Series on the 2023/2024 budget

Peter Börner explains the hurdles involved and the expected time frame in an interview.


A market tree is to be erected on Chemnitz's Neumarkt - how long has this process been going on?

Peter Börner: The market and Neumarkt were redesigned around 20 years ago, including being repaved and adapted to the challenges of today. Ideas for the market tree were already part of the architectural competition back then. The visible pillars of the Arkaden-Galerie Roter Turm, for example, actually stand in the planting holes for trees that were prepared at the time. There is hardly any variant - whether a single tree, a group of trees or a row of trees - that has not already been sketched out and costed here on the market square.

The decision was finally made in favour of a single tree - what hurdles are involved?

Every area of this market is underlaid with cables - or at least almost every area - and the surface is also thoroughly optimised. From the Christmas market to the normal weekly market, fire service access routes and escape routes. All of this is invisible on this surface and if you want to plant a tree, you have to clear an area of 100 square metres where there is nothing above or below. That's a huge task for many of the planners involved.

So there are only a few suitable areas?

That's right. One important task is to find the exact spot where a tree can be planted with as little effort as possible. The final choice of location has not yet been made.

What happens now?

It is important to know that planting trees is always expensive if it is done on its own. It becomes more favourable when the planting is integrated into other construction measures. The civil engineering department is currently in the process of gradually making the market more barrier-free. Accordingly, the tree planting option has been integrated into the next construction phase of the civil engineering department for the barrier-free paving of the market.

What will the allocated funds totalling 28,000 euros be spent on specifically?

The funds will be used to install new planting substrate, among other things. This means that 20 cubic metres of planting substrate must first be removed from the ground and a new substrate installed. This then has to be compacted again and paved over. In addition, there is a tree irrigation system, tree grids and, last but not least, the tree itself for around 3,000 euros.

What kind of tree will it be?

The topic of tree species is a very emotional one, and every conceivable option has already been considered. The solution: a silver lime tree! The lime tree is a classic tree species for German cities. A real city tree. The silver lime is climate resilient, voluminous and flowers beautifully. An absolute bee pasture. Like any other deciduous tree, this silver lime is available in various sizes. The younger the tree, the better it will take root and the better it will grow. Here on the market it needs a larger quality, probably with a trunk circumference of 25 to 30 centimetres. The tree will be six or seven metres tall when it is planted. That sounds a lot, but it will look quite tiny on this market at first. But at some point it will be 25 metres high.

From the city centre towards the Schlossteich - what is the street furniture all about?

The Schlossteichinsel is one of the most popular places for the people of Chemnitz and therefore also one of the most heavily used. Everyone meets there, from those seeking peace and quiet to those celebrating in the evenings, and the Schlossteichinsel is also partially damaged by heavy use. In addition, parts of it are a barbecue area on lawns - soiling included. So basically, it's a question of organising the barbecue area better. However, another petrified area, such as at the pavilion, would only be of limited use, as users usually switch to the neighbouring meadow rather than the stone area.

What does that mean?

The idea now is to create street furniture in which you can dispose of the glowing ashes, for example, or perhaps sit on. Street furniture that is set up in the vicinity of this barbecue area so that it can be used accordingly. At the same time, it can also be moved to other locations if it doesn't work out.

Will this furniture then look like the C-chairs in the city centre, for example?

This is an aspect that has not yet been fully thought through. So far, the main focus has been on heat resistance and practicality. Perhaps there is a solution that combines everything harmoniously, i.e. practical, robust and beautiful design. With regard to the Schlossteichinsel as a whole, I would like to say that the topic of furniture has really only just scratched the surface. The playground has just been opened. Maintenance is to be significantly increased on the island by 2025. The city council has created potential in the form of gardener positions. There is certainly room for improvement here!