At the ULI Germany/Austria/Switzerland Urban Leader Summit 2026 in Berlin, leading voices from real estate, urban development, politics, and investment came together to discuss the future of our cities—from geopolitical challenges and sustainable investment strategies to resilient urban environments.

Representing caspar. were Caspar Schmitz-Morkramer, Erik Nohr, and Michael Kuhn. During the summit, Caspar presented the concept of “Windchill Density,” developed in collaboration with caspar.esearch—a framework for describing the perceived density of cities.

The key question: Why are some densely populated neighborhoods perceived as vibrant and highly livable, while others, despite having similar population densities, are seen as overcrowded?

Beyond density alone, factors such as the quality of public spaces, mixed-use development, infrastructure, and spatial coherence play a critical role in shaping the urban experience. The resulting thesis: what matters is not only how much density a city can accommodate, but how that density is designed.

The insights gained from these discussions will inform both our ongoing research and the second volume of our publication series, Der Nachhalt.

Photo: © Stefan Wieland