• Project description

Initial situation:

In September 1998, the University Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg adopted the Hamburg "Social District Development" programme. This reorientation of urban renewal planning is aimed primarily at neighbourhoods with economic problems, high unemployment, scarce and poor housing, with ecological, urban development, social and cultural deficits. Today, large housing estates from the 1960s and 1970s are particularly affected by such socio-spatial polarisation. In order to prevent the emergence of so-called 'problem areas' there, neither the classic construction-oriented redevelopment measures nor the social policy programmes aimed at individuals alone appear to be sufficient.

By focusing on selected areas for a period of seven years and implementing active neighbourhood development processes with the participation of residents, the aim is to improve living conditions in these neighbourhoods and stabilise social structures. The "Social Neighbourhood Development" programme pursues the approach of bringing together as many strands of Hamburg policy action as possible at neighbourhood level, pooling the resources of the individual specialist authorities and promoting independent action at local level. The objectives and requirements of the Hamburg programme largely coincide with the federal-state programme "Neighbourhoods with special development needs - the social city", which was launched a year later.

In 1999, the Hamburg University Senate included the neighbourhoods of Horner Geest in the Hamburg-Mitte district, Lurup and Osdorfer Born in the Altona district, Lenzsiedlung, Stellingen-Süd and Schnelsen-Süd in the Eimsbüttel district, Barmbek-Süd in the Hamburg-Nord district and Lohbrügge-Nord in the Bergedorf district in the "Social District Development" programme. In 2000, neighbourhood development procedures were initiated in these eight areas in accordance with the requirements of the new programme and neighbourhood developers were appointed to implement them.

Objective:

The commissioned interim evaluation is intended to record and assess the experience to date with the implementation of the programme in the eight neighbourhoods mentioned. The aim is to identify the programme's basic scope for action and sensible future focal points for action in Hamburg. The report is to contain recommendations for the continuation of the ongoing procedures and for the intended continuation of the programme.

Key questions:

- Has the pooling of resources from the individual specialist authorities been achieved for effective deployment in the neighbourhoods?

- Are residents and local stakeholders adequately represented in neighbourhood development?

- Is the neighbourhood development concept seen as an important instrument of communication and transparency?

- Are the established area-related development goals achievable within the framework of the programme and are there criteria for monitoring success?

- Was the aim of achieving as many synergy effects as possible sufficiently taken into account during project development?

- Are positive effects already visible in the areas?

- Have new self-help activities been stimulated at neighbourhood level?

Methods: