Städteplanung & Architektur (Helsinki)

Mr Nikula, Ladies and Gentlemen,

thank you very much for your kind words of introduction... and yes, Architecture” and Urban Development” seem to be a matching couple of topics that suit both Helsinki and Hamburg.

Your city has taken a lot of credit, on an international scale, having created an exciting Urban Architecture”.

What´s more, this interesting venue which has mutated from a factory into a cultural centre reminds me of Kampnagel”, a former crane factory in Hamburg
which is now one of the most repútable venues for the performing arts. These days, there´s just about 100 premieres and other events every year, attracting some 150,000 visitors. We are quite proud of it.
I am looking forward to the details Mr Nikula will give us on the past and future of these former Nokia premises, and I think our respective experts have a lot of experiences to share.

Another similarity is that both Helsinki and Hamburg are waterfront cities. That, of course, makes any city something special. It seems to me, though, that Helsinki has really embraced the double challenge: of being Europe´s most northerly metropolitan area with its 1.3 million people and of being so very Baltic.

St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Helsinki Hamburg has close historical connections with this part of Europe and we cherish those.

They do not help us any when it comes to planning sustainable urban development. As growing cities we have to do just that. Hamburg, having access to only a very limited amount of space, has taken to preferring inner city development instead of urban sprawl. We are in the learning process that inward growth is an urban strategy that makes sense ecologically and economically. And more and more urban people seem to like it.

Mr Hellweg will present some aspects of IBA”, our International Building Exhibition, to prove my point. Right there, we do the Leap across the River Elbe”, or rather: do a hop, step & jump as it bounces on Wilhelmsburg which is Europe´s largest inhabitated island in the stream.

So maybe we can offer some experience, too.
We have numerous projects like HafenCity”, the largest city development project in Europe which is currently being built in former harbour áreas in order to redevelop industrial land. Next to the inner city, at that, which will be expanded by 40 per cent this way.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Iet me leave it there because many more details will be discussed in a minute. Thank you.

 

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