Urban Development Concept (STEK)

In recent years, urban development in Erlangen has been driven primarily by sector-specific and sub-regional plans, as well as by the implementation of individual projects. In addition, the City Council has already adopted groundbreaking principles, such as declaring a climate emergency in 2019 and the subsequent “Climate Breakthrough” roadmap.

However, apart from the 2003 Land Use Plan, there is currently no citywide strategic framework that includes guidelines for development. The need for such a framework is evident, on the one hand, in the increasing competition for and scarcity of land that has existed for years. At the same time, there is persistently high demand, particularly for residential and commercial space. The STEK is intended to provide answers to questions regarding land use development.

Furthermore, individual urban development projects have come under public criticism and were ultimately halted by a referendum. Examples include the implementation of the State Garden Show (2017) and the preliminary studies for the Erlangen West III development area (2018). The rejection of these individual projects was justified, among other things, by the lack of an overarching concept.

Most recently, the need for an urban development concept has also become apparent with regard to commercial development. In particular, opportunities for manufacturing and skilled trades are limited by the current scarcity of available land. It is a political goal to expand Erlangen as a business location and to promote the development of new commercial areas in a balanced manner. The STEK is intended, among other things, to address questions related to this priority area and to formulate future perspectives.

The process does not start from scratch. For Erlangen, there is a wide range of concepts and studies on various specialized topics and sub-areas of the city. Examples of sub-area concepts include the three urban renewal areas currently being developed and supported by urban development funding programs: Downtown, Erlangen Southeast, and Büchenbach North.

The existing plans are internally consistent. However, conflicting objectives cannot be ruled out when these concepts are overlaid. They must therefore be examined within the framework of the STEK process in a holistic, city-wide context, and the interactions—including those between the city as a whole and the urban renewal areas—must be identified. As a citywide development strategy, the STEK is intended to link the diverse requirements while simultaneously finding solutions to conflicting objectives, both spatial and technical. It thus serves as an overarching framework for the existing objectives and measures.

The STEK is an informal planning tool. Given its objectives and function, it also serves, among other things, to prepare for the revision of the Land Use Plan (FNP). The Land Use Plan is a formal planning instrument of urban land-use planning and is therefore binding on the city. It was last approved citywide in 2003 and has since been regularly updated through amendments to specific subareas. A land-use plan serves the purpose of long-term, strategic planning for the use of land within a municipality. To ensure orderly and sustainable urban development, it specifies which areas of the city are to be developed as residential, commercial, or green spaces, among other things.

The city administration is collaborating with an external planning firm to develop the STEK. The process will begin in the spring of 2025. It will take approximately three and a half to four years to complete.

Based on existing concepts and documentation, the initial focus of the process will be on comparing, discussing, and reviewing the objectives outlined therein. Our contractor will also supplement these findings with its own assessments. This process will be accompanied by various public engagement formats, allowing the city’s residents to actively contribute to the issues relevant to Erlangen’s future. More detailed information on individual dates and opportunities for participation will be posted on this website as the process progresses (updated continuously). The goal of the analysis phase is to define key areas of action and spatial focus areas while identifying Erlangen’s strengths and weaknesses.

In the subsequent conceptualization phase, the goal is to work together with all stakeholders in the city to use the insights from the analysis to envision the future of Erlangen. The aim is to develop a vision for the future as well as a spatial development concept. The overarching framework will be formulated, and goals, strategies, and measures for the individual fields of action and key spatial areas will be defined.

To ensure a smooth transition to the implementation phase once the concept is finalized, the process will conclude with a focus on developing an implementation strategy. A key element of this will be the revision of the land-use plan.

In April 2024, a policy decision was made to develop the urban development concept. The administration was tasked with initiating all necessary steps. In June 2024, a Europe-wide call for proposals was launched to select an external planning firm. The procurement process was completed in early March 2025. This was followed by the commissioning of the planning firms forward Planung und Forschung (Berlin) and berchtoldkrass space&options ( Karlsruhe).

The project kickoff meeting with the firms took place at the end of March 2025.

Keeping all stakeholders and the city’s residents informed and involved is an essential and fundamental element of the STEK development process. The goal is to shape the future of Erlangen together with and for the citizens and the city! The process is designed to be transparent and accessible at all times. To ensure you can join the project at any time, the project team will keep you constantly updated:

To this end, a project website has been set up as a central platform for engaging with the public: https://www.erlangen-weiterdenken.de/ The site provides ongoing updates on the STEK process, the project’s progress, and key milestones. In addition, various online formats are offered to enable active and straightforward participation. Furthermore, the usual communication channels (including newspapers and the City of Erlangen’s social media channels) will regularly provide updates on the project.

Throughout the process, you’ll have various opportunities to get actively involved. In addition to the online formats, in-person events will also take place. These will be announced well in advance. Given the citywide scope of the project, special emphasis is placed on the diversity of opportunities offered. All city districts and neighborhoods will be involved, as will the various demographic groups. We want to involve the city’s community as broadly as possible in the process and encourage everyone to participate in the city’s development!