende/artikel.1428814.php
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
- Other
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Rapid urbanization
- Other
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces
Project objectives
To create a traffic-calmed sector .
To increase the recreational quality and usage of streets and sidewalks for citizens .
To improve pedestrian safety and ensure safer school routes .
To create seepage areas (a designated zone where rainwater or other surface water is allowed to infiltrate into the ground rather than running off into storm drains or waterways) and green areas for rainwater and enhance the city's resilience to climate change .
To involve citizens in a participatory process to design the area and repurpose free parking spaces.
To meet the legally required CO₂ reduction targets in the foreseeable future.
(Ref. 1, 3, 5)
Implementation activities
The Roads and Green Spaces Department is implementing measures based on a resolution passed by the District Assembly in June 2022. Over the summer and autumn of 2023, new uses for the core area—parts of Böckhstrasse and Graefestrasse—were tested through a participatory process.
The most extensive redesign took place on Böckhstrasse, where most car parking spaces were gradually repurposed. Some areas were unsealed for ecological benefits, while others were remodeled for alternative uses. Loading and delivery zones were established where needed, and several parklets were created. Improvements for pedestrians and barrier-free design, such as pavement extensions, were also implemented.
Residents and users participated in discussions about how the freed-up parking spaces in the core area could be utilized and contributed ideas for scaling similar measures across the Graefekiez. Business owners provided input on optimal locations for delivery and loading zones. These participation formats, alongside other research activities, informed the process.
In a second phase, the WZB (Berlin Social Science Center) will use the insights to develop an open space concept for the entire Graefekiez, which will then be presented to the District Assembly (BVV). In 2024, the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office recommended making these measures permanent beyond the initial six-month trial period (Ref. 1, 3).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
- Other
Climate change mitigation:
- Other
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
With this project, the Roads and Green Spaces Department is implementing a resolution passed by the District Assembly (BVV). The traffic measures are the responsibility of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office, which is in charge of roads and green spaces. It is responsible for all construction and traffic-related measures. Research and participation are carried out independently of the district by external parties. Scientific support is provided by the Berlin Social Science Centre (WZB) and their partners. paper planes e.V. is responsible for citizen and local business participation in co-operation with other partners such as NaturFreunde Berlin e.V. and Berlin 21 e.V. (Ref. 1) Specialised workshops integrated elderly, people with disabilities and school children (Ref. 3) The participation activities and research work associated with the Graefekiez project are financed by third-party funds raised by the participating institutes. (Ref. 1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(This is an implementation of a resolution passed by the district council on June 29, 2022 (Ref. 2). This calls on the district authority to ‘carry out a field trial in the Graefekiez neighbourhood to redesign the public space’. (Ref. 1))
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Public regional budget
- Research organisation / University
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Expected improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Expected increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Expected increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Safety
- Increased perception of safety
- Expected increased perception of safety
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Other
References
1.
District Office Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (n.d.). Projekt Graefekiez - Schrittweise mehr Platz. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
2.
District Office Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (n.d.). Drucksache - DS/0154/VI . Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
3.
District Office Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (n.d.). Neuigkeiten zum Projekt Graefekiez. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Knie, A. & Pfaff, T. (2023). Berliner Graefekiez bereits auf dem Weg zur Verkehrswende. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (2024). Projekt Graefekiez Projektbericht des WZB an das Bezirksamt Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg . Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Grünberg, K. (2022). Wem gehört die Straße?. Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link];
Redesigned street in the Graefekiez
Phillipp Böhme
The project opens up gardening spots where previsouly cars were parking
tagesschau
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.