DisP Service Residential Areas as the Subject of Urban Development and Urban Research

Nowadays, a major part of existing single-family residential areas is affected by changes such as adverse demographic development, current changes in society, increasing energy requirements, and new residential preferences. The buildings do not satisfy the state-of-the-art living standards anymore. There is a large number of detached and semi-detached houses of the post-war period compared to the entire housing stock. Almost every third residential building in the former West German states is a detached or semi-detached house built between 1949 and 1978. More and more projects and also municipalities are dealing with the question of how a sustainable development of these areas can be successful. The research project Einfamilienhauser 50 / 60 / 70 - Stadtentwicklung und Revitalisierung (2014-2016) analyzed, evaluated, and documented nine case studies in Germany. Different approaches with various instruments and financing were applied. It became clear that in particular instruments for enhancing awareness of the development and problems in single-family residential areas play an important role. Neighborhood and social life were also significant in the transformation process.