Vibrant centers for Bieber and Bürgel

The "Vibrant Centers" development concept for Bieber and Bürgel is now being implemented. Stephan Färber, head of the city council, explains in an interview which projects are coming and how things are progressing. He also invites you to the results dialog on October 12, 2021 in the Stadion am Bieberer Berg.

The "Lebendige Zentren" funding program has already come a long way. At the end there is now a comprehensive concept. What does the concept contain?

Together with citizens, the Office for Urban Planning, Transport and Construction Management has identified and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the town centers in a participatory manner despite the coronavirus restrictions. In addition, the specialist planners from the urban planning office collected and analyzed data in and for the town centers.
On this basis, guiding principles were developed together with citizens. Nineteen projects were derived from this for the Bieber town center and twenty for the Bürgel town center. Thanks to the extensive participation and analysis, they do justice to the specific characteristics of the town centers and aim to create lively and sustainable town centers. However, as the two town centers also face similar challenges, it makes sense to work on these in the form of joint measures. In this way, additional benefits can be created and fee costs can be saved. Such joint projects include the parking space concept or the design of the town center streets. Both town centers are dominated by stationary traffic. Solutions need to be found and the town centre streets need to be designed in such a way that the special characteristics of the streets are emphasized, thus enhancing the townscape. The aim is for people to enjoy spending time there. Another very important joint measure is core area management. It accompanies the implementation on site. With a wide range of measures, the development concept provides a guideline for lively and sustainable town centers over the next ten to fifteen years. The federal and state governments are funding the measures to the tune of around 14 million, i.e. two thirds.

Why is core area management so important for the implementation of the lively centers in Bieber and Bürgel?

Core area management is a prerequisite for funding.

It supports and coordinates the local implementation of the development concept recently adopted by the city council. The core area management is the local contact and caretaker. It also implements some projects itself, such as strengthening the supply cores - similar to a city manager. However, projects relating to urban development or the topics of green spaces, living together and mobility are also on the agenda. The range of tasks of the core area management is correspondingly diverse. It is based on existing social structures in Bieber and Bürgel, which come together in the yet-to-be-constituted "Local Partnership" committee. These will support the implementation and development of the town center on the part of associations, institutions and citizens. They will also manage a disposition fund that provides financial resources for private projects.

And what specific projects are there for the Bieber town center?

One project is a feasibility study on the redesign and traffic calming of Aschaffenburger Strasse. This is the central shopping street and therefore also a meeting point in Bieber. At the same time, it is heavily dominated by traffic, as it is an important access route for the town center. It is therefore necessary to examine what means can be used to improve the quality of life and reduce the dominance of motorized traffic. It is essential to keep an eye on the different dependencies on retail, traffic flow, etc. in the process. The next step is to implement the developed solutions in terms of construction. We are also focusing on revitalizing the historic station building, which already looks very different today than it did just a few months ago. Other of the nineteen measures include the redesign of the square at the former Bieber town hall. We also need better conditions on the streets for people on foot or by bike. Green networking and more public green spaces in the old town center are also projects that are being tackled. It is also important to make Bieber's identity visible with a tour of the historic town center. This is a measure taken by local stakeholders. A design statute should help to protect the special character of Bieber. To ensure that this can be implemented effectively, it is flanked by a district architect who approaches and advises interested parties directly on site, as well as an incentive program that provides financial support to interested owners.

And when will the projects be implemented?

One of the projects in Bieber is already being implemented at the moment. The toddler area of the playground on Pfarrgasse is being redesigned. This is a project that could be tackled at short notice with the help of the funding program. The priority project is Aschaffenburger Strasse. As it is an extensive project, it requires a longer technical and planning lead time - traffic flows, modal split (distribution of traffic volume according to cars, buses and trains, bicycles and pedestrians) etc. must be considered, so it is not scheduled until 2023. There are also projects that build on each other. For example, the design of the town center streets is also dependent on a parking concept. Without a prior, well-founded concept and a discussion about it, a redesign is of little use. This measure is therefore not due until 2025. The entire concept is structured according to this prioritization scheme. In addition to the citizens' perspective and the technical expertise, the project prioritization results from the chronological processing sequence. There are quick, short-term measures to quickly make the town center visibly vibrant. There are also projects that are larger and therefore require more time and extensive planning. And there are projects that build on each other. Overall, it is important to stay on the ball throughout the entire fifteen-year term, to implement projects and to call up funding on time and in full. The measures in the concept are designed accordingly.

And what specific projects are planned for Bürgel's town center?

For Bürgel, the participatory measures of the urban development concept adopted by the city councillors in 2017 were specified and refined. With the help of the "Vibrant Centers" funding programme, there is now financial support to implement them. The priority measure is of course the redesign of the Dalles. Concepts have already been drawn up for this, so that the stakeholders can now begin to concretize the planning and structural implementation. In doing so, it is important to reflect the different interests and involve the relevant representatives from the local community. 750,000 euros in funding has already been applied for. There are also concept ideas for the characteristic redesign of the town center streets, so that after the introduction of the necessary parking space concept from 2025, 1.25 million euros have been budgeted for the structural design here alone. The design statutes are currently being coordinated with the Lower Monument Protection Authority. In addition, the already established historical town tours are to be supported. Other important projects include the main roads, which are to be reorganized and also upgraded in the intersection areas. Also on the agenda: Improving the bicycle infrastructure, upgrading the path connection between Dalles and Main, strengthening the supply core, establishing an open meeting point, increasing the volume of greenery, improving public transport. There are twenty measures in total.

Why are there so many projects?

On the one hand, they were all already included and approved in the 2017 concept. On the other hand, and this also applies to Bieber, the specialist planners from the urban planning team looked at the town centers as a whole. This means that the topics of mobility, greenery and climate, supply, building culture and living together were examined. This is because vibrant town centers are not only characterized by an attractive structural design, but also by a sustainable supply landscape, lively local community life, sustainable mobility and a good climate. These wide-ranging interests also became clear during the participation process. Issues such as cycling infrastructure, meeting places and green spaces were particularly important to the younger generation. Accordingly, the projects are interdisciplinary in nature. In addition, there are already quite a few construction-investment measures based on some of the concepts. A large proportion of the funding for Bürgel has been budgeted for these. In some areas, however, a concept or study is first required in order to develop specific structural measures and then apply for funding. Finally, there are also exclusively soft measures that, for example, make the historical heritage visible or promote the supply landscape. These are also important for an attractive and lively town center.

Where can the concept be viewed?

The concept and the projects will be presented at the results dialog on October 12, 2021. All interested parties are cordially invited to talk to the urban planning team, provide feedback and ask questions. The core area management that has already been commissioned will probably also be presented and it will be outlined how interested parties can get involved in shaping the center of Bieber and Bürgel.