City Models and Preventive Planning Strategies for Resilient Cities in Germany
- In the face of the Covid‐19 crisis, the city model of the new Leipzig Charter of the EU was re‐evaluated. The existing urban
development model of a mixed and compact city is to be mainly maintained because the urban density or building typology
does not influence the spread of Covid‐19. But the pandemic has made it clear how important green space and recreation
areas are for inner city residential areas. This green space also becomes more important regarding climate adaptation
measures to provide cooler air and ventilation. In the framework of the Leipzig Charter of the EU, the German ministry
for building adopted the memorandum on Urban Resilience in May 2021. Resilience in this context means that we should
not only repair the damage of disasters but also adapt to future crises and make our cities more resilient and sustainable.
For this, we need to strengthen preventive strategies in urban development planning connected with urban renewal
approaches and ask for extended city models. Planning shapes the future, including counteracting undesirable scenarios
with preventive planning. In this sense, future planning and disaster control have common objectives—they take an interdisciplinary
approach to prepare for future change, they want to anticipate and prevent danger, protect and expand the
infrastructure, and serve the common good. In this article, I will point out how integrated urban development concepts
should be extended with aspects of urban resilience, and which city models are important for the future.