Redesign of the northern city wall street

The Nördliche Stadtmauerstraße with its green open space along the city wall forms the northern end of Erlangen's historic city center. It serves as a transit area as well as an access road for the adjacent properties. After the renovation of the medieval city wall, which will be completed in 2021, the untapped potential of this open space will become apparent. The question of redefining the Nördliche Stadtmauerstraße also arises under the current requirements of adapting to climate change.

Rehwaldt Landschaftsarchitekten from Dresden was commissioned in 2023 to draw up a preliminary design for the redesign of the Nördliche Stadtmauerstraße. This office had already collected initial ideas for a redesign of the area in 2012 with a sketch of ideas and a public discussion. To accompany the planning process, two public workshops were held in September and October 2023, in which the future design was jointly developed with a focus on functional features, intensity of use and the future traffic situation.

On the basis of the brief and the results of the public participation, a concept was developed that creates opportunities for new uses on the one hand, but also takes the existing buildings into account on the other. Changes are only made where they are necessary and can be implemented with reasonable effort. The entire tree population of currently 14 trees will be preserved and supplemented with new trees. When planting new trees, the aim is to achieve the highest possible biodiversity, e.g. with climate-resistant species of woody plants. In the interests of climate-friendly rainwater management, rainwater from the higher Lazarettstraße will be used for the green areas of Nördliche Stadtmauerstraße in accordance with the sponge city principle. The sealing of the currently asphalted area is also to be reduced. The overall planning is aimed at contemporary forms of mobility, including the reduction of existing motor vehicle traffic.

The entire planning area is divided into three sections: Entree West, Central Area and Entree East. The central area with Saugrabenplatz, Forscherplatz and Mauergärten strengthens the quality of stay with its additional uses. The design of the two entrances to Nördliche Stadtmauerstraße is also intended to contribute to an upgrading of the Martinsbühler Straße and Bayreuther Straße entrances to the city.

The present preliminary draft for the redesign of Nördliche Stadtmauerstraße was developed in cooperation with the stakeholders and the specialist departments involved and was unanimously approved by the City of Erlangen's Environment, Transport and Planning Committee on 12.03.2024. The departments involved are now coordinating the next steps for implementing the measure. We will inform you in due course.

One suggestion from the citizens' workshops on the city's history has already been implemented. Since 06.03.2024, an addition to the street name sign refers to the historical name "Saugraben", which indicates that the ditch was once used for pig farming.