Reimagining Berlin

Abstract

Globalization has had a dramatic effect on the way in which we understand the operation of urban systems. Cities - or their elites - have increasingly sought to redefine and reimagine themselves through place marketing in ways which allow them to compete in the global marketplace. The ‘exceptional’ case of Berlin is explored in the context of regional and global restructuring. Berlin has been at the centre of dramatic changes over the last decade and has been forced to reimagine itself in quite a different set of global understandings. A series of different - competing and sometimes complementary - imaginary Berlins are being constructed in the process of reinsertion into ‘normal’ capitalist urbanization. The relationships between property-led visions with Berlin at the heart of a wider Europe, visions of Berlin as a revived capital of a united Germany and the redefinition of Berlin as an ordinary place are considered. Each of these visions offers a different interpretation of Berlin. The paper critically assesses the extent to which it is possible to escape from pro-growth agendas in developing an urban future for the city and explores some of the implications of Berlin’s current development trajectory.