Welcome to
the Berlin Case Workshop!
Jan 7, 2022

UrbanCare workshops comprehend knowledge check sessions for a fast, fun, and formative experience in urban health. In today’s workshop, you will test a novel version adapted for students to learn, think, and act on pedestrian issues commonly found across neighborhoods in Berlin.
After several workshop iterations, our goal is to develop tools for our City Borough pedestrian planners to make timely decisions with evidence.
Our most sincere thank you to our partners and collaborators for making this event happen and in special to you, for participating and providing feedback to keep improving our methods.

Workshop Program 

9:00 INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the day with a brief background on ‘UrbanCare’ by Alvaro Valera Sosa.
9:15 Guest talk by Charlotte Merchandise from the World Health Organization (WHO)

9:30 MODULE I: GAP FINDER
Input on ‘Pedestrian Loops’ and activity guidance.
9:40 Pedestrian Loop activity starts.
In this warm-up session, participants will split into two groups. Each group will work on a Pedestrian Loop: a pedestrian priority circuit at the neighborhood scale.
The task is to quickly identify at each loop urban scenes that hinder the active mobility of vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, and people with different types of disabilities. ‘Pedestrian Challenge Cards’ and a mentor will be available to assist you.

10:00 MODULE II: DIAGNOSTICS
Input on ‘Pedestrian Diseases’ and activity guidance
10:10 Urban Health activity starts.
“Street Eco-Cards” describe physical environmental factors that degrade the urban ecosystem. “Pedestrian Disease Cards” define how our health is affected by these environmental factors. Participants are encouraged to make card combinations and place them in the urban scenes challenging vulnerable pedestrians.

10:30 HEALTHY BREAK

10:40 MID-PRESENTATIONS & DISCUSSION
Pedestrian Loop 1, 5-minute presentation | 5-minute Q&A
Pedestrian Loop 4, 5-minute presentation | 5-minute Q&A

11:00 MODULE III: PLANNING
Input on ‘Holistic Urban Management’ and activity guidance
11:10 Management activity starts.
The workshop had a preparation phase that consisted in gathering information on Policies, Technical Resources, and Economic resources available in Berlin, mainly for climate mitigation and mobility. In this exercise, the information will support participants to map possible synergies and create management positions needed to develop healthy green streets.

11:30 FLASH PRESENTATIONS
Policy group 5-minute presentation.
Technical group 5-minute presentation.
Economic group 5-minute presentation.
11:45 General discussion with a coffee or tea.

12:00 MODULE IV: DESIGN
Input on ‘Streetscapes Designs beyond Mobility’ and activity guidance.
12:10 Streetscaping activity starts.
Create streetscape sketches to think visually about aligning goals for liveability and ecosystem regeneration. The drawing must deliver a vision that convinces decision-makers on what to do.

12:30 PIN-UPS
Loop 1 Streetscape Pin-up with a 5-minute presentation.
Loop 4 Streetscape Pin-up with a 5-minute presentation.

12:40 GENERAL DISCUSSION

13:00 CLOSING

Workshop Supporting Material 

and the Workflow

Take a look at the boards and cards you will have available at the workshop. Steps are framed in boxes.

I

GAP FINDER

Pedestrian loops at Bötzowviertel

At Bötzowviertel we have identified five pedestrian loops! Two loops have been selected for the workshop. Loop 1 in white, and Loop 4 in blue. 

Each loop has 8 ‘Urban Scenes’ with physical environmental information and data. 

Pedestrian loop 1

Group 1 will work on Loop 1. 

Pedestrian Loop 4

Group 2 will work on Loop 4.

1A_ Select a ‘Persona chip’ available at your table and walk your loop! 

1B_ Place a Challenge Card (also available) on the ‘Urban Scenes’ where your ‘persona’ might need help.

II

DIAGNOSTICS

4 ‘Street -Eco Cards’ will inform you about the most important factors degrading an urban ecosystem.

2A_ Place the ‘Street -Eco Cards’ on the urban scenes that need improvement. Select the four most environmentally degraded urban scenes.

‘Pedestrian Disease Cards’ describe health conditions that may relate to street threats and risks.

2B_ Place one or more ‘Pedestrian Disease Cards’ that may be affecting your ‘Persona’ at the four urban scenes selected.

