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Following the concept of refiguration of spaces proposed by KNOBLAUCH and LÖW (2017), in this article I emphasize interfaces for theory building, methods, and comparative research from an economic geography and regional economics perspective. Since the refiguration of spaces offers an abstract frame capable of grasping spatial relations of any order and across various scales, I will discuss the utilization of concepts of space in both subdisciplines by employing a textbook analysis. Moreover, I will include two examples of current economic phenomena where refiguration takes place. Namely, I will analyze the internationalization of companies and world trade interdependencies according to concepts of space, their implication on methods, and comparative research. In my findings, I show that the abstract frame of refiguration of spaces unlocks great potential if applied consistently. Economic geography has a great deal to offer for the micro-foundation in the refiguration of spaces, working with qualitative methods and forward thinking concepts of space (e.g., relational or topical points of view for comparison). Regional economics allows for progress concerning the macro-foundation in the refiguration of spaces through the increased availability of regional or big data and advanced quantitative methods (e.g., manifold indexes capturing refiguration).

The stylised Berlin block or Berliner Mischung (“Berlin Mix,” a form of mixed‐use development) can be defined as a multi‐story inner‐city housing (tenement) and working estate with one or more commercial courtyards from the early days of industrialisation. It features compact and dense rows of shops incorporated into the ground floor of the block facing the street, apartments on the floors above and in the side wings, and diverse commercial activities (retail, crafts, light manufacturing) with storage, production, and workshop facilities in the back and courtyards. Although largely abolished after the Charter of Athens, Berlin’s commercial courtyards often proved resistant and even experienced a renaissance after Germany’s reunification, evolving into a mixture of housing, artisans, industry, trade, and culture. The principal objective of this article is to investigate whether this mixture is still prevalent within commercial courtyards despite gentrification, a decline in manufacturing, and the tertiarisation of the economy, or precisely because of novel technologies, the resurgence of the productive city, and accompanying urban agendas. Methodologically, we investigate functional mixed‐use development using an indicator‐based sample of 35 former Berlin‐owned commercial courtyards (now run by a commercial company), divided into four types of courtyards: Integrated Berlin Mix Courtyards, Adjacent Courtyards, Autonomous Courtyards, and Extended Berlin Mix Courtyards. Our findings reveal several “New Berlin Mix” sub‐types, including an inner‐city Integrated Berlin Mix Courtyard, which loses diversity to Autonomous Courtyards on the outskirts. This raises questions about the limits to the productive city in Berlin and the role of planning amidst these trends.

Various economic activities (urban agriculture, industries, services) are conceivable in the productive city. This thematic issue attempts to highlight especially urban production/manufacturing as tangible manifestations embedded in their local settings because they are conflict‐ridden, emanate distinctive spatial characteristics, and require complex planning processes. Therefore, we called for empirical case studies of such locally embedded economies with the productive city. As the contributions in this thematic issue emphasize, these activities can relate to high‐tech (e.g., platforms) but also to low‐tech (garment) and high‐touch industries (e.g., crafts, fashion). However, they all rely on the embeddedness of local economies in urban spaces as an enabling environment in the productive city. To fully realize these local embeddings, the productive city calls for alternative understandings of production, investment, and legal/planning frameworks entangled in zoning overlays or (informal) mixed‐use developments, orchestrated by means of digital technologies in a sustainable way (by circular economies, through environmental benefits). Simultaneously, the current (largely anecdotal) corpus of conceptual and qualitative case studies leaves unresolved the question whether the proposed ideas, visions, and guidelines for locally productive urban quarters are in fact achievable or merely reflect the wishful thinking of political agendas. More studies and improved methodological approaches are needed to operationalize the local significance and multipliers in order to objectively and statistically capture the genuine impacts of these sectors.

In spite of all efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, climate change has become a new reality that requires regional planning to provide effective solutions. This article focuses on commercial and industrial areas (Gewerbegebiete), which are important but often overlooked spaces, by means of examples in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. The article investigates whether and how regional planning can help these areas adapt to climate change. Three commercial and industrial areas in different spatial settings are examined, using an inventory of place-based measures, general standards, and regional networking of planning actors. This inventory is based on a backcasting analysis that compares normative future images of climate-adapted commercial and industrial areas with their current local situation. Spatially differentiated guidelines for the adaptation of commercial and industrial areas are then developed from a regional planning perspective by “climate-proofing” regional plans. These guidelines provide both place-based and general solutions for integrating and governing climate adaptation measures and standards into existing frameworks using a hands-on regional planning approach.

