Overview

• Mayor Kai Wegner proposes tying a renewed referendum on peripheral development to the 2026 state election and fast-tracking planning steps.
• The 2014 referendum legally bars any construction on Tempelhofer Feld, requiring a change to that law before building can proceed.
• The CDU-SPD coalition argues that fringe development is essential to address Berlin’s persistent housing shortage after previous targets were missed.
• Wegner calls the former airport building a “sleeping giant” whose underused space holds major untapped potential for new housing.
• Opponents including the Green Party and citizen groups caution that repeated consultations risk overriding initial public dissent and urge action on other housing sites.