Problem addressed

Unemployment in the 1990s was high across the whole of Germany, and deprived neighbourhoods – often in less developed East Berlin – faced multiple social challenges adding to this, such as discrimination, security issues, societal segregation or a lack of infrastructure. The areas most severely affected were in the older inner city, and in the large peripheral housing estates, often with large migrant populations.

Innovative solution

The Berlin Neighbourhood Management programme was introduced by the Berlin Senate in 1999 to tackle the problem of increasing segregation in urban areas. The programme aims to promote stable and self-sustainable neighbourhoods through the support of local networks, the development of local infrastructure and the active participation of its citizens. The innovative aspect of the programme lies in its participatory approach. The programme is based on the idea that in order to create a stable and self-sustained community, it is essential to build a sense of local ownership and actively involve citizens in decision-making. This is particularly the case for deprived urban neighbourhoods with larger immigrant communities, who may need support with integrating into and taking part in local social life.

The City of Berlin identifies socially deprived neighbourhoods to take part in the programme through its Urban Social Development Monitoring System, based on the unemployment, social benefit and child poverty rates in the area. Each neighbourhood establishes a Neighbourhood Council, made up of local resident volunteers and local organisations such as sports clubs, schools, churches and community centres. The Neighbourhood Councils are the key actors in this innovation. They decide how funds are used in the neighbourhoods, identify the main needs of their district, shed light on the complexity of the issues they face, and co-design a project that offers a sustainable solution. Fields of action include education, training, youth, employment and the economy, neighbourhood (culture, the local community, integration, health), public spaces, participation, networking and the involvement of partners.

Local Neighbourhood Management Offices manage the overall implementation of the local projects, working closely with the Neighbourhood Councils. Their job is to activate residents and build a network of voluntary engagement to get different residential groups to interact, including people from different cultural backgrounds, different educational backgrounds, people who have just moved to the neighbourhood and people who have lived there for decades.

The City of Berlin provides financial support to implement the projects. The management programme decides on the funding for each neighbourhood based on ongoing monitoring, which allows adjustment of the funding according to evolving needs. The programme, in this way, aims to make the districts self-sustainable over a period of 10 to 15 years through local networks and structures anchored in voluntary community engagement, supported by local investments.

The Brunnenstrasse neighbourhood is one example of a grassroots participatory project. The neighbourhood suffered from increasing segregation, problems with security and hygiene, high levels of dependency on state aid (45%) and a high level of non-German speakers, including children in education. The local neighbourhood management office, together with the local citizens, developed and implemented actions to tackle these challenges. Activities included offering homework support for children with German as a second language, sports training courses to support healthy lifestyles, and the creation of a parents’ café as a space for people to meet.

Key results and benefits

To date, the programme has reached 465 500 residents in 34 neighbourhoods in eight boroughs. Sustainable change in urban social development was achieved mainly through facilitating integration of people in the district and improving education opportunities in those areas. This change triggered the involvement of people in local organisations. Neighbourhood Councils allowed people to organise and vocalise their issues, to decide which projects should be funded to benefit the neighbourhood, and to build networks that will last even after the programme has ended.

A 2017 evaluation of the programme showed that eight neighbourhoods have been deemed more sustainable and increasingly independent. These neighbourhoods will no longer need funding support after 2020, which provides room for new neighbourhoods to join the programme and access the funding resources.

Potential for mainstreaming

The programme has been financed by the German Federal Urban Development Programme, the European Regional Development Fund and Land Berlin. Between 1999 and 2019, the programme received EUR 472 million in total (EUR 107.6 million from the national government, EUR 140.9 million from EU funding, and EUR 223.6 million from Land Berlin). Substantial funding support is therefore a key condition of successful transfer of the project to another context. Strong collaboration between responsible public services is also key, as this allows information to be shared so that deprived neighbourhoods can be identified and supported.

The new phase of the Berlin Neighbourhood Management programme will start in 2021, with a focus on social inequalities and housing issues. The programme was awarded the title ‘City Star’ by the EU RegioStars Award in 2013. This award identifies innovative regional projects and provides them with visibility at European level, encouraging the exchange of good practices.