Parks, woods, allotment gardens, sports areas – green and open spaces are essential for large cities. They serve recreational purposes, especially for people without a garden of their own. But there is more: any undeveloped land serves as a habitat for animals and plants and fulfils important compensatory functions for the ecosystem.
How many green and open spaces does Berlin have then? The present map is full of answers: the number of open spaces was determined drawing on city maps, orthophotographs and other Environmental Atlas maps. The areas include woods, grassland, parks and promenades as well as cemeteries, allotment gardens and horticulture. This can also include built-up areas, especially if they are characterised by large pervious areas, such as the Zoologischer Garten.
The mapping is based on the Environmental Atlas map Open-Space Development since 1950 from the year 1985. It traces the development of the areas drawing on old maps such as “Berlin in der Tasche um 1950 und 1970” (Berlin in your pocket). The data reveals that 11.5 percent (10,362 ha) of the green and open spaces were built on in the city between 1950 and 2010, whereas only 0.5 percent (450 ha) of former built-up areas were converted into open spaces. In the western part, most of the open spaces were built up between 1950 and 1970, whereas in the eastern part, construction peaked in the 1970s and 1980s.
Discover here how open spaces have developed over time and what types of buildings were erected on them. See also our two other maps on open space development: Actual Use of Built-up Areas and Inventory of Green and Open Spaces.