An introduction to temporary-use: Strategic planning in the interim

Berlin with its numerous vacant buildings and properties has become an urban laboratory. It is a world with limited planning. With the market economy withdrawn from the numerous wastelands which dot the city, seemingly functionless spaces have become the staging ground for a number of unexpected activities. Freed from the restrictions of traditional social rules and organizations, these spaces have developed a tremendous range of uses. These are places of inventions and of start-up companies. While temporary-use is not a cure-all to the problem of urban decay, it may nonetheless prove extremely beneficial to cities in filling "holes" in the urban fabric and cultivating innovation.