Horticultural urbanism Festivals in Urban Planning and Design in Karl H.C. Ludwig , Landscape architect, Professor em. at the University of Applied Sciences (HfWU) Nürtingen / Germany Abstract Faculty 3, Schelmenwasen 4-8, D - 72662 Nürtingen Horticultural shows in Germany originated in the mid-19th art venues, and precursors of new urban parks. Their scope century and have contributed since the end of second world extends well beyond that implied by the term ‘garden war largely to the renovation and development of German festival’ or ‘horticultural show’. They stimulate cities. They are always originals, never copies and development and steer site design through a unique merger therefore cannot be replicated - each city determines its of domestic garden culture with a more largescale main objectives by his project and design concept. Generally urban project. They offer a unique concordance of speaking they contribute to a large extent to consolidate garden and urban culture and have demonstrated existing open spaces into an ecological and city open public potential to substantially improve the public realm so space system providing ecological well-being in often tightly vital to the quality of our civic and urban life. developed regions since these parks and open urban spaces Horticultural exhibitions or garden festivals have a long are laid sustainable. history in Germany (5). Their origins date back to local garden festivals traditionally organized by German th Key words: horticultural show, city renovation and towns in the 19 century as exhibitions of floriculture th development, project and design concept, ecological, and plant cultivation (Figure 1). At the turn to the 20 sustainable, urban park and open space system. century traits of garden and were showing more distinctly through horticultural motifs for example in events like the International Horticultural Introduction Exhibition held in in 1896.

