Berlin · Central Station, Chancellery and the Spree

What is shown – why – for whom

City, networks and transport in the model

• Section

  main station · Chancellery · Spree – 1,800 × 1,400 m, 2.5 km², OpenStreetMap as of 30 October 2026.

• Landmarks

  Central Station, Federal Chancellery, Reichstag building and House of World Cultures.

• Buildings

  2,538 building blocks, buildings up to 84 m, 23 % of the area built up, 19 % green; 43 named buildings and 207 places.

• Streets

  3,456 path segments and 3,234 nodes with traffic lights, zebra crossings and crossings; pavements along every street.

• Venues

  202 shops, restaurants, bars and clubs, cultural venues, leisure and independent scene from OpenStreetMap – each one doing well, tight, struggling or closed.

• Water

  Spree: 6.5 % of the section, with waves, foam along the banks and bridges.

• Water

  251 hydrants and 167 further points from OpenStreetMap; pipes assumed under the streets.

• Power

  1,197 street lights, 6 substations, 4 transformer stations and 43 further points from OpenStreetMap; cables drawn schematically.

• Data

  82 street cabinets and 26 antennas from OpenStreetMap; the network in between is assumed.

• Underground / Suburban rail

  Tunnels of the U-Bahn underground as well as S-Bahn and mainline trains in true depth below the city.

• Flows

  Flows of people as arrowed bands of light, visible in every view.

• U-Bahn underground

  1 line through the section, 2 stations, mostly in tunnels; trains run to a timetable (model), people board and alight at every stop.

• S-Bahn and mainline trains

  4 lines through the section, 3 stations, partly in tunnels; trains run to a timetable (model), people board and alight at every stop.

• trams

  2 lines through the section, 5 stations, above ground; trains run to a timetable (model), people board and alight at every stop.

• Bus

  In the model: ring line from the station with a limited number of seats; 44 bus stops from OpenStreetMap; a full bus glows pink.

• Cars, walking, cycling

  Cars keep their distance and obey traffic lights, priority and crossing pedestrians; queues take up space. Nobody disappears.

What the model can be used for

• Urban and transport planning

  The switch to bus and rail, denser service or a car-free centre can be adjusted. The analysis colours streets and paths and shows where a decision takes effect elsewhere.

  Para quiénurban planning, transport planning, mobility

• Changing trains at the Central Station

  Around the Central Station run U-Bahn, S-Bahn and long-distance rail, trams and buses. You see how people change, where service intervals and space on the trains fall short, and what a rail outage sets off.

  Para quiénpublic transport, transport planning, mobility

• Networks and utilities

  Beneath the city lie tunnels, water, power and data. The points come from OpenStreetMap, the routes are assumed. You see how many networks a city carries.

  Para quiénutilities, infrastructure, teaching

• School, university, exhibition

  How do living, working, transport and city life connect? The city runs around the clock, from day to night, and the demonstration also runs without anyone at the controls.

  Para quiénschools, universities, museums and exhibitions

What you can change

What the model brings

• 01

  The real district as a stage

  Streets, houses, tracks and the Spree come from OpenStreetMap. You show Berlin with the Central Station, Chancellery and Reichstag building as it lies, not as a diagram.

• 02

  See the effect at once

  Every control acts immediately: pavements, streets and trains fill up or empty, and the analysis shows where.

• 03

  Situations without damage

  Rail outage, congestion, a street festival or empty shops can be triggered. You see where it gets tight first, and set it back.

• 04

  For big screens and the browser

  Runs in the browser and on large projections, from day to night, with a demonstration that starts without anyone at the controls.

• 

  Bochum · city centre with town hall and Mining Museum

  Bochum's city centre as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Dortmund · city centre with Westenhellweg

  Dortmund's city centre inside the Wallring as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Essen · city centre with main station and town hall

  Essen's city centre between the main station and the town hall as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Duisburg · city centre with Königstraße and inner harbour

  Duisburg's city centre from the main station to the inner harbour as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Oberhausen · city centre with Altmarkt and town hall

  Oberhausen's city centre between the main station, the Altmarkt and the town hall as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Düsseldorf · city centre with Königsallee and old town

  Düsseldorf's city centre between Königsallee, Schadowstraße and the old town on the Rhine as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.

• 

  Cologne · cathedral, main station and the Rhine

  Cologne's core around the cathedral and main station on the Rhine as a living model: people, cars, buses and trains, each with its own destination, with tunnels, water, power and data underneath – and controls that show at once how it all connects.