Berlin’s hospitality and arts machine is humming (the city’s techno culture is now UNESCO‑recognized) while its growth story is anchored by projects coming online for residents and curious visitors alike. At the Kulturforum, the long‑awaited Museum of the 20th Century (rebranded “berlin modern”) is on track for a 2027 opening, a roughly $500- million investment investment that will finally let Berlin show its 20th‑century holdings at full scale beside Mies’s Neue Nationalgalerie. The city’s already impressive Top 10 Museums ranking should rise accordingly.
Berlin is also protecting its #7 Prosperity ranking, highlighted by its #14-ranked Business Ecosystem. Out in Wustermark, a $3.4-billion Virtus data‑center “megacampus” is rising to serve hyperscalers and AI workloads, underscoring the capital region’s role in Europe’s cloud build‑out. And south of the ring road, Verdion’s PremierPark Berlin – a next‑gen logistics and production hub – keeps signing advanced manufacturers, a tidy barometer for goods‑moving demand.
The biggest urban‑economic canvas is the 1,200‑plus‑acre Berlin TXL redevelopment at the former Tegel Airport. Two districts anchor it: Urban Tech Republic (almost 500 acres of research/industry infrastructure) and the Schumacher Quartier (more than 5,000 homes for 10,000+ residents). First housing starts were contractually green‑lit in early 2025, with vertical construction beginning in 2026 and initial move‑ins from 2028. Expect thousands of jobs in clean‑energy systems, mobility, circular construction and applied R&D, plus a campus presence from the Berlin University of Applied Sciences, all powered by a low‑energy thermal network designed to cut operating carbon at district scale.
Berlin’s unique, democratized urban playground is also expanding with projects like the Reethaus – a 40‑foot‑tall, hand‑thatched “modern temple” with MONOM’s spatial sound – part of an evolving campus that’s putting serious design back on the Spree riverfront. Speaking of which, the Spree cleanup has advanced so much that urban activists now host “swim demos” in the summer.
Add in the city’s rail‑and‑air uplift, durable affordability versus other EU capitals, and a deep bench of creatives and engineers, and Berlin’s proposition for capital (and people) looks as vivid as its nightlife (ranked #12 globally).