Department of Urban Planning and Building Regulations in Munich

The Ideal City of the Future: Smart, Green, and Socially Jus

The Department of Urban Planning and Building Regulations in Munich is responsible for a wide range of tasks—from housing and green spaces to building permits and monument protection. Under the leadership of City Planning Officer Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Merk, the 900-strong team strives to make the city a livable place that is sustainable and receptive to different interests and uses.

Ms. Merk, creativity is the focus of mcbw. What role does creativity play in urban planning?

In my view, developing a sustainable, livable city is one of the greatest creative achievements there is. First, there is architecture in its various forms of expression. However, urban planning and building culture in general extend far beyond the design of buildings. Building culture contributes, in no small part, to our city retaining its distinctive identity. For me, the ideal city of the future is smart, green, and socially just. A city in balance with people at its center. In times of construction change, climate change, and digitalisation, new creative solutions are required. And a quality awareness among those involved in the city's development.

Your work directly affects many people. How can citizens be actively involved in the development of our city?

This issue is particularly important to me. Who should design the city, who should the city belong to, if not the people who bring it to life? Urban development is a democratic process. Enabling equal participation enhances the city's quality. We continually create opportunities to engage in planning, sometimes intensive, sometimes playful. Innovative formats such as the ideas workshop on the north of Munich, which took place at the end of 2024, are part of an open and creative planning process. In this context, I like to quote the designer Otl Aicher, who said: “There is an aesthetic of use.” This means that we must develop living spaces that are suitable for everyday use and appealing simultaneously. To achieve this goal, it is essential to involve citizens.

Examples include formats such as the annual exhibition, online dialogues, and the Munich School Competition, which allow people to engage with planning in both intensive and playful ways. In 2024, the Citizens' Council on Urban Development gave 100 randomly selected Munich residents the opportunity to have their say on the future development of Munich across several meetings. In 2021, more than 100 Munich residents intensively examined the plans for the PaketPost site as part of a citizens' report and presented the results to the city. All these participatory formats create a democratic process in which everyone can contribute to the future of our city. Planning culture is participatory culture.

Are there also playful aspects to your work, free spaces where ideas can run wild?

The International Building Exhibition Munich Metropolitan Region, or IBA-M for short, which was launched in 2024, is a wonderful playground for innovative and excellent ideas in urban development. Its theme is “Spaces of Mobility.” Today, mobility must be thought of differently and the region must be developed holistically. With the IBA-M, the Munich metropolitan region will become a creative testing ground for the design of living spaces of the future for ten years, in order to boldly tackle and advance innovative and visionary ideas.

Even in our daily work, which is of course heavily regulated by rules and laws, we create playful freedom for ourselves. This is extremely important because we are working on future possibilities for Munich, where restrictions on thinking are out of place. A good tool for this is the so-called “digital twin,” a virtual image of our city in which we can play through various scenarios. In the simulation, we can answer complex questions about urban development and enable better decisions. For example, about how hot spots in the city can be cooled most effectively, or how many daycare places are missing in the district.

Learn more about the Department of Urban Planning and Building Regulations

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