Neighborhood blocks instead of motorways: Berlin's path to a better quality of life!

Neighborhood blocks instead of motorways: Berlin's path to a better quality of life!

Today, November 6, 2025, a lively debate about urban transport policy is taking place in Berlin. The public discussion focuses on the negative effects of new roads and the fundamental questions of quality of life in urban areas.

Scientific evidence shows that building new roads often leads to more traffic rather than reducing it. This insight is being taken increasingly seriously by various transport planners and urban developers. Critics argue that the current plans for the A100, which could mean a continuation of motorway construction into the city, are not in the spirit of improving the quality of life in Berlin's neighborhoods. Rather, highways create barriers that divert traffic into adjacent areas and isolate the local community.

Alternative concepts

In this context, concepts such as neighborhood blocks or superblocks are increasingly being discussed. These ideas aim to exclude through traffic in certain parts of the city. Professor Klaus Schäfer emphasizes that initial evaluations of these superblocks show that traffic in the neighborhoods does not increase proportionately when thoroughfares are reduced. This supports the view that fewer thoroughfares can lead to lower overall traffic volumes.

The discussion about quality of life also takes into account the increasingly visible negative effects of the “old transport policy” in urban areas, such as on Bundesallee and Lützowplatz. Critics point out that measures such as noise barriers often create an illusion of improvement rather than offering actual solutions. Furthermore, the call for a further expansion of the A100 is criticized as uninformed, as it implies a continuation of the already controversial motorway construction in the city.

transport and community

The discussion about traffic in Berlin is therefore not just a technical matter, but also a social issue that focuses on the rights and needs of local communities. Citizens are calling for greater scrutiny of such projects and a shift towards transport policies that promote quality of life in cities. As current discussions show, this is a goal that still has to overcome many hurdles.

For more information about the current state of transport policy in Berlin and possible alternatives, you can take a look at Booking, which also provides information on urban topics.