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BELT catalogue 5

Studio Lübeck's Old Town

BELT Studio 5 took place in Lübeck’s historic old town and focused on the topic places for young people. Urban planning students from the Lübeck University of Applied Sciences and Roskilde University participated in the Studio.

Lübeck’s historic old town has undergone significant change in recent years. This is reflected in numerous interim uses such as the so-called Übergangshaus, as well as temporary interventions in public space – for example, the Übergangswiese on the squares Schrangen and Koberg. These temporary measures respond to current challenges the old town is facing: public spaces that are perceived more as transit areas than as places to linger; outdated department stores and commercial spaces that now stand empty.

BELT Studio 5 therefore asked the question: What role will Lübeck’s old town play in the future?

To explore this, the perspective was broadened to view Lübeck as part of the German-Danish Fehmarnbelt region. At the same time, particular focus was placed on young people – because, according to studies by the German Retail Association, they possess a distinct inner-city gene.

In the Studio, students worked in mixed German-Danish groups to document life in the old town through photo essays and everyday stories of (young) residents. When all photo essays are considered together, they form a collective portrait of Lübeck’s old town. In developing these photo essays, the students engaged with the following questions:

How do (young) people describe their everyday lives in Lübeck’s inner city?
What qualities make places in Lübeck livable (especially for young people)?
How do (young) people perceive the transformation and the future of their everyday places?
What happens after the transformation – or is change the new normal, and does the old town remain in a state of ongoing transformation (if such a thing is possible)?
To what extent, and in which locations, does the transformation inspire – and where are new spatial solutions needed?
What opportunities does the city gain through this transformation?
What impact will the fixed Fehmarnbelt link have on Lübeck’s old town?
How will this new connection influence everyday life?