On the Elbe River in Hamburg, Germany, there's a riverfront district called HafenCity. It's made up of slender pieces of land that are divided by canals and connected by footbridges. The district is lined with modern glass buildings and futuristic-looking public spaces, but also historic red brick warehouses that have green copper roofs and look like little castles.
The land used to be an active port, inaccessible to residents. It was "in the city center but was basically exclusive space, like a military base almost," said Jürgen Bruns-Berentelg, CEO of HafenCity GmbH, the district's management company.
Two decades ago, Hamburg decided the land was worth more as a neighborhood than as a port. The city estimated the area could provide office space for 35,000 workers and homes for 14,000 people. The city bought the land, and in 2003, got developers to start building apartments, retail shops, offices, and cultural spaces here. All told, public and private investment in the district will total an estimated $12.3 billion.
Hamburg is trying to do the same thing as some developers in Pennsylvania: turn old industrial land into a place people want to live and work. That means making this place feel like an actual neighborhood, not just a collection of buildings.
Listen to and read the full version of this reportat Keystone Crossroads' website. Keystone Crossroads is a new statewide public media initiative reporting on the challenges facing Pennsylvania's cities. WPSU is a participating station.
