The city of tomorrow: co-productive and creative

Digital beer gardens, handmade stores in former greenhouses or a daycare center in a barn - the ideas for creative inner city uses are diverse. Around 90 experts from all over Germany discussed new concepts for the city on Monday. On the day before the "National Urban Development" congress, the focus was on current visions and innovative pilot projects under the title "City centers of tomorrow - between reinvention and comeback". The most important finding: the solutions to current inner-city challenges are just as diverse as the cities themselves. According to the organizers, the Jena Economic Development Corporation (JenaWirtschaft) and "Die Zukunftsoptimisten UG", there is no "blueprint solution."

How cities meet challenges with creative concepts

"What works successfully in city A can look completely different in city B with different framework conditions," says Patrick Werner from JenaWirtschaft, who helped organize the symposium. Due to changing consumer behavior, a shortage of skilled workers and the coronavirus pandemic, cities from small to large are facing the challenge of reinventing their centers and making them fit for the future. "As complex as the situations are, the approaches to meeting these challenges are just as varied," said Katrin Hitziggrad from the "Future Optimists". The first step is to identify potential areas and activate stakeholders. Dialogue and participation must be well accompanied and moderated. "Creative concepts that focus on the urban experience and encounters work in many municipalities if they are supported by committed people," says real estate manager Hitziggrad, who supports municipalities in change processes with her office "Die Zukunftsoptimisten". The new keyword is "co-production", i.e. the cooperation of several stakeholders to realize new ideas. According to Hitziggrad, this includes so-called 'third places' alongside living and working, which enliven city centers and increase the quality of stay for all residents.

Example Homberg: creating living space in the city center

The mayor of Homberg (Efze) in Hesse, Dr. Nico Ritz, presented local design options. After the military base there was closed, the consumer behavior of the residents changed and the vacancy rate increased. "We are aiming to create living space in the city center and not to build new homes on greenfield sites," said Ritz. In the long term, this would lead to higher follow-up costs for infrastructure and mobility. Equally important: "The municipality must become the owner again and buy properties, which it can then develop in a targeted manner." In Homberg, for example, a municipal daycare center was set up in an old converted barn in the city center instead of on the outskirts. This creates new walking routes in the "progressive province", even away from pure shopping.

Public places for dialog and togetherness

Trying out new ideas is also an approach in Jena. "With StadtLab Jena, we have created an experimental space in the city center where commercial and non-commercial uses can be tried out," said Mayor Christian Gerlitz during the panel discussion. "We need public places that enable interaction and dialog, such as the new Ernst Abbe Library, but also the Kulturarena, the new Eichplatz area or Ernst Abbe Square, which will also be designed to be climate-friendly in the future." According to Gerlitz, the topic of climate adaptation must be considered in all inner city development projects.

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