Assembling, governing, enmeshing (AGE): a land(scape)-oriented methodology for mass housing estates

Berlin's mass housing estates are characterised by their expansive and lush landscapes. However, they have been primarily revisited by recent architectural historiography, focusing on their architectonic and sociopolitical significance. This research addresses this oversight and the gap between architectural and landscape research by developing a land(scape)-oriented methodology. It examines the dynamic interplay between these estates and land transformations across various scales and time periods. Through case studies in former East and West Berlin, the study identifies limitations in current scholarship and explores innovative avenues within the political ecologies of land. It proposes hypotheses on the agency of land in shaping these projects, institutional control, and land as a medium for resistance. By developing sets of research methods to study the relational production of landscapes, this research aims to illuminate the past and future roles of these estates in addressing Berlin's territorial and socio-cultural challenges.