In recent decades, suburban growth and the decline of industry have left cities in Europe and beyond searching for creative and effective ways to revitalize blighted areas and reclaim un- and underused land. One particularly exciting tool for reinvigorating urban areas is horticultural shows or garden festivals. They have been popular in Germany and neighboring countries for decades (7). Such a show or festival temporarily may transform a previously derelict area, for example abandoned industrial lots or urban brown lands, into a festival of horticulture, combining luxurious landscapes with exhibits and events and social activities. Most garden festivals last about six months, a period during which they may draw millions of visitors, but the success of the show itself is only the initial step in a detailed plan for urban (re-)development and improvement (1). In conclusion of Figure 1 : Impression from one of the early German the festival, funds from its operation are used to keep or Horticultural Shows, presented in Hamburg in 1899 transform the grounds once again, this time with an eye on the longterm use of the land. The sustainable result of a However, the focus was still on the demonstration of the successful horticultural show is therefore the transformation achievements of professional horticulturist associations of derelict land into a community asset, such as new urban and skills. It wasn’t until the beginning of 20th century and parks or new innovative housing projects. My presentation in the Nazi period that garden festivals acquired will hopefully serve as a useful introduction to garden national importance. An impressive example beyond festivals or horticultural shows for all those interested in all ideologies is the then urban planning, horticulture, and the future of cities. ‘Reichsgartenschau’ (National ) The terminus ‘horticultural show’ as well as ‚garden organized in in 1939. The site chosen to realize festival‘ (2) may be perhaps somewhat misleading to those the event was a derelict quarry on the Killesberg heights, who are not familiar with this idea. It is likely to conjure an used as a dump at this time. The 51 hectares of the site image of a modest, small-scale event limited to domestic were transformed in a park area and attracted 4,5 million floriculture with a short-term impact on urban life. visitors within only four months of opening. During the Garden festivals are, as will be shown, almost the exact Second World War garden festivals were not conducted, opposite in every respect. They are much more than just but in the postwar years it became quickly obvious that they temporary horticultural shows. Complex and phased, these offered a good chance not only to demonstrate plants and projects have additional significance as planning stratagems, plant use, but to contribute as well to the development of reclamation projects, public cities and sites destroyed during the war. 6th Annual International Conference on Architecture and Civil Engineering (ACE 2018) Copyright © GSTF 2018 586 GSTF © 2018 ISSN 2301-394X doi: 10.5176/2301-394X_ACE18.146 New types of garden festivals: BUGA and IGA The first post-war festival was held again in Killesberg Park in 1950 with an emphasis put primarily on new homes and secondly on open spaces and parks. The destruction of the site allowed for the strategic planning of open spaces, using the rubble left from war as a foundation for small ranges of hills. By this means it was possible, with guaranteed state finance, to provide employment, to create space for recreation, to boost commerce, to bolster local pride, and at the same time to delight the senses. The festival was followed by the first official Federal Garden Festival ( or BUGA) in in 1951. On this occasion the city park, badly damaged during the war, was brushed up again and reconstructed, and arranged with a vernissage of works of art that once were rejected by the Nazis. With the success of the 1951 festival in mind federal garden shows have taken place in a two-year cycle ever since. They proved to be a major catalyst for Figure 2 : Step by step Hamburg has created and development in cities in which they were realized and have linked five city parks with three successive had a positive effect on the quality of life, on the social Horticultural Shows to a continuous public open environment, on urban infrastructure, and on city climate as space system well as on tourism and retail industries. In Stuttgart, three existing parks were linked to The next garden festival was the International Garden complete Stuttgart’s ‘Green U’ using as in Hamburg as Festival in Hamburg 1953, and International Garden Festivals well three successive Garden Festivals in 1961, 1977 (IGA or IGS) have been held in Germany every ten years and 1983. Another way of garden festival planning ever since. The aim was not only to create new green beyond existing park resurrection has been reclamation open spaces for neighborhood recreation and to improve and conversion. For example, in 1995 the overall provision in a city, but also to integrate and show reclaimed a landfill to form the the trends in international design and landscape ‘Spreeauenpark’. In 1997, the Federal Garden architecture. The German garden festivals have since Festival was held on a former mining site in developed into an effective instrument of social politics in North-Rhine Westphalia. The and urban development. Based as a rule on competitions for festival was realized on grounds now referred to as the their design and planning, during the first years and decades ‘Nordsternpark’, incorporated elements of an they were especially used to eliminate and overcome the industrial site and proved it could manage the damages and ruins from the Second World War and to transition of industries. The festivals in reconstruct the urban infrastructure (5). (1999) and (2001) converted former military bases and their attendant refuse sites. In 2007 for the Changing objectives for garden festivals Since their first time, a Federal Garden Festival presented two inception in the early 50s the core planning objective of contrasting and separated areas: the Hofwiesenpark garden festivals has shifted from an early focus on (Courtly Meadow Park) in and the ‘Neue reclaiming war-damaged sites to a broad range of different Landschaft’ (New Landscape) in Ronneburg. The strategies. In the early 70s the festivals were used to create completely new area, the ‘New Landscape and establish new facilities and infrastructure in the urban Ronneburg’, was built largely on a site that was fabric and periphery. Other strategies of open space planning recultivated from a former ore mining area (figure 3). involved the renovation or expansion of existing parks The translocation of ’s former airport from through repeated appearances of garden festivals. For München-Riem to Erding in 2005 offered not only the example, the park ‘Planten un Blomen’ in Hamburg was chance to convert and transform the former airport-site developed and extended to a modern to the new center and a residential district, central urban space system using the international garden but also offered the opportunity to create a 190 ha festivals in 1953, 1963 and 1973 (Figure 2). public park with a design that focused on historic landscapes and the former airport. In 2015, for the first time, five smaller cities in the Brandenburg region west of were chosen to realize collectively a Federal Garden Festival on a regional scale and demonstrated a common effort to develop intercommunal strategies. While there has been a mix of site histories, characteristics and contingencies over the past two generations or fifty years, garden festivals in Germany have all resulted in some form of open space commitment. As a rule, a

