The BVV is responsible for tasks at municipal level across and within boroughs, including:

• Construction and landscape: green areas, road traffic, housing, the transfer of specific operations to private companies, the purchase or sale of properties in the borough
• Economic development, e.g. location marketing and establishing professional relationships with companies in the borough
  
• Cultural and educational offers located nearby, such as theatres, music schools or borough libraries;  
• The setting up of borough offices, municipal public order offices and youth and welfare agencies.  
• By way of example, the BVV plays a decisive role in the future of youth centres, sports complexes, playgrounds, public swimming pools, cycle lanes and barbecue spots in local recreation areas. 

Practical examples for the division of competencies in Germany:  Construction of new housing

Another pertinent example is housing. Housing in Berlin is scarce. With more and more people opting to move to Berlin, the amount of available accommodation needs to be increased. However, the location of such accommodation and the actual number of residential units to be built – whether to be sold, rented or used as social housing – come with a number of complex issues. The boroughs themselves set out construction plans for the area, including the specific location, number and type of apartments to be built. Once these plans reach a certain scale, the Senate of Berlin must review them. In the case of extremely large-scale construction plans that are relevant to the city as a whole, the Senate may decide to assume responsibility for the plan.