MA Studio WiSe 25/26
Dr. Juliana Canedo, M.Sc. Qusay Amer

Post-migrant Hermannplatz
Co-production and insurgent practices

Berlin is celebrated as a city of migrants, using diversity as a slogan to attract tourists and residents. Neukölln, one of its most diverse districts, has over 50% of residents with migrant backgrounds. Yet this diversity coexists with contradictions shaped by neoliberal urban policies. Narratives that stigmatize the neighborhood often blame migrant communities for issues, such as rat infestations, linked to food habits rather than real causes: poor waste management and lack of infrastructure investment. Such discourses often precede gentrification agendas prioritizing real estate profits over residents’ needs.

Using the frameworks of post-migration and insurgent urbanism, this Master Studio develops alternative perspectives for the Hermannplatz and Sonnenallee area. It has been the subject of intense debate and political struggle, fueled by large-scale projects including developments around Karstadt and Hermannplatz, as well as the construction of Berlin’s largest refugee shelter, set to host over 1,000 people by 2027.

Post-migrant perspectives challenge the binary of “locals” and “migrants,” advocating for a citizen identity that recognizes equal rights, empowerment, and the cultural contributions of all urban inhabitants (Weiss et al., 2019). Migration is seen as a transformative process reshaping societies, not merely a phenomenon affecting migrants alone (Wiest, 2020). As Bock and Macdonald (2019) note, post-migration seeks to transcend “migration” as a disguised marker of exclusion while embracing it as social normality.

Insurgent urbanism is reflected in the experiment with collaborative planning and design tools to propose urban narratives and interventions rooted in Neukölln’s diverse residents and temporary users. By centering their voices, needs, and cultural identities, it aims to foster inclusive strategies resisting neoliberal displacement. Insurgent urbanism here becomes a form of resilience and self-determination, envisioning Neukölln as an equitable, dynamic space where difference is strength and futures are collectively shaped.

Photo: © Qusay Amer

Download poster here.