Jointly developing public river banks

The development and design of a new public river walk on the premises of the Berlin Mellowpark will soon produce tangible results. The intention is to make the river bank – already an attractive and diversely used open space – accessible to the general public, enabling more people to experience its quality. For the first time, Urban Catalyst is bringing all stakeholders to the table, aiming to develop complementary solutions based on the existing plans of the district office.

The result is a contextual development plan, which acknowledges, explores and develops the potentials of build structures and informal uses rather than to eliminate these early on. Alternative circulation scenarios, which integrate the river walk into a general path and road network, are being developed. Of particular importance is the design of a new spatial division between the youth centre Mellowpark and the public river walk. This border should stimulate specific connections and interactions, while simultaneously clarifying different responsibilities. With a view to create a path that follows an interesting choreography, the development plan outlines different areas of use, thereby giving stakeholders the option to contribute to the design.