Research projects

This study aims on providing an overview about the current debate on the redevelopment of urban and suburban business parks and office buildings. It should identfy in how far these business-parks are strategic development spots in growing cities and how they can contribute to a sustainable urban development.

On the one hand this project focuses on business parks that have undergone a retrofitting and redevelopment process from monofunctional entities to mixed-used and integrated neighbourhoods. In recent years an international trend in the redevelopment of former office parks can be observed. These developments are a part of a broughter discussion about the retrofitting of suburban structures.

On the other hand the project focuses on vacant office buildings, that have undergone a redevelopment process and have changed their function from office buildings to residential buildings. Here it is of particular interest, how technical, architectural and legal challenges are being solved.

Beside various urban design aspects, like density, mixture of uses, public space or social and technical infrastructure, the study is aiming to identify success factors in the process quality and is analyzing different stakeholder constellations. By doing so, it is expected to identify critical variables in the redevelopment process of these places.

Methodological, this study is working with an analysis of planning and development documents and selected qualitative expert-interviews.

Contact:

• Hendrik Jansen