Zollhausplatz becomes a "climate square"

The redesign of this town square is an important component of the city's measures and projects in light of the climate emergency declared on May 29, 2019.

The previously largely asphalted area is to be unsealed and transformed into a climate square with plenty of greenery. Starting in 2018, an extensive participation process took place with five major events. In 2022, the city council approved a preliminary design, which has now been revised once again to incorporate suggestions and points of criticism from local residents and traders. The city council approved the revised preliminary plans at its meeting on 21.03.2024.

There was always agreement on the basic objective: Zollhausplatz is to be developed from a sealed, dull urban space with a dominant traffic function into a green and lively "climate square" with a high quality of stay at the entrance to the historic city center. At the same time, it remains an important stop for public transport to the east of the city. The distance between the bus lane and the houses was changed during the revision. This will be at least five meters wide on the southern Werner-von-Siemens-Straße. Green islands on the south side of Werner-von-Siemens-Straße will provide even more greenery. Delivery areas have been integrated into the planning on the south side of Werner-von-Siemens-Straße and on the north side of Luitpoldstraße. They allow deliveries and unloading throughout the day.

Following the positive vote by the city council committee, detailed design planning will now begin and construction work is expected to start in spring 2025. Completion of the construction project is planned for the end of 2027.

The measure is estimated to cost around 8.8 million euros. The project is being funded by the federal program "Adaptation of urban spaces to climate change" and the federal-state urban development program "Social cohesion".

Involving citizens - what has been done?

In the first citizens' workshop in April 2018, local residents and other interested parties gathered many ideas and wishes for short-term or temporary improvements to the square in terms of its use, greenery and furnishings. The results of the citizens' workshop were presented to the city council for information on September 25, 2018.

The city of Erlangen pressed ahead with the planning with two further citizen workshops in May 2019 and July 2019. The commissioned working group Auböck + Kárász from Vienna and bauchplan from Munich initially presented conceptual approaches for the development of the square as a mobility square, climate square and participatory square. After the intensive work of the citizens in the workshops, the commissioned planners sorted and organized the ideas of the citizens for the redesign of the square. The resulting preliminary design plan for the "modified Klimaplatz" forms the basis for further planning. The process to date has been accompanied by the artist Alexis Dworsky. Documentation on the results of the two public workshops on May 27, 2019 and July 1, 2019 is available for download on this website.

In October 2019, the preliminary design for the "Klimaplatz" was presented by the commissioned planning office and approved by the city council. Due to the complex traffic relationships between pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users, motorized private transport and cabs and possibly the establishment of a car-sharing location, it was also decided to include the adjacent areas of Werner-von-Siemens-Straße and Luitpoldstraße in the overall planning.

The Europe-wide tender for the planning took place in 2020. As a result of the tender and in accordance with the decision of the Environment, Transport and Planning Committee on December 8, 2020, the Munich-based office bauchplan ).( was commissioned with the next planning phases for the redesign of Zollhausplatz into Klimaplatz.

Public participation continued in June 2021 despite the coronavirus restrictions. During the street walk on June 9, 2021, many suggestions and wishes were collected from citizens, especially regarding the redesign of the Luitpoldstraße section. The ideas of the citizens were reviewed and organized by the commissioned office bauchplan ).(. The resulting three planning proposals were presented and discussed at the public participation event on June 30, 2021.

The preliminary draft adopted by the city council in March 2022 was revised again in discussions with tradespeople and residents and with on-site meetings in 2023 and was adopted by the city council in March 2024. Under the leadership of the Erlangen Civil Engineering Department, the implementation of the plans for the redesign of Zollhausplatz and the adjacent streets is now being prepared.

We would like to thank all citizens who have actively supported this planning process with their good ideas and commitment.

(An abridged version is available in the city newspaper "Rathausplatz 1" - April 2024 issue)