News & Updates

A coordination office at visitBerlin aims to fill empty spaces with life

The first networking event brought together stakeholders from administration, the real estate industry and the creative scene. Pilot projects planned in twelve Berlin focus centers by the end of 2027 The coordination office at visitBerlin connects districts, owners and potential users. Sabine Wendt at the networking event “Lively Centers. Strong Destinations”© visitBerlin, Photo: Marco Armborst Sabine Wendt welcomes the participants of the networking event “Lively Centers. Strong Destinations” As part of the networking event "Lively Centers. Strong Destinations," visitBerlin today presented its new coordination and mediation office for temporary uses to the public for the first time. Around 160 guests from politics, administration, business, culture, and tourism gathered at the NLND in Berlin-Neukölln to discuss how temporary use concepts can revitalize neighborhoods and create new reasons to visit. The central coordination and mediation office for temporary uses at visitBerlin was established in cooperation with the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises. It connects people with concrete ideas and suitable vacant spaces. Selected projects are supported from the initial concept to the pilot project. This allows closed shop doors to reopen, or former cinemas and unused commercial spaces to be transformed into studios, cultural venues, new shops, or neighborhood meeting places. Formats such as content creator studios in shopping centers, event catering, and leisure activities are also possible. “Vacancies are one of the major challenges facing many of Berlin’s commercial streets. At the same time, there’s a need for spaces to try out new ideas. With the central coordination office for temporary use at visitBerlin, we’re creating a central point of contact that brings together districts, businesses, the cultural and creative scene, and local stakeholders. This pilot project is a concrete measure within our 10-point plan to strengthen Berlin’s city centers, which we, as the State of Berlin, are supporting. We want vibrant and attractive centers for Berliners and visitors to our city. The central coordination office is intended to contribute to this,” says Franziska Giffey , Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises of the State of Berlin. “Temporary uses bring something new to the city: they create space for culture, creative ideas, new offerings, and encounters – and can thus revitalize entire neighborhoods. This creates places that Berliners enjoy using and that simultaneously offer visitors new perspectives on the city. For me, this is precisely what contemporary destination development is all about: unlocking new potential together with the districts and allowing Berlin to be rediscovered time and again. With the coordination office, we bring together the necessary partners and help make good ideas a reality,” says Sabine Wendt , CEO of visitBerlin. Participants at the networking event “Lively Centers. Strong Destinations”© visitBerlin, Photo: Marco Armborst Since the beginning of the year, the coordination and mediation office, based at visitBerlin, has been working with the districts to coordinate vacant properties, potential uses, and specific needs. visitBerlin contributes its many years of experience in destination management and district work, connecting administration, the real estate industry, and businesses with stakeholders from the creative sector and urban society. The networking event “Lively Centers. Strong Destinations.” brought stakeholders together. Practical insights and direct exchange defined the event's program. Projects and stakeholders such as Holzmarkt, Malzfabrik, Flying Steps, Transiträume, Studio Babelsberg, and Doxumentale demonstrated how vacant spaces can be activated and locations further developed. The examples ranged from culture and the creative industries to work and education, and included new meeting places. Representatives from administration, business, the real estate sector, the cultural and creative scene, and potential users then engaged in discussions. Funding and consulting services provided additional guidance. Initial contacts and project ideas were developed, which the coordination office will now support. From inventory to pilot project The two-person team from visitBerlin has already visited the districts and, together with the economic development agencies, gained an understanding of the focus centers. They are examining vacant properties and potential uses, identifying local needs, and evaluating successful approaches from Berlin and other European cities, including Hamburg, Munich, and Lübeck, as well as London, Vienna, Turin, and Stockholm. As point 7 of the 10-point plan to strengthen Berlin's city centers, the coordination office is creating a city-wide structure for exchange, mediation, and collaboration. Initial pilot projects are expected to be launched in the first twelve focus centers by the end of 2027. This practical work will also reveal where permits, funding, or a lack of contacts are hindering projects. Based on these experiences, the coordination office will develop recommendations for the future management of temporary uses in Berlin. More information and contact details : www.about.visitberlin.de/zwischennutzung