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new park always was created which attracted millions of Four stages for each festival As a basic rule, there visitors during the festival period. Garden festivals uniquely are essentially four stages in the festival process: precipitate and mark urban change with a celebratory, - First, there is the site acquisition and transformative, and memorable event. Their influence reclamation, including infrastructure development on the urban scene, while not dominant, is sustained. and the establishment of a landscape design and site Since the first festival in Hanover, there have been master plan. A wholly owned subsidiary festival 26 Federal Garden Festivals and eight International company is established to administer day-to-day Garden Festivals - with the next festivals planned through operations up to the closing of the exhibition. The 2025. extent of its influence beyond this largely turns on whether the closed festival site is turned over to a private development company. Costs and critics - The second stage centers on scheduling, The cost of mounting a garden festival is borne marketing, publicity, and promotion. This critical largely by the host city backed by support from the state stage determines the types of sponsorship which in authorities, but the proportions vary widely. As might be turn will impinge to the design quality of the festival, expected, there is healthy competition between local on the festival experience and on the quality of the authorities but sometimes there is as well a growing post-festival condition. groundswell of criticism by the public and press at such an - The third stage is the festival period itself, extravagant use of public money, used occasionally in the obviously important for a number of considerations, redesign of some welllike existing facilities. not the least of which is the revenue from admission The festival process has not been without its critics but, charges included in the budgeting of running costs. as will be seen, these projects are not easily evaluated. This stage implements the pricing policy and unveils This is largely due to their complex and phased nature. the site layout and the design program chosen to They have the unique property, in principle, to maximize festival attendance. develop two designs schemes simultaneously for the - The final stage involves festival closure and same site. First comes the exhibition phase, requiring the dismantling of the site, the dissolution of the an infrastructure and master plan particular to its festival company and the sale of targeted assets. A own needs and circumstances. well planned festival will, at this stage, require a Subsequent to exhibition closure the site becomes a minimal amount of site alteration an ‘down time’ to permanent open space, with use requirements realize a pre-determined end-use condition. substantially changed from those of the more differentiated exhibition environment. Ideally, the masterplan for the ultimate site condition is The formation of State Garden Festivals Hamburg considered first, with the design of the exhibition and Stuttgart’s hosting of three garden shows each led to subordinate to this. When this occurs, a festival or show the perception that the larger urban conurbations will move from the exhibit to the after-use phase in a monopolized these events. From the very beginning it seamless and committed manner. But there are other was clear that only larger cities could afford the important properties to consider, such as economic arrangement of Federal or International Garden benefits, visual impact, reclamation and environmental Festivals. aims, and exhibition quality (6). In short, there can be In 1977, the Federal State of BadenWürttemberg no single definition of the ‘successful’ festival. was the first state in Germany to initiate a program of assistance for State Garden Festivals. And eventually an idea arose to realize similar events for German Federal States along with Federal or International Garden Festivals. In response to this, a third category of garden festivals was introduced in 1980, the Landesgartenschau or State Garden Festival. Unlike the federal festivals, they are held annually with more than one per year allowed in Germany. Neither the ‘principles of staging of shows’ nor the ‘Thoughts on the subject of gardens shows’ make a distinction between federal and state gardens shows. The one obvious differentiation feature is their size: federal garden shows are in the order of 50-100 hectares, while state garden shows cover a more Figure 3 : In 2002 a former ore mining area in the modest 10-15 hectares, with budgets EastGerman town of Gera-Ronneburg was approximately only a quarter of those of the larger recultivated and designed as a public park by a events. Federal Garden Festival Like the federal garden shows, the state garden shows are also six-months exhibitions centered on the theme of the garden. Overall design draws on

588 GSTF © 2018 regional qualities, with the creation of a new open space three examples of garden festivals in Baden- amenity the usual end product. Held in smaller cities Württemberg: Ostfildern (40 000 inhabitants) with with easy access to the countryside, they bring the ‘Temporary spaces for dreaming’ in 2002, necessity of a new open space amenity into some Schwäbisch Gmünd question. However, these projects are typically at a (60 000 people) with ‘The Green Ribbon’ in 2014 and modest scale, resulting in the installation of cycle-paths projected for next year ‘String of pearls on a green and footpaths, pedestrian precincts and allotment gardens. background’ the Remstal Show on 60 kilometers The first state garden festival was realized in 1980 in Ulm in and along the Rems valley (Figures 4, 5 and 6). in the state of BadenWürttemberg. This stimulated such a big interest in other medium-sized towns that as a result a second state garden festival already in the next year, 1981, was realized and subsequent festivals each year after that. The adoption of this idea in other German states showed the attractiveness of the idea - the only exception being the city states of Hamburg, Bremen and Berlin and Saarland as the smallest federal state.

