Ernst-Abbe-Platz: Public Participation Enters the Next Phase

Plans for the redesign of Ernst-Abbe-Platz are moving into the next phase. To better tailor the winning design from the planning competition to the needs of future users, the City of Jena would like to engage with residents once again.

To this end, all interested parties are cordially invited to the second public workshop under the theme“More Beautiful? Greener? More usable?” on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in Lecture Hall 4 at Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Carl-Zeiss-Straße 3). In addition to the presentation of the award-winning design, the focus will be on key questions regarding its further development. Participants will also have the opportunity to share their suggestions and opinions.

Bringing Together Diverse Requirements

The findings from the first public participation workshop were already incorporated into the terms of the planning competition. Now, feedback from the public will help further refine the design and best reconcile the various requirements.

“The redesign of Ernst-Abbe-Platz offers a great opportunity to make an important contribution to climate adaptation in our city. At the same time, the project is very challenging from a planning perspective due to the numerous constraints and requirements. The planning firm Atelier LOIDL has already developed compelling design proposals with its winning entry. Now the task is to further develop and refine these proposals together with the citizens,” says Dirk Lange, Head of the Department of Urban Development and Environment.

Online participation available

Even those who cannot attend the workshop will have the opportunity to get involved in the ongoing process. Starting in late July 2026, the results can be viewed, evaluated, and commented onvia the City of Jena’sparticipation portal.