York Hong Kong London all berlin for centuries the promise of a better life as millions to the Big City Centers power the World Economy generating an unbelievable seventy five percent of global g. D. P. Today but city dwellers compete for foldable housing for example and that is a problem topic today here are made in germany big cities on the move. Laws of economics say supply and demand determine the price of a good if many people want to live in say berlin and housing is scarce you have to blow a big chunk of your income on your rent for decades berlin has been a happy place rents were famously low ten years ago for example tenants paid five euros per square meter today its nearer ten compared to other big cities around the world in paris you pay twenty six years and in singapore you have to fork out three times as much as the average berlin bus Property Developer developers have discovered this lucrative market and show little respect for the fact that every flat they want to make profit on is also someones home. Every tenant in berlin every time and if youre paying rent youre at risk. If you can nobody has an automatic right to live in a central urban location for. The summer and at some point you just give up and pack up your things have. A little sit it ought to be primarily there for those who live and work in applicant otherwise the city stops being a city that offsets as i. Do to cities belong to and who can afford to live in them the issue has become the subject of heated debate in berlin with a growing number of tenants battling against rising rents kurtzberg is a popular multicultural neighborhood its home to households with both high and low incomes and to families up with the mobile singles and students. I meet giles who rents an apartment in a classic roseburg tenement building. Here. Originally from england he moved into the neighborhood over fifteen years ago but now he fears hell have to move out. Very sort of sent letters sort of buildings cloud against all of us said no we went to court about it in this was a scare tactic. A dolans clogger is often used by landlords to force residents to either move out or accept modernization plans for their apartment block and the resulting higher rents that seems to be the strategy that the luxemburg based owner of jazzs building is pursuing. No one has the right to destroy the community that ive taken a part in building the companies dont like to be named and shamed the shareholders dont like it. The government and the senate who are doing nothing about this need our votes and we need to shout more to them about doing something about it to maintain the mixed milieu that makes berlin the city. I take a look at the websites of several such internationally operating Real Estate Companies the Business Model is plain to see the acquisition renovation and optimization of properties to drive further reinvestment into the portfolio. I find pictures of berlin houses including giles is on the website of a Property Fund its incorporated on the English Channel island of jersey a well known tax haven. The berlin Real Estate Market is currently one of the most attractive in Europe Property prices and rents have risen continually over the last two decades with investors from around the world descending on the city looking for easy profits vienna based as in most altered buying properties over ten years ago. Its still cheap compared to other major cities we estimate that berlin will catch up with the rest so it makes sense to compare prices with other places theres still plenty of scope for increases a lot of other cities underwent that process decades ago and berlin is only doing so now its happening at an extremely fast pace so we can understand why some people find it daunting. That has some up in Development Research is worried and their eyes the conflicts between investors and residents jeopardize livelihoods and neighborhood stability. You can blame the private Property Owners and investors for pursuing Investment Products on the Real Estate Market by their economic logic they are trying to get the most out of these properties. But the result is that these strategies are diametrically opposed to the actual needs and interests that keep a city running so the solution is relatively easy or placing limits on those market forces. And tenants are now also being driven out of less central less fashionable areas of such as vice. After fighting a series of legal battles this couple having to move out of their apartment they told me how they feel powerless and at the mercy of the buildings owner. And then im really disappointed about the way theyve treated us. Citys a Population Centers thats supposed to be places for a living not speculating. Town planners architects and builders have taken up the challenge of providing Affordable Housing for tens of thousands of new berlin as every year while keeping the city attractive for investors and tourists alike not a small task as my colleague found out when he talked to one of the lens chief plan. Berlin is not the best place right now for an apartment hunter theres not enough rental housing to meet demand the majority of new apartments that are being built are for private ownership at prices that are beyond my budget at the same time rents are going up and up. Every year some fifty thousand people moved to the german capital but last year just fourteen thousand new apartments were added to the Housing Stock ive come to see renowned project developer philip wood two years to find out whats gone wrong on the urban planning front. Will there be any Affordable Housing in central berlin in the future because it wasnt the most important thing would be to build a significant number of new apartments but thats