»Bubble-politics« in Berlin

Das Beispiel Koordinierungsausschuß für innerstädtische Investitionen: eine »black box« als Macht- und Entscheidungszentrale

Abstract

The urban development strategy of local politicians in Berlin after the »Wende« can be characterized as »bubble-politics« attracting international developers and investors with the vision of a prosperous global city. The paper stresses the key role of the KOAI, a secretly operating toplevel administrative agency, in accelerating privatization processes in the eastern central district »Berlin-Mitte«. The orchestration of parallel public debates on the construction and/or reconstruction of Berlin-Mitte were nothing but a camouflage for the real decision-making processes happening behind closed doors.