The area of the former “Quelle shipping center” in Nuremberg has been redesigned. The perception of the project varies.
Nuremberg – In summer, heat is a well-known problem in big cities. Climate change will make this even worse. In Bavaria, the cities of Regensburg, Ingolstadt and Nuremberg are particularly affected. There is one reason for this: the massive sealing of cities. “In times of climate crisis, our cities need unsealed soils for water to seep in and green spaces for cooling,” said DUH Federal Director Barbara Metz at the end of July this year during a heat wave in Bavaria.
Case study Nuremberg: redesigning unused areas
In 2015, the city of Nuremberg took over the area of the former “Quelle shipping center” in the west of the city. A “green lung” was to be created here, a lively meeting place for the district. The issue of unsealing also played a role in the plans for the renovation. Four years after the new square was completed, however, it is not only receiving praise.
Perceptions are divided
Criticism comes directly from Nuremberg from Volker Linhard, a religious educator by profession. BR met him for an interview. He thinks that too large parts of the park are sealed – not lively enough. The concrete heats up too much in the summer, and the city has not created a nice place to spend hot days. The new neighborhood park also has “many motifs for Linhard's collection of horrors,” writes BR24. For his Instagram channel “reisst.die.steine.raus,” Linhard is looking for exactly these kinds of pictures that depict the sealing in the city.
The website of the city of Nuremberg states that the sealed areas of the park are well suited for district festivals and markets. However, most of the area has been unsealed to create green space. As the Market Mirror in Nuremberg in July 2020, “the people of Nuremberg immediately took over the facility.” A success for the city. Even if environmental officer Britta Walthelm (The Greens) notes that the project might be implemented a little differently today, as BR24 reports.
Citizen participation in implementation
In terms of citizen participation, however, the project was at the forefront at the time. This was the result of research by our editorial team. An office for urban and regional development was hired for the planning. The Berlin company called “dieraumplaner” was supposed to involve the public in the development process and develop a sustainable participation strategy. Citizens from the Eberhardshof district were able to express their wishes for implementation. Trees, lawns and meadows were mentioned particularly often, as can be seen in the project brochure on the Nuremberg city portal. The built-in water playground and seating areas were also mentioned frequently in response to suggestions from residents of the district.
(Our Nuremberg newsletter informs you about all developments, news and stories from the Franconian metropolis.)
A step in the right direction – “from parking lot to park,” as the city of Nuremberg writes on its website. In times of climate change, the trend is increasingly moving away from sealed surfaces. The Nuremberg project shows that counteracting this is still in its infancy – and has the potential to cause controversy.
