Case Studies  The Karolinenviertel Case in Hamburg - St. Pauli

Individual projects

In the following section four different projects from different fields of action of area development in the Karolinenviertel are being exemplary described in broad outline. Here, especially partnership approaches are being emphasised:

• The start-up projects Floor 21 and Sprungschanze represent a strategy for fighting unemployment, respectively safeguarding and attraction of jobs in St. Pauli / Karolinenviertel. With these projects an approach on local level has been translated into action for the first time, which was aimed at the promotion of the spirit of start-ups in a disadvantaged area. This project has been sponsored by the Hamburg Ministry of Economics and the European Union to place sponsored small business spaces and counselling offers at the disposal of start-ups. Both projects shall initiate economic development processes in the local surroundings. The acceptance from the start-up scene is still very high. An accompanying counselling network could not be build up any further because of the lack of resources.

• The Schanzenkieker project is a project for improving the cleanliness in the neighbourhood and includes a restructuring of the cleaning system on local level. By combining different competencies for cleaning private and public areas, a higher grade of cleanliness has been achieved. The city cleaning service transferred their tasks to a private company. At the same time also private owners and the District employed this cleaning company. Project development and co-ordination of the activities have been carried out by STEG. All participants have co-ordinated themselves organisationally to accompany the ‘Schanzenkieker’. Besides the combination of different competencies also new services could be realised. The ‘Schanzenkieker’ are a ‘local cleaning service’ which are active and present in the neighbourhood. Furthermore, a local office, prevention measures (for example with children) as well as intensive public relations to draw attention to this subject surround this cleaning service programme. These measures shall change the attitude towards garbage to prohibit further pollution.

• Development Sternquadrant: On the basis of a urban development contract between the City of Hamburg and one private investor concluded in 1995, the vacant real estate of a former spices factory in the Karolinenviertel has been redeveloped. This public-private-partnership mainly includes an agreement about the possible use as well as the constructional extend of the redevelopment.

The new owners of the real estate at first planned a shopping centre which was non-compatible with the neighbourhood. In negotiations with the city the realisation of a much higher proportion of apartment units had been achieved. The essential parts of the contract included the obligation of the owners to carry out the measures in a certain period of time. The obligation of the city was to create the planning prerequisites and to place public means for disposal for building of social housing. The entire project grasps 40,000 square metres floor-space with a proportion of 60 % housing and 40 % commercial space. More than once the contract had been altered for the disadvantage of the city. Profit considerations of the private owners were the reason for these alterations. Examples for this are:

1. The agreed upon constructional extent had more than once been exceeded with the consequence of non-standard buildings.

2. The agreements in the contract were not complied with. Migrants or low-income families were not considered in renting the apartments despite binding arrangements.

3. Instead of the agreed redevelopment of buildings they were pulled down and replaced by new buildings for higher profit.

The participating Ministries, respectively the inconsequent prosecution of the negotiated aims as well as the lack of sanctions for breaking the contract are responsible for this.

• In the field of improvement of the living conditions the modernisation of apartment units in the stock is still in the fore. The redevelopment is being carried out in an integrative process subject to consideration of constructional-technical needs, commercial frame conditions and dealing socially with the tenants. Modernisation and redevelopment of the apartments is being carried out almost exclusively with public means. In return the owners cede the rights of occupation to the city and agree to a general binding rental price up to 21 years. Within the framework of a social-plan the tenants affected by the modernisation are being moved to replacement apartments during the redevelopment. The objectives are the largely conservation of the building substance by redevelopment and modernisation, the safeguarding of affordable rents for the supply of households with low income as well as the creation of additional apartment units by fitting out attics. In addition there are new apartment buildings as in-fill developments. Around 750 apartments and 50 commercial spaces have been modernised and redeveloped with public funding in the Karolinenviertel. 130 apartment units have been newly built.

 4.2. Monitoring and evaluation   4.4. Financing