Cautiousness as a Spatio-Political Principle

The mantra of new construction is often recited as the solution to the housing crisis, despite the challenges it poses for climate policy. But from a social and ecological perspective, the prevailing orientation toward new construction is leading toward a cul-de-sac. Looking back at history makes something obvious: Approaches to creating the city of tomorrow already exist. Berlin’s squatters’ movement of the 1980s and the city’s program of “cautious urban regeneration” can be considered prime examples of how a city grown over centuries can use its resources mindfully. But the concept of “cautiousness” adopted by these movements extended far beyond a material, resource-efficient approach to urban renewal; its impact was achieved above all through the momentum of democratization processes and by prioritizing social issues.