State nor other garden festivals cannot be replicated - each city determines its main direction and objectives, which at the stage of an application shall be reflected first in a feasibility study followed then by the project concept. A garden festival pushes local economies like a locomotive - and quite often a bundle of other projects will be promoted and realized much quicker than they would have been without a festival. According to experience, such a festival is a good reason to activate many more investments, often even multiple budgets, to accompany the investments for the festival beyond the festival site. In the long-term festivals provide for ecological well-being in tightly developed regions since parks and open urban spaces are laid out sustainably. At first glance, a garden festival seems to be a festivity of a new park opening that lasts six months. But to a large extent, it also contributes to consolidation of the existing open spaces into a common town ecological system, which is extremely important for further development of the urban planning framework of the town. We must also mention the benefits that a municipality arranging the festivals gets are on a sustainable basis. First of all, it is the creation of landscaped open spaces. They are preserved after the show and have a positive effect on the structural changes in the town: they are used as recreation areas, contribute to the development of new sites to be used as residential Figures 4, 5 and 6: Concept respective master areas with places and possibilities for leisuretime plans for three of the State Garden Shows in activities. A brief overview of the first 30 years of BadenWürttemberg: Remstal 2019, Ostfildern the festivals experience on the State of Baden- 2002, Württemberg shows that during this period more than 650 Schwäbisch Gmünd 2014 ha of new landscaped spaces were newly created or reorganized. Conclusion According to the most conservative estimates, over the past three decades, the various towns of Baden- In Germany, garden festivals and horticultural Württemberg held nearly 40 garden festivals, which were shows have been popular for decades. They last attended by more than some 25 million visitors. about six months and temporarily transform a How deeply different the concept and previously derelict area. But they are much more implementation in different cities are illustrate than temporary horticultural events. Complex and phased, these projects have additional significance as planning stratagems, reclamation projects, public art venues, and precursors pf new urban parks. Their scope extends well beyond that implied by the term ‘garden festival’ or ‘horticultural show’. They

589 GSTF © 2018 stimulate development and steer site design through a Materialien 6. Deutsches Institut für unique merger of domestic garden culture with a more Urbanistik, Berlin 2002. No ISBN large-scale urban project. They offer a unique (7) Theokas, Andrew C.: Grounds for concordance of garden and urban culture and have Review. The Garden Festival in Urban demonstrated potential to substantially improve the Planning and Design. 290 pages. public realm so vital to the quality of our civic and urban University Press, Liverpool life. The result of a successful garden festival is the 2004. ISBN 978-1-781386682 sustainable transformation of derelict land into a community asset, such a new urban public parks or new innovative housing projects. With that they contribute to consolidation of the existing open spaces into a long-lasting common town ecological system, which is extremely important for further development of the new urban panning framework of the town. Since their inception in the early 50’s the core planning objective of garden festivals and horticultural shows has shifted from an early focus on reclaiming war-damaged sites to a broad rang of different strategies, as demonstrate in this publication which traces some examples of the Federal and International Garden Festivals and some of the State Garden festivals in the State of Baden-Württemberg.

References and further Reading:

(1) DGGL Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gartenkunst und Landschaftskultur (ed): Zukunft Stadtgrün. Nutzen und Notwendigkeit urbaner Freiräume. 120 pages. Callwey Publishing, München 2014. ISBN 978-3-7667-2114-3 (2) Förderungsgesellschaft für die BadenWürttembergischen Landesgartenschauen (ed): 30 grün.de. 30 Jahre Landesgartenschauen in Baden- Württemberg. 158 pages. Engelhardt + Bauer Publishing, 2011. No ISBN (3) Jirku, Almut (ed): StadtGrün. 318 pages. Fraunhofer IRB Publishing, Berlin 2013. ISBN 978-3-8167-9028-0 (4) Ludwig, Karl H.C. + Hubert Möhrle: Landscape Architecture and Urbanism, in: Urban Magazine 2/2014: pages 102-111. Moscow. No ISSN (5) Panten, Helga: Die Bundesgartenschauen. Eine blühende Bilanz seit 1951. 207 p. Eugen Ulmer Publishing, Stuttgart 1996. ISBN 978-3800150557 (6) Preisler-Holl, Luise: Gartenschauen - Motor für Landschaft, Städtebau und Wirtschaft. 210 pages. Difu-

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