Polis Convention: the foundation for affordable housing starts with urban design
A full Planerlounge and many valuable conversations: beginning of May, De Zwarte Hond was a guest at the Polis Convention. In the lounge and on stage, we discussed how urban design can already create the conditions for high-quality affordable housing. From the many meetings and discussions, we take away three key insights:
Urban design and architecture need to come together earlier.
Creating affordable housing of high quality means urban design and architecture cannot be treated separately. It is essential to bring both disciplines together early in the process, so that continuity, collaboration, and trust can develop throughout long-term projects. Less focus on restrictions and risk management, more focus on enabling quality.
Daring to think in larger frameworks.
Affordable housing requires scale. Larger projects create opportunities to build knowledge and experience that can carry through into later phases. Especially when municipalities, policymakers, architects, and developers work together, a process emerges in which quality can continuously be tested and improved — from the first idea to realization.
Designing processes from the desired outcome.
The so-called “Bauturbo” can be more than a tool for accelerating construction. It also offers an opportunity to rethink urban design: not simply reacting to initiatives, but starting from the question of what kind of quality a city or neighborhood needs. This also changes the role of the zoning plan — not as an endpoint, but as part of a process in which quality, expertise, and collaboration come together at an early stage.
Many thanks to Sebastian Hermann (ASTOC) and Franka Schinkel from the City of Cologne’s housing development office for the open and inspiring discussion with our partner Matthias Rottmann.
And of course, thanks to everyone who joined us in the Planerlounge, continued the conversation over cake, and reflected with us on the future of the city. Special thanks as well to our partners ASTOC, Molestina Architekten & Stadtplaner, Lorber Paul Architekten, Pilhatsch Ingenieure, RMP Stephan Lenzen Landschaftsarchitekt, studio grüngrau, 5BWS, and the polis Convention.