Schwabinger Gate

The future in the present? – In search of clues at Schwabinger Tor

How can buildings be used more flexibly in future? How will the city use its public space in new ways? – Driven by the desire to revitalize the current culture of debate, TorTalk was created in March 2020 under the moderation of Jacqueline Althaller and Michael Carl.

Inspired by the exchange, the Jost Hurler Group initiates the podcast series “The gateway to the urban future”. Back again: Jacqueline Althaller and Michael Carl. This time in conversation with guests such as Gesa Ziemer, the Urbanauten and Daniela Bohlinger, they jointly shed light on various facets of the future of urbanity.

The Schwabinger Tor is the central hub. The European and sophisticated urban quarter provides important impetus, above all through its consistent “sharing” concept and smart architecture: co-working, car sharing, neighborhood app and a well thought-out mix of commercial and residential space. The Jost Hurler Group has been showing what the urban future looks like today since 2017.

You can easily find the talks right here on our website or on the go on Spotify, Deezer, and Apple Podcast.

Your moderators

Episode 1 – The resilient city

Gesa Ziemer shows the future of the city – in very concrete terms. At the City Science Lab in Hamburg, she develops tools to show the consequences of decisions. If we lay a new S-Bahn track there and build accommodation for 300 refugees here, what will happen?

Ziemer says: “Whether a city is aesthetically pleasing is not really important. A city has to function, we need the resilient city. In conversation with Michael Carl and Jacqueline Althaller.

Episode 2 – Developing the idea of the city

Schwabinger Tor in Munich is located on the site of the former Munich wholesale market. Transforming the neglected area into a liveable and lovable residential and green space was often a hard-fought process. Looking back, those involved think it was worth it.

How a vision became a new piece of Schwabing: Andreas Garkisch from 03 Architekten and Robert Wenk, co-owner of ver.de Landschaftsarchitektur, have reflected on their experiences in very personal texts. In this episode, you will hear a collage of their recollections.

Episode 3 – The mobile city

Daniela Bohlinger is Head of “Sustainability in Design” at the BMW Group. For her, sustainability and responsibility begin with the planning of new products – for automobiles as well as for the environment of mobility: the urban space.

Bohlinger says: “Mobility can make an important contribution to the sustainable city of the future. And mobility is more than just new vehicles. Mobility must be flexible in the long term and be able to adapt to the needs of residents and the environment. Only then can we speak of sustainability in a contemporary sense. Is this even feasible in today’s cities? In conversation at Schwabinger Tor in Munich with Michael Carl and Jacqueline Althaller.

Episode 4 – Architecture as quality of life

Urban development of the future will have to be thought about much more in terms of space, participation, architecture, energy efficiency and infrastructure. For many people, quality of living and quality of life is perceived primarily in terms of sufficient space and participation.

The Schwabinger Tor district in Munich aims to open up new opportunities here: How can quality of life be maintained and enhanced in the city of the future? Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Merk, architect and city planning councillor in Munich for 13 years, and Max Dudler, multiple international award-winning architect, reflect in personal texts on their visions of a liveable city of the future and bring them into harmony with the individual history of the city. You will hear a recorded collage of these texts.

Episode 5 – Opening up the sound and space of the city

The artist’s view of urban space calls our conventional image into question. The city is full, it is loud, offers hardly any space to breathe and live, for creativity and development – or is it just our perception that is limited? Munich-based artist Emanuel Mooner seeks out the overlooked corners and overheard sounds of the city. He expands our perspective with his projects in an almost exploratory way. Emanuel Mooner in conversation with Jacqueline Althaller and Michael Carl.

Emanuel Mooner was already active at Schwabinger Tor in 2016. Here, too, the focus was on unrecognized spaces in urban areas, as part of the exhibition “Unort Tiefgarage”.

Episode 6 – The creation of a vibrant neighborhood

Future-oriented planning culture in urban development means seeing the city as a living space and not as a place for arbitrary living. Open spaces are just as much a part of this as an organic mix of commerce, gastronomy, offices and housing – in constant dialog at eye level with the residents. This is how Quartier Schwabinger Tor was created: as a joint project of business and life.

Episode 7 – The road of the future

Claudius Schaufler heads the “Smart Urban Environments” competence team at Fraunhofer IAO in Stuttgart. Together with his team, he is researching the road of the future and testing his concepts in real-world laboratories.

Episode 8 – The sound of the city of the future

Urban space becomes a canvas for art: audiovisual installations, in which light travels with sound, change typical city sounds. In the midst of a strictly functional everyday culture, an offer is created that is completely detached from the typical urban space. The viewer steps directly into action and reacts to the changing cityscape. An image that is individually charged with meaning.

Episode 9 – The digital transformation of the city

What does it actually mean for urban space when it is “digitized”? Navigation services guide us through neighborhoods and allow us to explore and even experience the city. Administrations are becoming increasingly digital and online services are driving the transformation of city centers and mobility. At the same time, we have more data about the dynamics of the city at our disposal, which we can use for adaptive and smart construction projects as well as for more targeted administration. What does this do to us citizens? What will the city of the future look like with today’s developments in digitalization? And what would we do differently if we could create a city from scratch today?

Episode 10 – The very special delivery service

The urbanauten were already making their mark before the pandemic – for a new urban cultural awareness that will shape the city of the future. Last year, they surpassed themselves once again. In order to create prospects for artists and cultural workers, the team led by Benjamin David launched the “culture delivery service” in 2020.

Episode 11 – Transformation of a neighborhood

The emergence of the Schwabinger Tor: The “Schwabinger Tor” on Leopoldstrasse in Munich has emerged from a kind of industrial wasteland that was also home to the Metro. Nicole Graner knows how the development was experienced by the neighbors and how the new urbanity is perceived by journalists. As a resident near the new district and as an editor at the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Graner has witnessed the transformation from the very beginning.

Episode 12 – Consensus in the city of the future

How do you create consensus when it comes to the future of our cities? Julian Petrin, urban planner and urban researcher in Hamburg, advises local authorities on future urban issues with his office “Urbanista”. He has also been researching and teaching at HafenCity University in Hamburg since 2005.

Episode 13 – City of the future vs. future in the countryside

Let’s learn from the contrast and compare urban and rural areas. How do the future prospects complement each other? Where do the differences grow, where do the two areas merge?