Neighborhoods Close to Downtown

The urban expansion zone near Nordbahnhof is dynamically developing according to real demands and the effective need for housing and commercial areas. This ensures that the site density remains scalable in relation to open space. The window of time ranged from 2013 to the submission of the maximum gross floor space of 500,000 m². This district development is meant to be a prime example of a transparent use of capital and to illustrate related interests on the part of renters and owners. Democratic planning processes and also the creation of open spaces for social and commercial experiments reflected one main premise for this endeavor. Taking into consideration the current budget situation, the discussion and implementation of cost-efficient district developments were decisive. The facilitation of appropriate forms of participation, the support of associations and of newly founded cooperative projects, could both structurally distinguish the “neighborhoods close to downtown” and create a balanced ecology. The future option of building over the railway (commuter train) was to be taken into consideration in the zoning plan. In order to counteract the pragmatic development of an urban district, swift appropriation on the part of neighbors and guests should make the area better known to the general population and foster identity. Social esteem, close social nets, and a blend of inhabitant structure thus already arose during the planning phase.