More Space to Relax: The “Take a Seat” Campaign Kicks Off in Jena

More seating for a vibrant city: As part of the “Take a Seat” campaign, business owners will soon be able to easily create new places for people to linger in public spaces. Retail and service businesses will have the opportunity to set up attractive seating areas in front of their stores, thereby encouraging people to linger in the downtown area and neighborhood centers.

Bylaw amendment creates new opportunities

This is made possible by the amended Special Use Fee Bylaw of the City of Jena, which has now taken effect. Publicly accessible seating areas are now exempt from the previous special-use fees. The goal of the new regulation is to encourage business owners’ participation and improve the quality of the public space experience. Existing regulations continue to apply to outdoor dining.

“By amending the ordinance, we wanted to create targeted incentives to increase the number of public seating areas. I am very pleased that this initiative is now being implemented through the ‘Take a Seat’ campaign. In this way, we are working together to create places where people can linger while simultaneously enhancing the appeal of our downtown and our neighborhoods,” says Dirk Lange, Director of Urban Development and Environment for the City of Jena.

Easy Implementation for Businesses

The campaign is aimed at retail and service businesses as well as other business owners throughout Jena. No special use fee is charged for the permit; only a one-time administrative fee of 18 euros is collected. Seating that is stable, well-maintained, and free of advertising is permitted. The planned locations will be reviewed in advance by Kommunalservice Jena (KSJ) and the relevant departments of the city administration.

Working Together to Improve the Quality of the Public Space

Those interested can contact the Initiative Innenstadt Jena e. V. After a successful review, Kommunalservice Jena (KSJ) will issue the special use permit.

“Nimm Platz” brings to life an idea that emerged from the revision of the special use fee ordinance: Public spaces should not merely be traffic areas, but places for people to meet and spend time.

“Nimm Platz” – at a glance