Dead City or pulsating life? The Spree in the change of time!

Dead City or pulsating life? The Spree in the change of time!

in Berlin, where the wall once stood, today a picture of the cold and emptiness on Freia-Ise-Straße shows. On Saturday, November 30, 2024, the street is deserted, the offices are scary and abandoned. A graffiti with the inscription "Dead City" describes the dreary atmosphere perfectly. But only a few meters away, on Uber-Platz, pulsates life: the Uber-Arena, which was previously known as Mercedes-Benz-Arena, attracts the masses. Alba Berlin will play here and the Christmas market has already set up its stands. A contrast that illustrates the split reality of this area.

the arena and its surroundings

The Uber-Arena, a magnet for events, has developed into a central point in Berlin since its opening in 2008. 170 events take place here every year, and the adjacent office buildings only seem to serve as a backdrop for the spectacle. City researcher Aljoscha Hofmann describes the development of the area as a classic entertainment quarter, which is grouped around the arena. The adjacent streets are designed to support the arena, but not to create a living district. The empty facades and missing business leave no doubt that there is no typical Berlin life.

The planning for the mediapree project, which was to redesign the rivers' areas of the Spree, were strongly shaped by investors such as the Antschutz Group. This once bought large areas and developed the area to offer the city a new perspective. While the arena and its surroundings are flourishing, the question remains whether the city has made the right decisions. Critics complain that the development is too commercially and not very diverse. The Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district regretted the lack of a mix of living space and trade that would be necessary for a lively neighborhood life.

The Senate Department for Urban Development recognizes the challenges associated with this type of development. Despite the tax revenue and jobs that the arena brings with it, the feeling remains that opportunities were missed here. The environment is more than just a place for events; It could be a lively part of Berlin if you had tackled the planning differently. The question remains: How will this area develop in the future and will it ever offer the pulsating life that deserves?