The VEEDL in Cologne is to transform an old industrial site into a “real-world laboratory for the urban future,” answering the question of “how cities can still function in 2040 when climate, housing, and social cohesion are simultaneously under pressure.” The VEEDL takes what we might call the Goethean dimension of urbanism – its social and humanist demands – conspicuously and refreshingly seriously. Its website even features a dedicated Charter, whose opening sentence reads: “We create urban structures that foster community.” As with all (good) neighborhood developments, there is full awareness here that economic, civic, infrastructural, ecological, and many other dimensions must work in concert. What I find particularly compelling about this project, however, is its emphasis on the social, on participation, on what it means to be human together.
Of course, words like “together,” “shared,” “community” can mean everything or nothing. Here, though, it is different – credibly different. The project company, founded by Cologne developers WVM Group, Metropol Immobiliengruppe and CP 90, has been working on the ideas in a genuinely collaborative and transparent process since 2023.
Recently, the jury evaluated the results of the second qualification stage. And with cause for celebration: our design prevailed over four others – unanimously ranked first and recommended for further development. “The design,” in the jury’s view, “combines a strong vision for the future with a robust and implementable urban structure.” We find this verdict helpful and good.