Despite being the third largest industrial agglomeration in the world before World War II, Berlin was faced with an economic void after the partition and reunification of the city with many abandoned and alienated commercial and industrial spaces in a compact urban fabric. What has happened with this commercial and industrial heritage over the last 30 years? The main rationale behind this article is to show how Berlin planned and developed some of these spaces through the Zukunftsorte strategy by preserving its historical sites and modernizing its commercial and industrial base. As part of this undertaking, the article combines insights from urban planning and regional innovation studies. Methodologically, a two‐step approach is applied: First, the article conducts an analysis of fundamental planning frameworks and technology/innovation policy trajectories with regard to commercial and industrial spaces; second, a multiple‐case study analysis of selected Zukunftsorte (Adlershof, Marzahn, Schöneberg, Siemensstadt) is carried out to test whether and to what extent those spaces are supported by planning frameworks and exhibit components of what we coined territorial ecosystem models. The data compiled stems from 15 years of work engaging in various planning and policy steering committees, individual or joint research projects, personal interviews with relevant stakeholders, and regular field observations. The findings suggest that Berlin’s strategies towards commercial and industrial spaces need to integrate highly contextual approaches since size, progress, operation, means, and timelines of Zukunftsorte vary substantially. Whereas Adlershof is a well‐functioning network of business, academia, planners, and policymakers with preliminary attempts to embed those stakeholders in residential neighborhoods and the European Energy Forum in Schöneberg—which can be described as a miniature living lab of Adlershof—the other investigated Zukunftsorte do not yet deserve to carry this name.

The attempt by the Berlin Government to develop a publicly owned commercial courtyard infrastructure is anchored in various district and city‐wide planning frameworks. The main rationale is to support small and medium‐sized enterprises from manifold branches (light manufacturing, crafts, start‐ups, cultural industries) with appropriate and affordable spaces for future industrial and commercial‐based services of general interest (gewerbliche Daseinsvorsorge). The general urban and architectural design concept for what has been dubbed commercial courtyards 2.0 (Gewerbehof 2.0) is derived from the traditional Berlin Mix (Berliner Mischung) based on mixed‐use development, short distances, local sourcing, and a vertical commercial building structure adapted to contemporary framework conditions. Seven different state‐owned properties have been taken into consideration for further development whereof three of these properties (located in the districts of Mitte, Lichtenberg, Marzahn‐Hellersdorf) will be showcased here. Methodologically, we carried out location analyses, created urban and architectural designs, utilization concepts and conducted expert interviews, based on a research‐to‐practice approach and an inside‐outside perspective. Our results show that—despite great future ideas such as innovation‐oriented, mixed‐use, crafts, cultural‐creative, manufacturing‐based, and socially anchored commercial courtyards with childcare facilities—competing and conflicting uses, economic profitability considerations, the fiscal situation of public authorities, urban development policies, property laws and building regulations impose a tight straitjacket concerning its realization. Pertinent commercial courtyard planning programs and experience with publicly owned operating companies from Berlin itself in the past and in other large German cities indicate that if long‐term planning horizons for such endeavors are envisioned these ventures can be successful.

The article investigates the challenging task of governing cross-border investment in peripheral regions. The main objective is to identify common opportunities and obstacles in the Pomerania Euroregion by taking the case study of Polish citizens/ entrepreneurs investing in northeast Germany. This relatively new phenomenon is accompanied by large uncertainties and risks, and lacks further empirical insights. At the same time it breaks new ground, creates alternatives, calls for the development of efficient modes of cross-border cooperation and addresses mutual governance issues on an inter-regional basis between manifold stakeholders on both sides of the border. The case study summarises findings from fieldwork, elaborates a quantitative and qualitative assessment of cross-border governance measures within formal and informal institutions, and tries to formulate policy recommendations for prospective approaches

