Urban development Deutzer Hafen

In 2016, five interdisciplinary teams from internationally renowned planning offices, with the participation of the citizens, dealt with the question of what the Cologne Veedel of tomorrow could look like. The most convincing answer was developed by the Copenhagen office COBE in collaboration with Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl (Überlingen), Transsolar (Stuttgart) and knp.bauphysik (Cologne). Among other things, the judges were convinced by the successful integration of the industrial heritage, which is to find expression not only in the preservation of the crane runways and the former fire crane.

The design picks up motifs of the harbor and the Ellmühle located there in a variety of ways and makes them the "DNA" of the new neighborhood. Different typologies within the planned new structures not only ensure architectural diversity but also a lively social mix - at least one third of the apartments are to be built as subsidized housing. Active ground-floor uses enable networking of the different user groups.

After comprehensive clarification of the prerequisites, the general conditions have been discussed in the course of numerous events and owner meetings, and the feasibility has been investigated by means of several legal, technical and economic expert opinions and studies. The topics of flood protection, climate, traffic and mobility are of particular importance. The integrated plan summarizes the results and concretizes the development goals for the harbor area: the creation of a lively, colorful and urban district for living and working with diverse neighborhoods and attractive open spaces. A variety of housing types are to be offered - publicly subsidized, privately financed, ownership, rental, building groups and cooperatives.

Ambitious climate protection targets are being pursued at Deutzer Hafen. In June 2020, the planned city quarter was awarded platinum pre-certification for sustainable city quarters by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) with the platinum pre-certificate for sustainable urban quarters.