On March 13 and 14, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) hosted a conference entitled City of the Future 2024 at the Alte Münze in Berlin.

Our colleague Michael Kuchenbecker (LNC GmbH), Dr. Ralph Richter (Leibniz Institute for Spatial Social Research - IRS) and Rolf Mienkus (Insel-Projekt.Berlin GmbH) presented the Stadtquartier 4.1 project, the development and practical implementation of flexible district hubs in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region, at stand 33.

The BMBF's "Stadt-Land-Zukunft" transformation initiative brings urban and rural areas and their interactions closer together and focuses on future strategies to provide impetus for mobility, buildings and urban and regional development. Numerous approaches at the "Market of Opportunities" illustrated the diversity of research approaches. Of course, we would have liked to have seen more contributions in the field of commercial transport and urban logistics.

The first day started with an overview by Bettina Stark-Watzinger (Member of the German Bundestag) and a look into the future with Dr. Stefan Carsten. This was followed by a lively panel discussion - also entertainingly moderated by Andrea Thilo - as well as interesting workshops that addressed the different perspectives in the research program FONA - Research for Sustainability from a wide variety of perspectives.

One highlight was the workshop impulse by Prof. Dr. Gabriela Christmann and Dr. Ralph Richter (Leibniz Institute for Spatial Social Research - IRS) on the design of sustainable and integrated logistics systems in the Berlin Holzmarkt area and on Mierendorff Island (Stadtquartier 4.0 / 4.1) - both projects were initiated and managed by LNC and examined by the IRS from a social science perspective.

On day two, there was no shortage of entertaining and fundamental impulses from author and blogger Jan Hegenberg, as well as in-depth, specific research questions and future prospects. The workshop on legal opportunities and obstacles to sustainable urban development and mobility highlighted what local authorities can already do today and what is prevented by the current legal framework. The noise action plan, which Herbert Brüning presented as an instrument, is an encouraging example of how much is already possible today - provided it is implemented in accordance with the law. Dr. Hubertus Baumeister shed light on the current legal situation and pointed out possible ways out of the current restrictions imposed by the legal framework.