Documenting Kassel Urban development

December as part of the international project “Sustainable Future for Cultural Heritage – KassMENA – SFCH.” The academic trip included a series of educational, cultural, and research-based activities in Berlin and Kassel, Germany, aiming to strengthen students’ understanding of urban regeneration, cultural heritage preservation, sustainability, and post-war reconstruction strategies. 

The visit was implemented in collaboration with the University of Kassel and the National School of Architecture and Urbanism (ENAU) in Tunisia under a DAAD-funded initiative focused on sustainable cultural heritage and scientific dialogue between Germany and the MENA region. Throughout the program, students engaged in immersive learning experiences that combined architecture, urban history, environmental resilience, and comparative urban studies. 

In Berlin, students explored major architectural and urban landmarks including the Reichstag Building, the Jewish Museum Berlin, Alexanderplatz, and Berlin Hauptbahnhof. These visits introduced participants to themes such as adaptive reuse, democratic architecture, memory and identity in architecture, public infrastructure, and sustainable urban mobility. Students also met with an Egyptian–German architect who shared professional insights into Berlin’s architectural transformation and post-war reconstruction processes. 

The Kassel phase focused on urban history, resilience, and regeneration strategies along the Fulda River. Students participated in an intensive international workshop alongside peers from Germany and Tunisia, where they explored comparative urban analysis, landscape urbanism, climate-responsive planning, and sustainable regeneration approaches. The workshop emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration and research-based urban design methodologies. 

A major highlight of the visit was the academic workshop hosted at TU Berlin, where discussions addressed emerging research directions in architecture, urban regeneration, digital technologies, and sustainable cultural heritage. The meeting also explored opportunities for future academic cooperation, including student exchanges, joint workshops, collaborative research projects, and institutional partnerships between German and Egyptian universities. 

The study visit strongly aligned with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Quality Education, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Climate Action, and Partnerships for the Goals. Through experiential learning, field visits, collaborative workshops, and international academic exchange, the program provided students with valuable exposure to global urban challenges and innovative approaches to sustainable heritage preservation and climate-resilient urban development.  

Partners:  

• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Uwe Altrock (Department of Urban Regeneration and Planning Theory) 
• Mohammed Alfiky (M.Sc.-Ing.) (Research Assistant | Department of Urban Regeneration and Planning Theory) 

Links

https://www.uni-kassel.de/fb06/en/institutes/urban-development/departments/urban-regeneration-and-planning-theory/research/kassmena-sfch-sustainable-future-for-cultural-heritage.html

https://www.uni-kassel.de/fb06/en/institutes/urban-development/departments/urban-regeneration-and-planning-theory/research/kassmena-sfch-sustainable-future-for-cultural-heritage.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExSmFLRWNXcHFrSWtOSTFZSHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5Dqel7cKkW1VonhXpkyQRa-ccYtn7KjQ4StKmAd7tzMUH3edaJURsIEglICQ_aem_YWdncwBVszqpbGpUsLhG7HyZDuMq&brid=YWdncwHCf18s1H4-YUy1WbqcqsHh