DESIGNING PARKS. BERLIN'S PARK AM GLEISDREIECK OR THE ART OF CERATING LIVELY PLACES

How can one design urban parks not only as decorative elements and as the green lungs of a city, but in a way that transforms the urban landscape? That takes the inhabitants into account and strengthens neighborly relations between various cultures, ethnicities, and lifestyles? In other words, how can a park serve as a hub of urban life? Designing Vibrant Urban Parks is dedicated to the question of what an ideal, present-day city park should look like. The Park am Gleisdreieck in Berlin-built between 2007 and 2014-is an exceptional design example in this respect: its rich variety and complexity offer seemingly endless usage possibilities. This publication explores esthetic and spatial aspects of the planning of city parks, as well as their social functions-and thus also the political responsibility of landscape architecture. The fundamental planning principles of the Park in Berlin are presented in detail. Therefore the publication offers not only a comprehensible analysis of contemporary urban parks, but also an inspiring tool kit for new park projects