‘Topographies of values’: Urban transformation in East Germany

Urban transformation in Europe has undergone a tremendous paradigmatic shift, not only caused by fundamental changes in technology and its effects on society, labour markets and culture but, above all, by changes in demography and in lifestyle. As global systems of ensuring social welfare weaken, demands to re-embed people and functions and to re-establish new local economies have arisen; people need to be stabilised in their living environments. However, these needs have to be met, at least in an East German context, in cities which have expanding suburbs but shrinking populations. Currently, the task of urban development is to respond to these tendencies by strengthening the existing ‘topographies of values’ within settled areas. The paper presents a method to identify and situate such ‘topographies’ appropriate for present and future qualification of urban living and working under conditions of population ‘shrinkage’. It will refer to a research investigation into the urban profiles of the East German cities of Magdeburg, Halle and Dessau.