Scenarios for German cities and regions
How will people live in Germany in 2030? A major research project has developed different scenarios.
Netzland, Wattland and Integralland are names that could be used to describe Germany in 30 years’ time – at least, according to the authors of a research study called Baukulturatlas Deutschland 2030/2050. The recently completed project of the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development examined how new societal relationships could influence the built environment. The researchers examined the impact of a shrinking population in a scenario entitled Netzland. While people once used to settle along rivers, in the future they will live alongside infrastructure routes. Another alternative is Wattland: people live close together in cities with optimised energy structures. Integralland, on the other hand, will look completely different if population rises to 85 million by 2050. According to this scenario, Germany would consist of small villages. The project simulates three theoretical scenarios for six different places in Germany.
