A vibrant neighbourhood garden is currently being created on the top parking deck of a residential and multi-storey car park in Berlin Schöneberg. Here, residents will be able to garden together on farmland or in raised beds and network with each other. Educational programmes on healthy eating, climate adaptation and vegetable growing are planned. The garden is intended to become a social meeting place that promotes community action and sustainable urban living.
The architectural firm RaumstarArchitekten not only designed the necessary architecture, including a greenhouse, kitchen, sanitary facilities, farmland and technical infrastructure, but also conceived the rainwater management system and a solar power system for the water- and climate-neutral operation of the urban gardening project. The firm also developed the concept for the garden's operation, anchored the project in cooperation with political actors in the neighbourhood and is accompanying the gradual development of the community with participatory processes such as design and construction workshops.
The community garden on the parking deck transforms the flaws of the car-friendly city into strengths by bringing nature back to sealed surfaces. Scalable, aesthetic and socially relevant, it proves that public welfare projects can succeed even in dense city centres – if priorities are reset. It uniquely combines structural transformation, energy transition, sustainable water management and community into a transferable model for liveable cities.
Berlin-Schöneberg