where we and other projects come in and we have to ensure that those apartments remain affordable. But nobodys doing anything about it as there is building going on but not enough this is later affairs and due to lack of funding if there is enough town. But the available but we have only limited space to build on. You could build upwards thats the point were bound to return to berlin could stand a couple more high rises. And theres still demand for office space thats the thats the other big issue the people coming here also need work and if we project the numbers through twenty thirty there will be no more sites available for offices and industry so were going to be saying increasing competition in that sector to. His plans also involve job creation here at berlins table airport scheduled to close down in the near future. Wants to turn the site into a hub for state of the art research and industry. We have two Major Projects one we call the urban Tech Republic its a research and Industry Park for a future technology the aims to boost the local economy and attract Innovative Companies and create new jobs we envisage seventeen to twenty thousand new jobs there. And the other project involves five thousand Housing Units for ten thousand people. I think the kind of disneyland style future. Style and im wary about comparing this project with Silicon Valley because we do have a different culture in europe. What were aiming for is not disneyland we want to retain berlins mixed composition its social structure its about using new technologies to improve the standard of living. And just the whole debate here should always be centered on how we can deliver a more livable city. And not how we can introduce more technology. But the objective of a livable city should also include enabling people to live there where do they live here and there in the eastern part and a huge residue. Area because if which isnt on the map no not yet i mean what if you get so no apartment here for me to move into any chimes soon its still not clear whether the project will actually get off the ground the site will not become vacant until after the new airport on the other side of the city has opened. And that new airport famously is more than five years behind schedule whatever happened to germany. Staff and expensive living space is only one problem that city dwellers face these days another one is traffic after years of jammed streets and badly organized public transport the city of hamburg has now made a remarkable recovery Smart Technology is helping to avoid gridlock. As our cities become increasingly congested with more and more people on the governments have to come up with new solutions to improve traffic flows and these days the digital this brand new software is helping hamburg to improve the coordination of its construction sites. Were very pleased weve had some astonishing results the programmer is very intuitive its very similar to a smartphone or tablet anyone can use it its very own problematic and im assuming a big improvement in coordination at c. S. This software shows where a construction site is planned if it looks like the plans will cause traffic snarl ups building what can be postponed open dealt with other projects. Its a lesson. In how traffic lights and signals are already coordinated digitally with technology that optimizes signal timing to create a succession of green lights the city buses the Traffic Control centers software shows how best to keep the rest of the traffic flowing in the mornings there are lots more cars and motorbikes heading into the city as opposed to out of it so signals a program to optimize traffic in that direction. I think yes what youve got up to. Is a pioneer in the field of Smart Mobility in twenty twenty one the city will be hosting the Intelligent Transport SystemsWorld Congress over the next few years the local authorities will be taking action to ensure residents spend as little time as possible stuck in traffic. The main focus is communication between traffic lights and cars signaling to motorists when lights are green. The green wave concept will be replaced by a system providing information on traffic lights including a cross roads. So that approaching cars dont have to stop and start. The most dependable way to avoid traffic jams is by rail. Those who dont have a station on their doorstep can travel to and from one with four wheels. And. Hamburgs overhead rail system is also linked up to car sharing schemes. Escape moment on i theres an app for hamburg that shows what public transport options are available where the nearest carsharing station is the nearest underground station overground station and the distances between them. You have been a person in through comfort and we want to create a platform where the entire process is seen to from leasing on to registering and paying. A complex bigger income. Than the inhabitants of big cities need to be able to move about efficiently and also get along together. At the hamburg hafen City University researchers have developed digital models to analyze behavior patterns such as where people tend to congregate for new hope first of all we research how public squares work we track people who are out walking their dogs shopping hanging out to see how Public Places function and then we collaborate with companies in other Research Institute who also have an interest in Public Places working well and attracting people to know the things go to do it and often. Building contractors can therefore see if their projects meet criteria and compare potential sites in terms of advantages and disadvantages proximity to a Research Institute or an airport for example digitalisation give city dwellers new opportunities to enhance