Advisory Services Panel Report: Berlin

Resumen del informe: The built environment accounts for approximately 37% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in Europe. Decarbonising this sector is essential to meeting climate targets and limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

Recognising this challenge, ULI convened a group of multidisciplinary experts for an Advisory Services Panel (ASP) in Berlin to develop scalable solutions for reducing emissions in the built environment, tackling risks of asset stranding, and ensuring a just transition for all communities.

The panel focused on two case study areas representing distinct segments of the urban landscape:

• Kurfürstendamm High Street: A prominent commercial district where ageing building stock and shifting consumer and occupier trends have led to increasing vacancy rates and declining asset values. The panel explored solutions to reposition the area as a sustainable, future-ready commercial hub that balances public and private interests.
• Buckower Höfe: A large-scale affordable housing estate with significant energy inefficiencies and socioeconomic challenges. The panel examined how to achieve a just transition that preserves affordability while modernising social infrastructure for long-term sustainability.

Drawing on these case studies, the panel identified a set of guiding principles for using decarbonisation as a catalyst for urban renewal - repositioning neighbourhoods into economically thriving, liveable and sustainable communities with enhanced social capital. These principles include:

• Clarifying who leads, who pays, and who benefits
• Embracing a place-based, integrated approach
• Shifting the narrative from cost to long-term investment
• Strengthening governance and collective ownership
• Building the business case for successful urban development
• Fostering cyclical value creation
• Applying systems thinking across scales

About the Advisory Services Programme
ULI's Advisory Services Programme (ASP) has been at the forefront of shaping innovative, sustainable urban landscapes for over 75 years. Bringing together leading experts from across the globe, the ASP offers objective advice on a wide range of land use and urban development challenges, providing strategic recommendations that are deeply informed by sustainability, resilience, and community well-being.