Redesign of Westbahnhof and surrounding area - framework plan presented
The framework planning for the further development of Jena-West station and the surrounding area has been completed. The results will be presented at a public event on 04.11.2024 from 18:00 in the plenary hall of the historic town hall. All interested parties are cordially invited.
Why a framework plan?
The framework plan shows how the area around the station, Westbahnhofstraße and Schillerstraße, including Engelplatz, can be made more attractive and how the development potential of the area can be explored. This is necessary not least because of the large new ZEISS building. The construction project will create new routes for visitors, commuters, professionals and students. In the long term, traffic routing will be changed. The area will also become more important due to the expected increase in passenger numbers. The area is to become a mobility hub, i.e. a place where different modes of transport such as buses, trains, bicycles and cars are linked together to make it easier to switch between them. Accordingly, it is important to further develop and strengthen the entire area in the west of the city in terms of transportation and urban development.
Flexible concept
A non-binding planning vision with a time horizon of 5 to 30 years is created in the framework planning. Various development options are presented, depending on how much space is available and to what extent third parties are involved.
The result serves as a guideline that offers a flexible approach to the development of the site. The following topics are bundled in this guideline:
- Urban design (e.g. buildings and squares),
- reorganization of uses (e.g. commercial and rail),
- traffic functions (e.g. pedestrian and cycle paths, bike+ride, public transport and car traffic),
- Creation of green and open spaces (e.g. landscaped square with seating).
Public participation
The city of Jena began the framework planning together with a planning office in 2023. The opinions of citizens were also sought. In February 2024, a public planning workshop was held in the historic town hall, where participants were able to discuss the different variants of the concept for the area directly surrounding the station, Engelplatz and Westbahnhofstraße. Comments could also be entered online on the city's participation platform. The views of the surrounding businesses were collected in a separate survey.
Involvement of ZEISS and Deutsche Bahn
In addition to the population, the involvement of ZEISS and Deutsche Bahn as the two main external stakeholders in this area was also of great importance, as some plans can only be realized with the support of these two companies.
"The completion of the framework planning for Jena-West station is a great example of what we can achieve together when citizen participation takes center stage! The numerous ideas and suggestions from the people of Jena have made a significant contribution to the development of this forward-looking concept. This project shows how important it is to actively involve local people in order to find solutions that make our city liveable, modern and sustainable," emphasizes Christian Gerlitz, Mayor and Head of Urban Development and Environment of the City of Jena.