Shadow of the Wall Remains Visible in Still-Divided Berlin

The no man's land once occupied by the Berlin Wall has been the focus of redevelopment efforts for nearly two and a half decades now. But the slow pace of rebuilding means the scars of the Cold War remain visible across the city's landscape.

2 minute read

September 10, 2012, 11:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


William Boston looks at the slow pace at which the gulf between Berlin's two halves is being repaired. "It is taking much longer to fill in the open spaces left by the division
of the city than many experts and city planners once expected," observes Boston. "The
rebuilding of Berlin, the main driver of property investment in the
city, is far from over. It may not even be half-time, property experts
say, which makes Berlin a huge exception among European capitals." 

Despite Germany's strong economy, the room for redevelopment has
allowed commercial rents in the city to remain well below Europe's other
capitals.  

"That means not only will the Berlin building boom likely keep chugging
along for years, but there is little reason to expect a squeeze on
supply to put pressure on prices as long as there is ample space to
build new offices, hotels and shopping centers in the shadow of the Wall
in central Berlin."

In some areas, however, the lack of large-scale rebuilding is not for lack of trying on the part of developers. 

"The removal of the Wall created new open spaces for citizens in a city
that had grown used to being, well, walled in. In some cases, local
citizens have successfully blocked or delayed development of stretches
of the former death strip in order to preserve that open space for
public use."

Thanks to Daniel Lippman

Wednesday, September 5, 2012 in The Wall Street Journal

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight