Access booster data - How to develop your liveable x-minute city

In the third episode of the DILAX Lab Special Edition #SensingWithCare our guest is Erik Ooms, scientist, consultant and expert in the planning of liveable cities. And where better to talk about the development and redesign of urban spaces than in the middle of the city itself. Elena Adler, DILAX Sales Manager, meets Erik Ooms for an interview in the Berlin Park at Gleisdreieck. This former area of both Potsdamer and Anhalter freight depots still presents some rail tracks as a sign of its past use, but today the park is a popular meeting place in the heart of Berlin. The underground and ICE routes run right through the middle of the site, which is mainly used as a recreational area, for sports and games. A coworking space, beer gardens, event areas, the technology museum and newly built residential areas all around characterize the multifunctional city district.

According to Erik Ooms, urban spaces have to be multifunctional. He sees this as the key to the densification of a city, and this is crucial on the way to becoming a 15-minute city. Today, cities in Europe are primarily planned for mobility, designed to make the way from A to B as quick and easy as possible. In Germany, “getting from A to B” still means: driving a car.
To this day, car traffic dominates and clogs the streets every day. Is that the compact, livable city? “No, dense doesn't mean overcrowded,” says Erik. Mobility is the city's nervous system and an important quality feature for its residents. Even in the 15-minute city, people want to be on the move quickly and easily, but for whom is it developed and planned? How can municipal administrations evaluate how public space is being used and whether the changes have the desired effect? How do you include mobility concepts in urban planning without putting sustainable and diverse use aside?