Last updated: November 2024
The Park am Gleisdreieck is a public urban park in the city centre of Berlin, spanning more than 30 hectares across three individual sites (Ostpark, Westpark, Flaschenhalspark) on former railway tracks. The landscape of the Park am Gleisdreieck is characterised by the central, extensive lawn and meadow areas, which are bordered by woodland-like areas - the so-called track wilderness - as well as various park trees and crossed by wide paths or old railway tracks. The park space features various recreational activities for sports and play as well as community gardens for intercultural exchange (Ref. 12). Being abandoned after WW II, the land rewilded and after being partially opened to the public in 2011, the primary aim of the maintenance and development measures was to harmonise the interests of nature conservation and recreational use. (Ref. 1; Ref. 3) Many of the plant species in the Park am Gleisdreieck once travelled a long way by train. This is what makes the biodiversity in the park so special. It is a wild mixture of long-established Berlin plants and exotic species that specialise in dry, nutrient-poor soils. The park is part of Berlin's open space network, which extends from Tiergarten to Schöneberger Südgelände. It therefore makes a significant contribution to connecting habitats. (Ref. 1) Initiatives of citizens have been working for years for the realisation of a park on the former railroad site at Gleisdreick, and so the residents have been involved in the park planning and design in an intensive dialogue process from the beginning and are still involved in the park management. (Ref. 2) The opening of the park served as a compensation measure for the construction of the urban development projects at Potsdamer Platz and aimed at increasing accessible green space in a densely and rapidly built urban environment. (Ref. 4)
A forest grew among the vacant train tracks
Konstantin Börner
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Rapid urbanization
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
Key priorities
Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Protection of natural ecosystems, Habitat conservation, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Post-industrial site regeneration, Improved governance of green or blue areas, Establishment of inclusive governance mechanisms involving local communities
Project objectives
To increase accessibility of existing urban green space to the public (Ref. 4).
To improve and maintain existing biodiversity on the project's grounds (Ref. 3).
To foster connectivity between different green spaces in Berlin (Ref. 1).
To harmonize the interests of nature conservation and recreational use in the Park am Gleisdreieck (Ref. 3).
To provide space for recreation, physical exercise, and experiences with nature (Ref. 1; Ref. 4).
To preserve existing industrial and historic railway elements, such as train tracks, in the park (Ref. 4; Ref. 3).
To create inclusive and community-driven management of the park (Ref. 4; Ref. 5).
Implementation activities
The implementation of the park dates back to the 1970s, when community initiatives were founded to prevent the construction of a city highway through the park's location, which led to the development of plans for opening up the derelict area to the public. In the late 1990s, the Potsdamer Platz was built, and the real estate developer had to pay compensation that financed the park. At the end of the 1990s, the decision was made to develop the site into a park landscape. In 2005, citizen surveys and focus groups were conducted to integrate resident's interests into the project design. From 2005-2006, a public design competition was held that integrated various public participation measures. The construction of the first park section started in 2008 and the last section was finished in 2013. The implementation was accompanied by task forces and planning groups from 2007-2013. (Ref. 4)
The former railway wasteland offered a unique opportunity to promote spontaneously grown, species-rich urban nature and make it accessible to people in the growing city while connecting already existing green spaces and neighbourhoods. Young forests had grown on the former railway tracks, and native and exotic plant species. Plants typical of railway wastelands were sown in it right at the start. (Ref. 1) Trees were planted, playgrounds and bike paths were installed. The park is being managed by a multi-stakeholder board, including community representatives. (Ref. 2)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
- Means for conservation governance
- Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Regional government
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
- Taskforce groups
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Co-management/Joint management
- Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The land was turned into a park based on citizens' initiatives. They were furthermore involved in participatory steps (Planning forums, workshop discussions, site inspections, information events, site walks) on the development of the area (Ref. 4).
The state of Berlin bought the area from the railway company Deutsche Bahn and financed the park development with various real estate companies.
The Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment, represented by Grün Berlin, was responsible for the realisation of planning, project management, budget, time frame, laws and guidelines. (Ref. 4) The planning design was realised by a landscape architecture office, which cooperated on the construction management together with an engineering company. (Ref. 5)
The park is managed by an advisory board that consists of representatives of residents, stakeholders (allotment POG, Rosenduftgarten, representatives of the adjacent neighbourhood), state administration and Grün Berlin. (Ref. 2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The "Ordinance on the prevention and compensation of interventions in nature and landscape in the area of responsibility of the Federal Administration" (Federal Compensation Ordinance) (Ref. 7), requires the German state to avoid interference with nature or landscapes and to compensate it if, due to public infrastructure projects (e.g. power lines, offshore wind parks, buildings), nature and landscapes get destroyed. The ordinance serves to standardise the application of the impact regulation (following the Federal Nature Conservation Act) for federal projects, while at the same time maintaining high nature conservation standards. Implementing the Park am Gleisdreieck was financially supported by compensation for destroyed green space in a large-scale development project at Potsdamer Platz in the 1990s. Several companies had to pay compensation for constructing buildings, and a real estate focussed subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn (private railway company) gave the park space to the state of Berlin instead of paying money. (Ref. 4) Potsdamer Platz is located approximately 1km from the Park am Gleisdreieck and was a derelict area, crossed by the inner-city wall between East and West Germany before the reunification of Germany in 1990 (Ref. 6).)
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation, Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public regional budget
- Corporate investment
- Other
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?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
- Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Achieved increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Achieved increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
- Achieved protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
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
Unknown
References
1.
Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and Environment (n.d.). Park am Gleisdreieck. Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Grün Berlin (n.d.). Park am Gleisdreieck Development & participation. Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Park am Gleisdreieck (n.d.). Stadtnatur & Umweltbildung. Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Senate Department for Urban Development and Environment (2013). Der Park am Gleisdreieck Idee, Geschichte, Entwicklung und Umsetzung. Accessed on September 15, 2024,;
5.
Grün Berlin (2015). Park am Gleisdreieck. Accessed on September 15, 2024,;
6.
Potsdamer Platz (n.d.). Der Potsdamer Platz im Wandel der Zeit. Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Grün Berlin (n.d.). Reallabor Park am Gleisdreieck. Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Berlin-Brandenburg Statistical Office (2024). Statistischer Bericht. Accessed on September 15, 2024,;
9.
District Office Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg of Berlin (n.d.). Zahlen und Fakten. Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg (2024). Bevölkerung der Bezirke in Berlin nach Migrationshintergrund im Jahr 2023. Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];
11.
VisitBerlin (n.d.). Park am Gleisdreieck. Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];
12.
Cultural Heritage in Action (2022). Park am Gleisdreieck. Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];
13.
INFO GmbH (2021). Besucher*innen-Zählung im Park am Gleisdreieck. Accessed on October 3, 2024, [Source link];
The train tracks that give the park its name
Konstantin Börner
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.