The spatio-economic organisation of the Berlin-Brandenburg (B-BB) capital region is based on three central spatial structures: the Berlin Future Places (ZO), the Brandenburg Regional Growth Cores (RWK), and the Innovation and Development Axes (IEA). While the ZO and RWK are based on a cluster-like logics of strengthening strengths, the IEA take up the idea of connecting strengths. This article analyses this resulting new spatial vision for the B-BB capital region along the Berlin-Lausitz Corridor (BLC) through a self-designed spatial toolkit based on concepts of spaces and approximated spatial figures from an on economic geography and regional economics perspective and envisions prospects for multiple spatialities in selected fields of academia, industry, and government. Methodologically, an accompanying and advisory scientific research is used in combination with long-term observations, document analyses, and expert interviews. The results show that, contrary to the previous singular views of ZO, RWK, and IEA, multiple spatialities help to design academic ecosystems, multi-local work and production locations, or in polycontextual planning arrangements.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an average decline in pedestrian footfall of up to 40% within the main commercial streets of major German metropoles. Combined with online retail, increasing retail and branch densities, and, more recently, inflation, inner-city commercial streets and their ground-floor units face pertinent challenges. This article examines the high street Wilmersdorfer Straße in Berlin-Charlottenburg and aims to illustrate that a mix of (non-)commercial uses, community appeal, and curation combined can support inner-city commercial streets and their ground-floor units, especially in times of crisis. The analysis is based on a socio-economic and regional profile of the commercial street, which is informed by statistical data, a mapping of properties, and 13 expert interviews with a variety of stakeholders. It can be demonstrated that a diversified mix of uses and functions beyond retail activities with an integrated local supply, coupled with community appeal and curation that is open to novel institutional alliances with civil society, can make inner-city commercial streets resilient. This is especially true if the commercial street is also embedded in a neighborhood, meets a spatially rooted client base, and refers to their more local life realities (e.g., as a social gathering spot) as a consequence of the crisis.The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an average decline in pedestrian footfall of up to 40% within the main commercial streets of major German metropoles. Combined with online retail, increasing retail and branch densities, and, more recently, inflation, inner-city commercial streets and their ground-floor units face pertinent challenges. This article examines the high street Wilmersdorfer Straße in Berlin-Charlottenburg and aims to illustrate that a mix of (non-)commercial uses, community appeal, and curation combined can support inner-city commercial streets and their ground-floor units, especially in times of crisis. The analysis is based on a socio-economic and regional profile of the commercial street, which is informed by statistical data, a mapping of properties, and 13 expert interviews with a variety of stakeholders. It can be demonstrated that a diversified mix of uses and functions beyond retail activities with an integrated local supply, coupled with community appeal and curation that is open to novel institutional alliances with civil society, can make inner-city commercial streets resilient. This is especially true if the commercial street is also embedded in a neighborhood, meets a spatially rooted client base, and refers to their more local life realities (e.g., as a social gathering spot) as a consequence of the crisis.

Zusammenfassung Der Wandel von Arbeits- und Lebensformen, Konsumverhalten, technischer Fortschritt und nicht zuletzt die Coronapandemie haben den Aufstieg von sogenannten On-Demand Online-Lebensmittellieferdiensten beschleunigt. Es wird damit geworben kurzfristig (< 60 min) mit eingeschränkter Produktvielfalt und mit kleineren Mengen Lebensmittel zu liefern. Das Geschäftsmodell kombiniert Merkmale des E‑Commerce mit Innovationen für die ‚letzte Meile‘ der Lieferung und wird unter dem Begriff des Q‑(Quick‑)Commerce subsumiert. Ein wesentlicher Bestandteil sind hierbei (inner)städtische Warenlager (auch Dark Stores, Micro/Smart Warehouses, Last Mile Hubs oder Hyper-Local-Micro-Fulfillment Centres) genannt. Vor diesem Hintergrund setzt sich der Beitrag mit den sichtbaren und gebauten Strukturen dieses Geschäftsmodells im urbanen Raum anhand der drei Unternehmen Gorillas, Getir und Flink auseinander. Dabei werden Standorte und Standortsysteme dieser Warenlager, deren Reichweiten und Einbettung in vorhandene städtische Strukturen anhand ausgewählter raumbezogener Kriterien am Beispiel von Berlin untersucht. Dies geschieht basierend auf einem Mixed-Methods-Ansatz, der unterschiedliche quantitative (Begehung, Kartierung, Geodatenanalyse) und qualitative (Expert*inneninterviews, Beobachtungen) Elemente auf der Basis eines vordergründig induktiven und explorativen Vorgehens umfasst. Die empirischen Analysen wurden im Frühjahr 2022 und 2023 durchgeführt und beziehen lediglich ausgewählte On-Demand Online-Lebensmittellieferdienste und ihre Warenlagerstandorte ein. Es kann gezeigt werden, dass die Warenlager in dicht besiedelten, innerstädtischen Räumen zu verorten sind und sich freie und brachgefallene, zur Straße liegende Erdgeschossflächen unterschiedlicher Vornutzungen zu eigen gemacht haben. Ihre Standortmuster überlagern sich stark mit Angebotsorten von Kurzzeitvermietungen und Sitzen von Start-ups, orientieren sich aber weder an der Einzelhandelszentrenhierarchie noch am sozialen Status der Planungsräume bzw. lokalen Kaufkraft der Haushalte.