III

PLANNING

The preparation phase consisted in gathering information on Policies, Technical Resources, and Economic resources available in Berlin, mainly for climate mitigation and mobility.

3A_ Posters will be available to map possible synergies and create management positions needed to develop healthy green streets.

IV

DESIGN

4A_ Create streetscape sketches to think visually about aligning goals for liveability and ecosystem regeneration. The drawing must deliver a vision that convinces decision-makers on what to do.

Collaborating partners in Berlin

Other UrbanCare cases developing across Europe

A climate-friendly medical campus in Florence, Italy

A medical neighborhood in Nicosia, Cyprus

A health-promoting hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden

UrbanCare research workshops: integrated management to develop streetscapes for urban health and ecosystem regeneration.

Alvaro Valera Sosa (2021)

Project development

BHL Building Health Lab
Alvaro Valera Sosa: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Analyses
[email protected]

Webpage Credits

BHL Building Health Lab
Alvaro Valera Sosa: Content, Editing, Design, Administration.
Netra Naik: Software, Data curation.
Julia Reißinger: Data curation.

Links and sources of interest

1. https://www.completecommunitiesde.org/planning/complete-streets/walkable-communities

2. https://www.fuss-ev.de/planung-regeln-sicherheit

3. https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/kiezbummel-in-berlin-prenzlauer-berg-das-boetzowviertel-hat-grund-zum-feiern/8700982.html

4. https://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/nachhaltige-erneuerung/aktuelles/prenzlauer-berg/artikel/ausstellung-sanierungsgebiet-boetzowviertel-eroeffnet

5.https://fbinter.stadtberlin.de/fb/index.jsp?loginkey=zoomStart&mapId=k_vms_tempolimits_spatial@senstadt&bbox=385546,5818090,396644,5824313

6. https://www.morgenpost.de/bezirke/pankow/article232525871/Prenzlauer-Berg-Hufelandstrasse-wird-zur-Fahrradstrasse-Hufelandstrasse-wird-Fahrradstrasse.html

7. https://www.prokiez.de/

8. https://www.berlin.de/sen/uvk/en/traffic/transport-policy/berlin-mobility-act/

9. https://www.prokiez.de/mitmachen/

10. https://www.fuss-ev.de/

11. https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/07/01/germany-inaction-heat-plans-threatens-health

12. Li, X. L. (2019). Urban heat island impacts on building energy consumption: a review of approaches and findings. Elsevier, 1–43. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544219303895

13. https://www.bmu.de/en/topics/water-resources-waste/water-management/policy-goals-and-instruments/water-protection-policy-in-germany

14. https://www.hcu-hamburg.de/research/forschungsgruppen/reap/reap-projekte/bluegreenstreets/

15. Jekel and Sieker. (2010). Technical University of Berlin Dept. of Water Quality Control, Rainwater management for urban drainage, groundwater recharge and storage. https://www.hmw.tu-berlin.de/fileadmin/i41_hmw/12_DAAD_Rainwater-Jekel-Chile2010.pdf

16. Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment and Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Berlin. (2014). Business in Berlin Supports Biodiversity Recommendations for Action – A Guide. https://www.berlin.de/sen/uvk/_assets/natur-gruen/biologische-vielfalt/publikationen/leitfaden_biologischevielfalt_englisch.pdf

17. https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/en/science/research/society-and-nature/biodiversity-policy-lab

18. Parris. (2018). The seven lamps of planning for biodiversity in the city. Cities. Published. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2018.06.007

19. https://pages.eiu.com/rs/753-RIQ-438/images/global-liveability-index-2021-free-report.pdf?mkt_tok=NzUzLVJJUS00MzgAAAGBV_InbTQVjrIIfN5cc8ByRHMP76PMMeejBE3FIVEdHZG1jI8uo_gxS6xShTGZ5RXy7rOAPQXLgojZtsGyvPrHEihMQgWLswo9yOS7VXczrDRuEg

20. https://networknature.eu/european-cities-showcase-what-urban-ecosystem-restoration-means-practice

Pedestrian planning for Urban Health!

We teach UrbanCare’s steps & tools,

Directly assist local teams apply them, 

Help manage a project from concept to creation.