Architecture is an interminable business. Modern construction projects are planned years in advance; those being envisioned today will achieve realization only years in the future. But without a clear vision that brings us closer to the objective of a truly liveable city, statements of intent will never be translated into reality. The present publication, Gestaltungsleitlinien Stadtraum am Beispiel Dresden (Design Guidelines for Urban Space with Reference to Dresden), is intended primarily as a guidebook, and aims to foster the orientation around a shared vision for clients, planners, and architects.

“Yes, that’s what I’d like, the Baltic in front of me, Friedrichstraße behind me…” The question goes beyond Kurt Tucholsky’s dreamscapes; the cities we inhabit have already been built, and they might have gaps and ruptures that are reflective of social turmoil. How, then, can we deal with existing structures in a way that allows truly liveable cities to emerge in the future—or to be preserved in the present?

• Striking graphic illustrations visualizing urbanistic, urban planning, and architectural design principles
• An analysis of Dresden’s urban structure and proposals for the further development of the existing architectural inventory
• Nine theses on the development of building culture in Dresden