"Playable city"

The city of Jena is launching a practical project with teilAuto, a car sharing provider, to realize opportunities for a "Playable City". A first kick-off date will take place in Jena on 31.5.2023.

Developing neighborhood concepts with municipalities

The teilAuto company has been able to enlist the services of urban planner Prof. Bernhard Meyer from the Protestant University of Applied Sciences in Darmstadt for conceptual design and consulting, who is developing neighborhood concepts on behalf of teilAuto. Together with the participating municipalities and other partners and sponsors, a joint implementation is to be achieved. The goal is to implement the results and suggestions of the concept developed by Prof. Meyer in a suitable district or school catchment area in Jena.

First Jena educational institutions won for cooperation

The area around the Westschule (August-Bebel-Straße) or alternatively the area around the Südschule (Döbereinerstraße) were localized as suitable investigation areas and the local educational institutions were won for cooperation.

The area is also particularly suitable because concrete implementation possibilities can be seen and combined here with the upcoming reconstruction of August-Bebel-Strasse/Semmelweisstrasse/Erfurter Strasse.

"Playable city" - space for children in the city

The concept "Bespielbare Stadt" is an attempt to reclaim the public space of a city for children. Children are to be enabled to move independently in the urban space and at the same time made attractive. To this end, places that are important for children (such as schools, playgrounds) are connected by a network of safe paths and additionally upgraded by play objects with the full participation of the children.

Mayor Christian Gerlitz is particularly pleased about this cooperation, because "the children of our city are our future and should be involved in urban development. This form of participation strengthens on the one hand the feeling for one's own environment and the personal possibilities of influence. All things that are important in a democracy and move it forward."

This concept was exemplarily realized by the city of Griesheim in Hesse. Photos of the "playable city" can be found at https://www.griesheim.de/bildung-kultur/bespielbare-stadt/.