Within the past 40 years, shopping centres have increasingly formed the European cityscape and gained in importance, not only from an architectural and urban planning perspective, but also from an economic and social point of view. Owing to its rising significance, the European shopping centre necessitates an analytic statement on the part of architectural research. By comparing the shopping centre sector of a selection of countries, this pilot project offers a holistic approach to a better understanding of the shopping centre's role in the architecture of our cities and the urban structure of our countries. The project is organised in a top-down structure and subdivided in three research levels. Beginning with the survey of two European countries and their 1,616 shopping centres on the first level, the focus shifts towards a selection of 40 sector-relevant cities with 645 shopping centres on a second level, before focusing on eight cities with 124 shopping centres on the third and final level. The deductive analysis of a rising number of basic key features on every research level aims to evidence the constants and variables of the building type. The constants outline the essential basic properties that are considered indispensable for the efficiency of a shopping centre. Again, the variables show the adaptation of these basic key features to the various local conditions and particularities, allowing conclusions in terms of their adaptation, improvement, difficulties, and opportunities. Together, the outcomes of the three research levels assemble a detailed overall picture of the shopping centre sector from the perspective of architecture and urban development, leading to a general characterisation of the building type in the selected countries. From a scientific perspective, the study offers a methodology and basis of comparison for the evaluation of other European countries while, from a practical perspective, the findings can be used as recommendations for future shopping centre projects.

The 'new urban municipality of Berlin', also called Greater Berlin, was created 100 years ago, on 1 October 1920, following a ground-breaking administrative reform. This was a century-defining milestone that transformed Berlin into a world city. The old city of Berlin was merged with 7 other cities, 59 rural communities, and 27 estate districts. As a result, the city's area increased from 66 to 878 square metres, its population from 1.9 to 3.9 million people, virtually overnight. But Greater Berlin did not remain a fixed entity. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, new planning and development projects continued to transform the greater urban area, which has grown, seemingly without end, far beyond the boundaries of Berlin. The two volumes of Unfinished Metropolis are dedicated to the past and future of Greater Berlin. The first volume offers an insight into an array of different topics, such as Berlin's role as the capital of Germany, its relationship with Brandenburg, and the historical, economic, and social conditions that have driven the growth of the urban area over the centuries. The second volume delves deeper into the designs for the future. It comprehensively documents the International Urban Planning Competition for Berlin-Brandenburg 2070, held by the states' association of architects and engineers. It also explores how other European capital regions - London, Moscow, Paris, and Vienna - are seeking to ensure sustainable urban development in years to come. Volume 1: 100 Years of Urban Planning for Greater Berlin 416 pages; 550 pictures Volume 2: International Urban Planning Competition for Berlin-Brandenburg 2070 336 pages; 300 pictures

The redevelopment of historical centers became an important policy field in the era of European dictatorships following the First World War. At that time historical centers were regarded as shabby and as tarnishing the desired image of a magnificent new city, of a showcase of the dictatorship. This led to the widespread demolition of older buildings. Historical streets and squares disappeared and were replaced by new apartments and workplaces for the loyal middle classes, by car-friendly roads and ostentatious new buildings. Nevertheless, the redevelopment of historical centers did not exclusively mean the eradication of the 'old town'. The aim of the dictatorship in many cases was also the preservation, and often the cultic display, of historical testimonials to past greatness. The book presents examples of the redevelopment of historical centers in Mussolini's Italy, in Stalin's Soviet Union, in Hitler's Germany, in Salazar's Portugal and in Franco's Spain.