Expert opinion process for the further development of the city centre
Occasion and goal
Further development of the city centre
Based on the identity-forming significance of an attractive city centre for the city and region, the city of Chemnitz is pursuing the revitalisation and strengthening of the city centre as a top priority.
A dynamic development has taken place since the mid-1990s. In addition to the consolidation of the urban space, work has begun to bring back typical city centre functions to the city centre and to develop the core city both as a shopping centre and as a multifunctional location for living, culture, leisure, gastronomy and services. The quality of life in the city centre has been significantly improved and the public space redesigned.
Due to the special urban significance of Bahnhofstrasse and Brückenstrasse in particular, with their complex requirements for functional interdependencies on the one hand and an appropriate design on the other, the city of Chemnitz decided at the end of 2014 to carry out an expert procedure for the urban development of the city centre in the area around Bahnhofstrasse and Brückenstrasse. As part of this process, the best possible solution was gradually worked out from alternative development and design approaches, which were developed in parallel by four teams of planners, with the involvement of a panel of experts.
The result of the expert procedure serves as a basis both for the revision and expansion of the city centre framework plan and for further planning steps to integrate the streets of the city centre ring road into the urban space, also in connection with the planning of new light rail routes as part of the "Chemnitz model", and overall serves the political decision-making process.
Starting points
Despite the successes achieved, it is necessary to plan and implement further steps to revitalise Chemnitz city centre. Key aspects in this context are
- At around 11% of Chemnitz's total retail space, the city centre's retail space is too small for a regional centre. The retail and centre concept of the City of Chemnitz 2011 adopted by the City Council on 9 November 2011 includes the objective of expanding the retail offering in the city centre and targeting a total sales area of around 80,000 m² in the city centre by 2020 (additional sales area of just under 20,000 m²).
- A survey of pedestrian frequencies at ten city centre counting points in September 2014 revealed that Chemnitz has far below-average pedestrian flows compared to other cities. The aim is to develop and implement (structural) measures to significantly increase footfall in the future.
- As far as future structural development is concerned, the existing development strategy of "from inside to outside" is to be maintained in principle, but at the same time it is foreseeable that in order to increase the retail space in the city centre by approx. 20,000 m², development sites outside the city centre ring road (Bahnhofstrasse, Theaterstrasse, Brückenstrasse) will also have to be integrated. It must be ensured that the city centre ring road does not represent a barrier, but is attractive for pedestrians to cross.
- A current study on the potential of building plots F4, E3 and E4 focusses on residential use. All three building plots are owned by the city or by a municipal subsidiary.
- Building site J5, which is predominantly owned by the Free State of Saxony, plays a key role in linking the city centre with the northern part of the city centre, in strengthening the Straße der Nationen as an important inner-city walkway and in connecting the Brühl area. The location and size of this construction site could also contribute to an increase in footfall for the retail sector if an appropriate utilisation concept were to be implemented, which would go beyond a pure public authority centre.
- The city centre ring road (Bahnhofstraße, Theaterstraße, Brückenstraße) represents a significant barrier in the urban space. It separates the immediate city centre from the neighbouring districts. In some areas (for example around the central bus stop), attempts have been made in recent decades to reorganise the street space and redesign it in the area of conflict between traffic function and urban space requirements. Other areas, such as Theaterstraße and parts of Brückenstraße, continue to be characterised by oversized road surfaces and show considerable deficits in the quality of life. In general, the city centre ring road needs to be systematically upgraded in the interests of an attractive and lively city centre that invites people to linger and focuses less on rapid transit.