As one of the few newly founded cities of the 20th century, Wolfsburg stands for the ideas of modern urban development. The Wolfsburg district of Detmerode was planned and built in the 1960s following an architectural competition. Detmerode is considered a significant example of late-modern architectural design, urban planning and transportation planning. One of the defining features of the planning concept for Detmerode was a broad green corridor that divided the district into two sections. The concept for the new district at the time combined three guiding principles with the aim of designing an urban landscape:

• the idea of 'urbanity through diversity' (urban and social diversity through different building types),
• the idea of the 'urban landscape' (strongly greened, structured and loosely built-up city),
• the idea of the 'car-friendly city' (city functionally adapted to the needs of automobile traffic).

Almost all of the construction work was carried out between 1963 and 1973, using rational construction methods in an attempt to improve the living and environmental conditions for many people in an economically economical way. Their standard of living was to be raised with the help of new, well-lit and ventilated apartments in green surroundings. Numerous educational and social facilities were also intended to serve this goal.