Upgrade the old town of Landsberg together

Created: 05/27/2022, 07:48

By: Ulrike Osman

Will the Vorderanger become a pedestrian zone?

One of the questions that should now be clarified together with the citizens concerned.

© Archive photo: Lauff

Landsberg – The upgrading of the northern old town is to be tackled together with those affected.

It is already clear to those responsible in the city that conflicting interests will collide and conflicts will come to light.

A specialized moderation office is brought in to ensure that the planning process and public participation are still constructive. 

How should the Vorderanger and Hinteranger and the adjacent streets be dealt with?

Will the Vorderanger become a pedestrian zone while car traffic only rolls through the Hinteranger?

What about parking?

For Mayor Doris Baumgartl (UBV), these are just some of the questions that arise in connection with the further development of the northern old town.

"We are convinced that a successful transformation can only succeed together with the citizens," said Mayor Baumgartl at the most recent city council meeting.

"Intense thoughts" were put into it and it was decided that planning steps and public participation should run in parallel.

Solveig Grundler from the Diessen planning office AgoraKomm explained what public participation will look like in detail.

At the beginning there is the so-called activation phase, during which the citizens should above all be listened to.

Ideas, wishes, worries and fears should be collected in direct conversations.

One wants to "hear and feel what really moves people," says Grundler.

It is important that nothing happens behind closed doors.

All data, facts and documents should be accessible at all times on a project website.

As part of a public festival, they want to have their own stand and talk to the general public.

This is followed by three on-site walks by the planners - both from AgoraKomm and from the Dragomir Urban Planning office - with three affected groups: residents, owners and business people.

In this "understanding phase" (Grundler), existing conflicts become clear, which are negotiated in a subsequent deepening phase.

This should happen in a one and a half day workshop with 20 appointed stakeholders and 20 other participants – you can apply for these places.

Intensive moderation ensures that the workshop does not turn into an exchange of blows.

Experts and local politicians present have no right to speak - "they are all only allowed to listen," says Grundler.

open office

During this workshop, the framework guidelines for planning will be developed.

They form the basis on which the city planners of the Dragomir office develop a first draft, present it to the public and receive criticism from there.

As part of a so-called charrette process, the planners are to set up an open office in the old town for three days, where citizens can look over their shoulders at work, ask questions and make suggestions.

In this way, the maximum possible transparency should be created, as Grundler explained.

The plans are then put online for three weeks and can again be commented on by the public.

The entire process will start in the next few weeks and will run until autumn 2023. As planner Martin Birgel from the Dragomir office explained, crowdmapping will start on June 21st on a specially set up internet platform, in which citizens from the city and district can use pushpins to identify themselves can comment on positive and negative aspects of the northern old town.

The comments – released by a moderator – can be read, commented on, liked or disliked by everyone.

The entire campaign is to be publicized with large posters in the coming weeks.

We have had good experiences with crowdmapping in the past, says Birgel.

"The participation rates are much better than when people have to come into an event hall."