“Learning from each other” – this was the motto of the trip to Australia made by the Managing Director of Tegel Projekt GmbH, Gudrun Sack, from the end of August to the beginning of September. The reason for the trip was the invitation to the Building 4.0 CRC conference in Melbourne. Under the conference motto “Change Making // Making Change”, Gudrun Sack presented the plans for Berlin TXL to the Australian audience and discussed them on a panel on urban development, among other topics. She also met with mayors and urban planning representatives in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane on the problems and challenges of sustainable urban development.
In all discussions and meetings, the focus was on professional exchange about the planning and implementation. As a Berlin model project, Berlin TXL is arousing great interest in Australia. In particular, the concept of animal-aided design could be applied in Australian cities, albeit in a modified form. But the planning processes at Tegel Projekt GmbH also impressed the urban planners down under. Many of the Australian topics could become relevant for Berlin TXL in the coming years: Heat resistance and precautions against flooding in particular are already important topics in Australia with interesting examples of best practice.
In Melbourne, the focus was on inner-city mobility: “The topic of mobility in the inner-city area is solved in Melbourne with a certain matter-of-factness and unexcitedness from which Berlin can copy some elements,” says Gudrun Sack. The trip marks the beginning of the collaboration. In addition to articles in trade journals in Germany and Australia, the Australian delegation is planning a return visit to Berlin in 2023. Gudrun Sack is looking forward to the cooperation and constructive exchange: “Especially in times of climate change, the cooperation of large urban development projects around the world is crucial to learn from each other – often in small constructive details.”
“Change Making// Making Change” conference in Melbourne; Deep Dive on Berlin TXL, among others with Nicholas Reece (Deputy Lord Mayor), Mathew Aitchison (CEO Building 4.0 CRC), Dr. Bronwyn Evans (Chair of the Board Building 4.0 CRC ) and representatives of the Melbourne City Planning Department.
Treffen in Sydney with Matthew Jessop (Director Placemaking Sydney Tech) and Jess Scully (Deputy Lord Mayor -Councillor), sowie Mathew Aitchison (CEO Building 4.0 CRC)
Meeting with Deputy Major Krista Adams in Brisbane
