Der Zentrumbereichskern Wilmersdorfer Straße in Berlin-Charlottenburg in Zeiten multipler Krisen – gestärkt durch Nutzungsmischung, Kiezcharakter und Kuration?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an average decline in pedestrian footfall of up to 40% within the main commercial streets of major German metropoles. Combined with online retail, increasing retail and branch densities, and, more recently, inflation, inner-city commercial streets and their ground-floor units face pertinent challenges. This article examines the high street Wilmersdorfer Straße in Berlin-Charlottenburg and aims to illustrate that a mix of (non-)commercial uses, community appeal, and curation combined can support inner-city commercial streets and their ground-floor units, especially in times of crisis. The analysis is based on a socio-economic and regional profile of the commercial street, which is informed by statistical data, a mapping of properties, and 13 expert interviews with a variety of stakeholders. It can be demonstrated that a diversified mix of uses and functions beyond retail activities with an integrated local supply, coupled with community appeal and curation that is open to novel institutional alliances with civil society, can make inner-city commercial streets resilient. This is especially true if the commercial street is also embedded in a neighborhood, meets a spatially rooted client base, and refers to their more local life realities (e.g., as a social gathering spot) as a consequence of the crisis.