Workshop on the climate-friendly design of Ernst-Abbe-Platz

Public participation in the climate-friendly redesign of Ernst-Abbe-Platz will begin on 12.04.2024 with an in-person workshop, to which all interested parties are cordially invited:

Friday, 12.04.2024
17:00 to approx. 20:00
Lecture hall 5, Friedrich Schiller University at Ernst-Abbe-Platz, Jena

Ernst-Abbe-Platz is one of the central squares in Jena's city center and combines a variety of functions: it is a connection point for public transport, serves as an event venue and as an outdoor area for the university. Several thousand pedestrians and students pass through and linger there every day. In order to continue to do justice to the various uses, an initial participation workshop will be held to work out what requirements the square must meet after the redesign. The results will then be incorporated into the planning together with the requirements of the funding body. An important aspect of the redesign is a climate-adapted design. To this end, the federal government is supporting the redesign with funds of around 6.3 million euros as part of the "Adapting urban spaces to climate change" funding program. This funding of 85% of the conversion costs is intended to turn the current heat hotspot into a further climate oasis in Jena's urban space.

Further opportunities for participation

For all those who are unable to attend the event, the City of Jena's participation platform(www.mitmachen.jena.de) offers the opportunity to take part in the discussion online after the workshop.

In the period from 23.04.2024 14:00 to 12.05.2024 24:00, the results can also be evaluated and commented on the website. Current information on the project will also be presented on the portal in future.

Background

The approximately 10,000 m² Ernst-Abbe-Platz serves as the university campus of Friedrich Schiller University and is therefore a central communication space for students. At the same time, the inner-city square combines a wide variety of uses, such as science, education, health, shopping, administration and gastronomy. The pedestrian frequency is further increased by the terminus of a streetcar line and the exits of the underground parking garages beneath the square.

Due to the aging design of the square, the constantly increasing pressure of use and the increasing heat load in the inner city area, the area no longer meets the requirements of modern, inner-city squares. Accordingly, a fundamental redesign is to take place. The underground car parks directly beneath the square, which only have a limited load-bearing capacity, pose a particular challenge. This means that backfilling on a larger scale or planting trees is only possible to a very limited extent.

Previous plans for the redesign

A competition to redesign and upgrade Ernst-Abbe-Platz was held back in 2012. A total of 18 entries from local, national and international planning offices were submitted to the jury. From these entries, three plans were each awarded a prize. Two entries were recognized for their outstanding details. Due to the difficult budgetary situation and the resulting lack of funding, the plans could not be implemented.