Position paper : The Berlin “Housing Construction Turbo” from a Circular Economy Perspective.

Berlin urgently needs housing – but speed must not come at the expense of climate and resources. Circular Berlin shares its position on the implementation of the “Housing Construction Turbo” (Wohnungsbau-Turbo) and calls for a clear prioritization of existing buildings and mandatory circular criteria.

The “Housing Construction Turbo” aims to accelerate planning and permit procedures in Berlin. While Circular Berlin recognizes the urgent pressure to act, we warn that the current design jeopardizes Berlin’s climate and circular economy goals in the building sector. Without supporting measures, we risk perpetuating resource-intensive construction methods.
Reference to the current Berliner Leitfaden für den Wohnungsbau-Turbo

Key Assessment Points

1. Lack of Ecological Requirements: The “Turbo” currently lacks mandatory targets for reducing embodied carbon, energy consumption, or raw material demand.
2. Existing Buildings over New Construction: There is no clear prioritization of renovation, conversion, and vertical extension over demolition and land-intensive new builds.
3. Structural Causes of Housing Shortage: The housing crisis is not just a volume problem; it is driven by inefficiencies in the existing stock (e.g., restricted mobility due to high rents). Focusing solely on new construction fails to address these underlying issues.
   

Our Recommendations for Sustainable Urban Development

To align the “Housing Construction Turbo” with climate goals, Circular Berlin recommends the following:

• Utilize Circular Governance: Districts should link “municipal consent” to circular conditions, such as requiring deconstruction concepts or minimum quotas for re-use materials.
• Prioritize Existing Stock: Demolition should only be a last resort. Vertical densification (adding floors) must take precedence over sealing new ground.
• Plan Circular Infrastructure: Where densification occurs, spaces for community use, repair, and sharing must be integrated into the planning.
• Strengthen Stock Mobilization: Measures such as improved apartment exchange programs and the consistent activation of vacant properties are resource-efficient alternatives to new construction.
  

Conclusion

Acceleration must not be an end in itself. We advocate for an application practice that combines speed with qualitative management and circularity. This is the only way to create housing that is ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable in the long term.