Vom Bestand zur Zukunft: Transformation von Wohnsiedlungen in Kleinstädten

Authors: Saskia Herbert, Sarah Bäcker, Lars-Arvid Brischke, Patrick Zimmermann

Small towns have a diverse housing stock, which can be categorised according to when it was built and its architectural typology. The spectrum ranges from ‘Gründerzeit’ estates and those of classical modernism, through post-war developments, to modern detached-house estates and prefabricated housing estates. Depending on their geographical location, small towns face very different challenges: Whilst in peripheral areas the focus is often on strategies for utilising vacant properties, central locations with a high demand for housing require redensification strategies. At the same time, demographic change, an ageing population and shifting housing needs mean that established housing typologies are, in some cases, becoming obsolete. Added to this are requirements for energy retrofitting and sustainable refurbishment.

Current societal challenges and drivers – such as demographic change, climate protection and climate adaptation, as well as the misallocation of housing – are coming into conflict with the built environment. Adapting the existing building stock and settlement structures is therefore the key area for future action in order to address these challenges when providing and creating housing. This applies both to individual buildings and building types, as well as to districts and neighbourhoods. This brief expert report sets out practical recommendations designed to provide guidance to local authorities in small towns on the transformation of housing estates.