13.10.2026, Tuesday – 18:30 Uhr
Podium Discussion & Keynote-Lectures
Housing now and tomorrow – Creating Sustainable Neighborhoods
Wohnen jetzt und morgen – Entwicklung Nachhaltiger Nachbarschaften
Speakers:
- Janek Rous, Visual Artist, editor-in-chief Artyčok.TV
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Keynote-Lecture: Janek Rous presents the latest findings from the ongoing project ‘The Forbidden Planet Bedřiška’ (Zakázaná planeta Bedřiška) on the Bedřiška neighbourhood and community in Ostrava, which he is developing in collaboration with Karolína Kripnerová, most recently as part of a residency at PLATO Ostrava. The project builds on their shared interest in places of social exclusion, as well as on their endeavour to demystify concepts such as social housing, problematic localities, exclusion and disadvantage. They have previously explored this theme, for example in the award-winning documentary series ‘Architecture of Coexistence’ (2021) and in the project ‘Whose Problem Is It? Homelessness in Prague and New York’.
On this topic: an article by Allegra Schneider about Bedřiška
- Jan Polívka, Professor of Urban Planning and Development of the Built Environment, TU Berlin
Keynote-Lecture: Jan Polívka reports on the ongoing research project ‘Circular Use of Housing’ (2025–2030), which examines the mobilisation of housing within the stock of detached and semi-detached houses, as well as in local authorities with limited land available for new development. The aim is to achieve a distribution of housing within the existing stock that is better suited to different generations and their needs – supported by building measures as well as organisational and communication strategies implemented by local authorities. The research builds on the findings of previous projects, including ‘Major Cities as Places to Live’ (2025) on reurbanisation processes in major German cities, and ‘Vibrant City Centres’ (2025) on urban transformation challenges such as vacant department stores and demographic change in single-family housing estates.
- Wiebke Ahues, Vice-President of the Berlin Chamber of Architects
- Jakub Nakládal, Architect and researcher specialising in affordable housing, Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT), and member of the ‘Affordable Housing’ working group of the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA)
- Lenka Bažík, Architect, expert in communal living and building cooperatives, member of the ‘Affordable Housing’ working group of the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA)
Registration Podium Discussion & Keynote-Lectures
archin at BHROX 2026, discussion, © Photo: Zuzana-Markéta Macková, 2026
The question of affordable housing is currently one of the most pressing challenges facing German and Czech cities. This is not only a matter of the quantity of housing, but increasingly of the quality of neighborhoods, social diversity, and long-term viable, resilient urban structures.
The event explores different perspectives on current housing policy and urban development trends in Germany and the Czech Republic. It focuses on concrete examples and strategies – ranging from new construction to the transformation of existing buildings, especially dealing with socially disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Drawing on projects such as the debate surrounding the Bedřiška housing estate in Ostrava – which highlights questions of socially just urban development, participation, and displacement and even garnered attention in the German daily press – as well as current housing policy approaches in Berlin, including the “Type E” buildings and new strategies for affordable construction, various approaches are discussed in a comparative manner.
The focus is on cross-border dialogue and perspectives regarding the socially sustainable, long-term development of neighborhoods, as well as the promotion of knowledge exchange between the two countries.
Moderators:
Simona Binko (Czech Centre Berlin)
Robert K. Huber (BHROX bauhaus reuse / zukunftsgeraeusche)
Admission is free.
Further events of the series archint at BHROX in 2026:
