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Conversion of Urban Brownfields for Distributive Services
Grant holder: Anke Ruckes
Due to the opening of the borders after 1989, Berlin experienced an ongoing process of suburbanisation, since
a significant number of new commercial and housing areas were built up beyond the city limits. Until now, major
commercial sites have emerged at the urban border, to a large extent being distribution related companies. At the
same time, unfavourable demographic and social-economic conditions have an increasing negative impact on the city
and their urban structures. In Berlin, these two contrary urban changes can be noticed. On the one hand the city is
characterised growth and on the other hand by the phenomenon of shrinkage.
The speculative nature of development activity raises land consumption and contributes to urban sprawl. Distribution
companies particularly apply to this, since the comprehensive "orchestration" of material flows requires not only new
sites but also intensive infrastructures, to connect interrelated places. Due to space and traffic requirements,
distributive services are increasingly established at suburban or even exurban places. The locational preference is
based upon an earlier pattern of decentralisation, mainly due to cheaper land resources of suburbia, compared with the
urban core, and better access to transport arterials. More recently, the suburban drift of distribution relates to
locational problems within the cities: The flexible, "fluid" pattern of contemporary logistics is likely to disrupt
other urban functions, such as housing. Conversely, suburban sites offer the desired "robust" environment for 24 hour
operations. The growth of distributive services in suburban places produces an increase of commercial traffic in
trucks, lead to mount traffic-related emissions and noise pollution, plus the consumption of non-renewable energy
sources and an intensive utilization of space.
In order to minimise the negative impact of suburbanisation, the utilisation of brownfields in specific cases
can be a valid solution to integrate the logistics network in the city centre. In this context, the development of
recycling concepts for brownfields will play a decisive role. Urban policy will be challenged with the task to
elaborate concepts.
In my research I am analysing the conditions and characteristics of brownfields, which make it suitable
for its utilisation for logistics activities.
Under consideration of these recent developments I pursue the following objectives in my project:
- How can logistics requirements become integral in long-term planning objectives?
- How can the decision where to locate distribution facilities and warehousing be better balanced in the future?
- How can the distribution operations be organized more acceptably for the community, e.g. minimising neighbourhood conflicts?