Berlin's Potsdamer Platz - Planning in a local, national and global context

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
  • Aim of this thesis
  • Delimitation
  • Methods and material
  • Structure of this bachelor thesis
• Background
  • History of the Potsdamer Platz
  • Short facts about the Potsdamer Platz today
• The theory behind the global city
• The Potsdamer Platz – a way of pushing Berlin towards a global city?
• Theories of urban development strategies
• The new Germany? – The Potsdamer Platz as a sign of economic power?
• Theories of public space in cities and ambient power at public places
• Privatisation of public space and ambient power at the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin?
• Conclusion
• Summary

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This bachelor thesis analyzes the development of Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz, a major urban redevelopment project. The primary objective is to investigate how planning decisions at the local, national, and global levels shaped the space and its current character. The thesis aims to understand the intentions behind the planning and to determine whether the Potsdamer Platz embodies a new face of Germany in a globalized world.

• The Global City Aspect of the Potsdamer Platz
• The Role of the Potsdamer Platz in Economic Development
• The Impact of Privatisation on Public Spaces
• The Influence of Neoliberal Planning Strategies
• The Relationship between Development and Public Space

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter outlines the thesis's aims, limitations, methodology, and the structure of the research.
• Background: This chapter provides a historical overview of the Potsdamer Platz, tracing its development from the 18th century to the present day. It highlights the site's significance as a major commercial and entertainment hub in Berlin, its destruction during World War II, and its subsequent redevelopment after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
• The Theory behind the Global City: This chapter defines the concept of a global city and its key characteristics, drawing on the work of Saskia Sassen and others.
• The Potsdamer Platz – a way of pushing Berlin towards a global city?: This chapter examines whether Berlin is a global city and whether the Potsdamer Platz was designed to contribute to its global aspirations. The chapter analyzes academic perspectives on Berlin's economic development and compares those viewpoints with empirical data.
• Theories of Urban Development Strategies: This chapter introduces the theory of Large-Scale Urban Development Projects, exploring its relationship to gentrification, neoliberal planning, and the creation of new urban spaces.
• The New Germany? – The Potsdamer Platz as a sign of economic power?: This chapter investigates whether the development of the Potsdamer Platz aimed to showcase Germany's economic power. The chapter examines criticisms of the project, especially concerning the role of Daimler Chrysler and the concentration of economic power in Berlin. It analyzes the extent to which neoliberal influences shaped the project and examines the extent to which the Potsdamer Platz reflects a new face of Germany.
• Theories of Public Space in Cities and Ambient Power at Public Places: This chapter explores theories of public space, focusing on the concepts of privatization and ambient power. It examines the work of Don Mitchell on the right to the city and the privatization of public spaces in the United States, and the work of John Allen on ambient power, which he develops through the example of the Potsdamer Platz.
• Privatisation of public space and ambient power at the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin?: This chapter analyzes whether the privatization of public spaces can be observed at the Potsdamer Platz, focusing on the Sony Centre and the Arkaden shopping mall. It investigates whether the Sony Centre exhibits ambient power, as theorized by John Allen. The chapter uses empirical data from interviews, observations, and plan analysis to assess the effectiveness of the theoretical frameworks.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The keywords for this thesis are: Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, urban development, global city, neoliberal planning, privatization of public space, ambient power, economic power, Germany, urban planning, public space, social space, Large-Scale Urban Development Projects.