Queer lighthouse St. Pauli: new perspectives for inclusive urban planning

Queer realities are often given little consideration in urban planning – a deficit that the Queer Lighthouse St. Pauli project aims to change. Didine van der Platenvlotbrug shows in the web talk Stadtkantine what innovative neighbourhood development can look like. The goal: more inclusive, more diverse and fairer cities.

Queer neighbourhood development takes into account the specific realities of life for LGBTQIA+ people, who often deviate from traditional family structures. Many queer people form close social networks that they refer to as “chosen families” – a community of friends and supporters that replace or supplement traditional family ties.

However, these special lifestyles require housing concepts that go far beyond the usual, standardized types of housing. The traditional models of one- or two-bedroom apartments are often not suitable for the needs of queer communities. Instead, the Queerer Leuchtturm St. Pauli building initiative in Hamburg is focusing on innovative solutions such as cluster apartments or “village streets” – wide corridors with seating and communal areas that promote social interaction and counteract isolation.

With the Queer Lighthouse St. Pauli, the initiators of the urban project want to create non-discriminatory and needs-oriented spaces that promote both individual and communal well-being.

The Queer Lighthouse in Hamburg’s St. Pauli district aims to be a role model for urban diversity and inclusive urban development – a blueprint for creating cities that are oriented towards the intersection of diversity, sustainability and social justice.

The model project focuses on four core elements:

1. Inclusive living: Housing concepts that meet the needs of a wide range of living models, from single studios to cluster apartments.
2. Queer ageing: Living spaces and care services for queer seniors that enable them to grow old in a familiar environment.
3. Culture and community spaces: The establishment of cultural meeting places (queer culture), advice centers (queer care) and catering establishments (queer gastronomy) to promote an interactive and diverse community life.
4. Sustainability: The creative conversion of vacant buildings, such as department stores or schools, to promote sustainable neighbourhood development (queer business).

“It’s long overdue“: The co-initiators of the Queer Lighthouse St. Pauli show courage and ideas – and they show their attachment to their district of St. Pauli

The implementation of such an ambitious urban development project is challenging: funding, bureaucratic hurdles and a lack of awareness of the needs of the queer community are just some of them. Nevertheless, optimism is high: “The bigger we think, the more doors open,” says Didine van der Platenvlotbrug in a live interview at Stadtkantine.

The group of initiators is made up of entrepreneurs, neighbourhood activists, tradespeople, museum makers, artists, care workers and other people who are rooted in St. Pauli. In addition, the project has already found supporters – both in politics and in civil society.

Queer life realities are full of valuable impulses for society as a whole: alternative housing models, patchwork families and social networks are often first lived in queer communities and later adopted by the wider population.

This is another reason why Didine van der Platenvlotbrug emphasizes in the interview how important it is to understand cities not only as functional places, but also as social networks: “Being queer means interaction – and cities thrive on interaction.”

We summarize the lessons learned from the Stadtkantine queer lighthouse St. Pauli for you. Because: The city is what we make of it together.

This is a motto that not only we at Stadtmanufaktur live by, but also all the speakers who inspire us in our web talk Stadtkantine with their successful projects and their commitment to urban transformation, city center development and innovative real estate use in city centres.

An ambitious, visionary project attracts support and opens doors to political and social actors. The clearer and more comprehensive the concept, the greater the interest and response.

Queer neighbourhood development provides valuable impetus for urban planning, as it offers alternative living and housing models that are also important for society as a whole. These innovative concepts not only promote the visibility and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people, but also enrich urban development as a whole.

The success of an inclusive project depends not only on housing, but also on the provision of meeting spaces, advice centers and cultural centers. This infrastructure is necessary to promote social interaction and create a vibrant, supportive community.

Image credit: Didine van der Platenvlotbrug