Discover Hellersdorf: district walk with Mayor Zivkovic!

Discover Hellersdorf: district walk with Mayor Zivkovic!

On Wednesday, September 24, 2025, district mayor Nadja Zivkovic invites you to a special district walk entitled “Walk and Talk”. The event starts at 4:00 p.m., two hours earlier than originally planned. The meeting point is the forecourt of the Marzahn-Hellersdorf Office for Social Affairs, Riesaer Straße 94, 12627 Berlin.

During the walk, participants have the opportunity to get to know the Hellersdorf district, discover local projects and exchange ideas with other citizens. The event is expected to end at around 6:00 p.m. at the District Information Center, Hellersdorfer Straße 159. Participation is free and it is recommended that you wear weatherproof clothing to prepare for all weather conditions.

Goals of the district walk

The district walk is intended to give residents and interested parties an insight into the green oases, lively squares as well as urban development projects and local initiatives in Hellersdorf. In addition to the usual information, it is also pointed out that the walk is open to locals and those interested in Hellersdorf. Registration is not mandatory, but is recommended to ensure important accessibility information. Those interested can register by email (spk@ba-mh.berlin.de) or by telephone (030 90293 6152).

Getting to the venue is easy using public transport. Tram lines 18 and M6 stop at Jenaer Straße, while subway line 5 stops at Kienberg/Gärten der Welt and bus 197/N5 stops at Hellersdorfer Straße/Gärten der Welt.

Citizen participation in urban development

The event is part of an ongoing initiative to promote citizen participation in urban development. Urban development includes active planning and change processes in cities that address social, economic and ecological issues. Citizen participation is an important aspect because it enables citizens to receive information about planning goals and impacts and to be actively involved in local decisions.

A common problem in citizen participation is the “participation paradox”, in which citizens are only included in planning processes late, when the scope for design is already severely limited. This makes events like “Walk and Talk” all the more important, as they promote dialogue between citizens and administration and can therefore contribute to a better quality of life in the districts.

Overall, the district walk shows the effort to not only improve local living conditions, but also to create a transparent and inclusive form of citizen participation. The topics of urban development are diverse and include social infrastructure as well as environmental and mobility issues.

For further information about the “Walk and Talk” district walk, please visit berlin.de, [marzahn-hellersdorf.com].