the urban experience. Now is living space becomes a sort after commodity more and more people are starting to realize that small actually beautiful micro flats might be a remedy for the housing crisis the Tiny House Movement is a trend that is coming soon to a city near. How much space do we need to live in. Works in theater in berlin and he thinks we dont need much he lives in whats known as a tiny house on wheels. Is cool it is cool the thing is that as soon as you enter youre in the bedroom the living room the kitchen and the hallway at the same time or in through a. Dozen its designed so that everything can be folded up and unfolded when its needed youve got everything you need. It measures just nine square meters but theres a surprising amount of Storage Space built into the walls and floor. So this is. The best buys heres one example when youre finished in the kitchen you have to put away the stove. Or. Even thats the basic concept. It takes a lot of getting used to but in the long run its a really functional system in every way. A tiny house wouldnt suit luxury lovers who like to surround themselves with lots of possessions but its a living space alternative that appeals to a growing number of people. In cities that need more Affordable Housing tiny houses are an interesting option cabins like these could be installed on land thats not being used. Or even on the roofs of existing buildings housing is growing ever scarcer in more and more cities. One perlin entrepreneur has a vision of a city above a city. Being fussed talked. About infrastructure extends right up to the roof of the house not where we want to hook up our cabins. And cities infrastructure is everywhere. Up here on the roof ive got a power connection that connects me to the grid and it could also work with water and sewage. But also force. With twenty square meters these cabins would be relatively spacious for the time being they only exist as a mockup but the first prototype is currently under construction it will cost fifty thousand euros the startup already has some potential customers lined up. And. The concept and the product allow us to make use of spaces that are unsuited to conventional housing or of simply gone unnoticed and we would like to use any space that is large enough to accommodate the many houses. We have our sights set on any leftover space where many houses could be placed one of the onion Housing Solutions have to be found just one example berlin needs seventeen thousand new apartments every year. Living on the Square Footage of a bass towel maybe a money saving trend in europe but in cities in other parts of the world big families have been sharing tiny flats for a long time out of sheer necessity and forced to pay outrageous rents in one part of our series founders valley we follow tech entrepreneurs need to have debts not to hong kong where he found out how people deal with the extremely crowded conditions that both at home and i work and how that lack of space is also inspiring new business ideas. Its very human yeah. And the way its shot its like as if you would be the person being there. These photos its like you can really imagine. Being in the screens and. This is kind of. Your. Life in hong kong behind the facades of the skyscrapers lies a shadow world entrepreneur for just thats not has been traveling through asia talking to people about the global phenomenon of urbanization. A social worker has brought into this apartment block which the landlord has subdivided into miniscule units theres barely space to move. Sometimes he has some small people on the back and sitting. There rent amounts to over one hundred eighty year is a month can i ask you how big this room is this is less than thirty. Minutes yet. I talked with him but i think its pretty hard on the thirteen year old son. He realizes the situation is difficult. He told me its all good with his friends and because you cant invite them home to three square metres of space. Through a thought leads to social problems for getting let down. He cant just bring his friends home in a normal white to play Computer Games say. On the computer. As were seeing here is the effect rental prices can have on the lives of people who dont earn enough money to afford a decent life. Insurance names. Come calling is one of the most expensive cities in the world the Financial Services hub attracts millions of workers and the cramped Living Conditions take their toll says architect vicky chan. If you look around people like you see a lot of people smiling you know. Generally kind of unhappy one in seven people actually has Mental Illness here i call this stress out at the office. So sometimes it is not so much about the physical environment theres also like the mental part of it. How to make cities more livable places in the future vicki chan focuses on green living bringing nature back to the concrete jungle making building sustainable and Energy Efficient the architect founded his business with a small team he has an office in new york and one here in hong kong. But implementing his ideas requires a new approach to urban planning. To make a sustainable city i believe its very important to make the regulation. In the film in them away so that they become less about restricting how we can make a city but more power providing a platform that people can use their creative freedom to generate a hero space that they want thats the. Dream but theres a serious lack of Affordable Housing in hong kong at least two hundred thousand people live in appallingly cramped conditions. You know it you know why actually even those people there in hong kong that not everyone they know about the situation of the poor and then some people that even though we live there they