Case Studies  The Karolinenviertel Case in Hamburg - St. Pauli

Description of decline and introduction of the regeneration procedure

Decisive impulses for the physical decline of the Karolinenviertel after World War II were the enlargement plans of the adjacent Hamburg exhibition centre in the 1960s. The city of Hamburg had bought private properties and real estates in the district for this project in order to move tenants and commercial enterprises out of this area. After creation of alternate housing and commercial spaces at other places, the area was supposed to be cleared through extensive demolition.

However, this scenario of systematic demolition of housing never occurred. During the 1970s a vivid political discussion regarding the future of this neighbourhood developed instead caused by rising resistance of the inhabitants against the plans of the city. At this point in time a huge part of the apartment buildings was already in very bad condition since the owners did not carry out simple renovation works with the perspective of demolition and in the perception of high profits from real estate sales (process of de-investment). The planning uncertainty combined with urban development deficiencies increased the decline of the district during that time as well as the changed inhabitant structure like for example the influx of immigrants and low income people together with an over proportional part of inhabitants under the age of 25. Unemployment, homelessness, illegal drug trafficking and drug consuming, integration-difficulties and garbage problems increased the conflict potential even further.

However, in the late 1970s more and more the idea asserted within the city that unpopular inner city neighbourhoods of the 19^th century have great qualities indeed e.g. building structure, central location, mixture of uses. In the beginning of the 1980s the discussion about the envisaged demolition of the neighbourhood finally had ended and the preservation as inner city housing location was decided. In 1981 the obligatory preparatory survey started and in 1988 the Karolinenviertel was formally stipulated as redevelopment area according to the Federal Book of Building Law (BauGB). The regeneration of the district with public funds for redevelopment and modernisation combined with specific legislation could begin. The formal stipulation of the area by the city of Hamburg has legal power of statutes. With this decision the owners receive an entry into the land registry and constructional changes and real estate businesses are subject to authorisation.

1.3. Distribution of Property    1.5. Public infrastructure provision