THE GENERATION OF “TEMPORARY GREENS” AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT IN LEIPZIG

Abstract

In Leipzig, a city in former East Germany, the number of abandoned lands increased due to the massive population decline in the 1990s. In 2000, Urban Development Plan (STEP W+S) was redacted in order to cope with rapid shrinkage and "The Perforation City" was announced, aiming to convert abandoned built-up areas into green spaces. STEP W+S was followed by Conceptual District Plans (Konzeptioneller Stadtteilplan : KSP), formulated in severely affected inner-city districts East in 2002 and West in 2004. In these plans, areas designated for de-densification were prescribed by New Green Spaces Concepts. At the same time, the city of Leipzig has been concluding Use Permission Agreements (Gestattungsvereinbarung) with the owners of abandoned lands and the regeneration towards “temporary greens” was induced. This research clarifies the generation and subsequent developments of “temporary greens” in Leipzig and reveals the role of “temporary greens” in spatial reorganization in cities with a future of high uncertainty. In total 16.7ha of “temporary greens” have been created from 1999 till 2012 in Leipzig. The peak of the number of newly established temporary greens was in 2002 and thereafter the number has decreased. Based on the Use Permission Agreement, land owners create and maintain the “temporary greens” in exchange for subsidy for demolition and improvement costs and exemption from property tax during the period of agreement. Budgets for urban development of both States and Federal Government and European Funds have supported the subsidy for inducement of “temporary greens”. Nearly 50% of the owners who agreed in converting abandoned lands into green spaces are private persons. Almost 50% of “temporary greens” were concentrated in the inner-city districts East and West. The survey was conducted in all 64 (total area 8.08 ha) “temporary greens” created in these districts till 2008 and their subsequent developments till 2016 were explored. As a result, it revealed that the 1/4 of them shifted to permanent use after eight years. However, the difference in their use is observed between district West and East. In the district West, in which a population increase had already occurred when the KSP was formulated in 2004, new housings have been rebuilt in “temporary greens”. The “temporary greens” came to serve as preparation for the next construction development. In contrast, in the district East, in which the population remained stagnated after the KSP formulated in 2002, the “temporary greens” have been turned into permanent green spaces and public facilities, therefore playing a part in the implementation of the New Green Space Concept shown in the KSP. It is concluded that the “temporary greens” have been playing a significant role in inducing flexible spatial reorganization in a city with a highly uncertain future. Meanwhile, it turned out that more than 3/4 in terms of area ratio of “temporary greens” in district West and East are left in the provisional status and the uses are not fixed as of 2016. It is necessary to make further research which explores the meaning that the considerable amount of lands with provisional use are remained in a city without clear vision for the future.

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