Shopping street in Cologne is being redesigned - for 6 million euros

Created: 08/11/2022 07:07

By: Johanna Werning

The pedestrian zone Ehrenstrasse in Cologne is to become greener.

(Iconic image) © Oliver Berg/dpa

The Ehrenstraße in Cologne should become more beautiful and greener.

And the city digs deep into its pockets for this.

There are currently two variants to choose from.

Cologne – Since April 2022, Ehrenstrasse in Cologne has been a pedestrian zone only.

The street in the center of Cologne is closed to cars, instead the people of Cologne can stroll along the shopping street and enjoy the cafés and restaurants.

Now the pedestrian zone in Cologne is to become even more attractive.

The plan: the Ehrenstrasse is to “become an attractive place to live and a green boulevard,” says the city.

And the administration wants to dig deep into their pockets for this.

In conversation: Around 6 million euros, reports 24RHEIN.

Cologne: Ehrenstrasse is to become greener – what the new pedestrian zone should look like in the future

There are currently two different versions.

In both cases, the pedestrian zone should be significantly greener: "The administration proposes the redesign based on the preliminary drafts of the office "scape landscape architects" (variant 1)", says the city of Cologne.

But what exactly should the Ehrenstraße look like then?

Cologne: The transformation of the Ehrenstraße

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In January 2021, the "reorganization of traffic in the area of ​​Breite Straße / Ehrenstraße in the district council of the city center" was applied for.

In June 2021 it will then be decided that Ehrenstrasse will become a pedestrian zone.

Implementation followed about a year later.

Ehrenstraße has been closed to cars since April 2022.

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but that's not all.

Ehrenstraße is to be further redesigned.

The plan: Ehrenstrasse is to become an attractive place to live and a green boulevard.

In the third quarter of 2022, a decision will be made on how Ehrenstrasse should look in the future.

The start of construction of the transformation is then planned for 2024.

Ehrenstraße: 1st concept – Willy-Millowitsch-Platz to the center of the pedestrian zone

According to the city, the preferential variant in the Ehrenstraße should “turn the expressionless street space into an attractive living space”.

The entire street should be significantly greener.

In the center is Willy-Millowitsch-Platz.

"The center of the square is given a special quality: this place is to be redesigned as a 'pocket park' with a drinking fountain and play areas." Another square with a water feature is to be created at the Pfeilstrasse/Alte Wallgasse intersection.

Raised beds will also be planted here.

The 1st variant for the redesign of Ehrenstrasse (screenshot) © City of Cologne

In the middle of Ehrenstrasse, a four-meter-wide strip is also to be created that pedestrians and cyclists in a hurry can use.

“The strip in front of the shops, on the other hand, invites you to stroll on both sides of the street.

There should also be space for benches, bicycle racks, displays and catering,” the city continued.

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Trees will also be planted to the left and right.

"These are not lined up, as is often the case with streets, but are loosely distributed over the street space," it continues.

Ehrenstraße: 2nd concept – water features and space for outdoor gastronomy

And the second draft also has it all: Here, too, the Ehrenstraße is to be significantly greener.

“But the trees are only planted in a row on the north side.

The existing trees on the south side in the section between Willy-Millowitsch-Platz and Pfeilstrasse must be removed."

And the raised beds are gone too.

Instead, there should be water features and space for relaxation zones or restaurants and bars on the squares.

The 2nd variant for the redesign of Ehrenstrasse (screenshot) © City of Cologne

Cologne: Redesign of the Ehrenstraße - how it goes on now

But what's next?

And which variant is chosen?

"After the summer break, the district council will discuss the results of the preliminary planning in a public meeting and make an extended planning decision," the city explains.

Only after the shelling can the next step begin.

"Construction for the transformation is expected to start in 2024," the city said.

The city of Cologne is investing around 6 million euros so that Ehrenstrasse can become “an attractive place to live and a green boulevard”.

The construction costs are currently estimated at 5.925 million euros.

Not only the Ehrenstraße recently became a car-free zone.

The Deutzer Freiheit was also transformed into a pedestrian zone.