Winner of the Federal Urban Green Award
Aachen with its Suermondt Park was one of the winning municipalities of the Federal Prize for Urban Greenery 2022, which was awarded by the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building.
The motto of the competition was "Climate adaptation and quality of life". The evaluation criteria were the contribution to climate adaptation, the added value for the quality of life, the design, the planning and implementation process, the cooperation and involvement of the stakeholders as well as creativity and innovation.
The Federal Urban Green Award is an important building block in the implementation of the White Paper on Urban Green. It is supported by the German Association of Cities, the German Association of Towns and Municipalities and the German County Association. Scientific support is provided by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR).
Film about the 2022 award ceremony
Opening of the Suermondt Park on June 15, 2016
The sun was shining brightly as district mayor Marianne Conradt opened the new Suermondt Park together with Dr. Markus Kremer, head of the environment department. "I am delighted to be able to open this wonderfully redesigned playground and park together with so many people," she said.
And indeed, a lot of people came to the official opening. Children from the Beeckstraße day nursery and elementary school, pupils from the Paulus-Julius-Reuter vocational college, the neighborhood from the Suermondt district, people involved in the "community garden" as well as district representatives, council politicians and administrative staff.
Offers for every age group
"There is something for every age group in this new park," said District Mayor Conradt: "It's turned out really great." She was also pleased that the "community garden" project had been integrated into the new Suermondt Park. She appealed to everyone to treat the new park in the middle of the city center with care and responsibility.
Dr. Markus Kremer, Head of the Environment Department, also thinks it is "really great" what has been created at this location in the city center. He wondered aloud when he would go there with his children. "We were able to stay within the budget that the politicians had made available to us," explained Kremer. The construction costs for the realization of the new Suermondt Park with new paths, benches, play facilities and a football and basketball court amount to around 728,000 euros.
Redesign completed earlier than planned
The head of department also emphasized that the work could be completed earlier than planned. The opening was originally scheduled for July 2016. The open spaces on Richardstrasse and Martin-Luther-Strasse had been redesigned since the beginning of the year. The new neighborhood park was able to be created here because a vacant municipal building in Richardstrasse was demolished years ago and the entire area could be reconsidered. In addition, the demolition and re-planning provided the opportunity to eliminate the former deficits of this area: the then repellent appearance as well as outdated play equipment and poorly usable sports facilities.
Extensive planning process
The ideas of adults and children were taken into account in an extensive planning process with a "park workshop" and "planning walks". At the beginning of 2013, the CDU and the Greens submitted a council motion. The following May, the basic resolutions were passed in the Mitte district council and in the specialist committees. The "park workshop" and the "planning walk with children" followed in September of that year.
In July 2014, the planning draft based on this was presented to the public, followed a few months later by the decision to build in the political committees. Another year then passed before construction began at the start of 2016 for the implementation planning, tendering and awarding of the contract to a gardening and landscaping company.
Too little greenery in the Suermondt district so far
The Environmental Prevention and Green Planning Department of the Environment Division carried out the entire planning process (design, planning, awarding and construction management) with its own municipal employees. The construction work was then carried out by a gardening and landscaping company. The Suermondt district previously had far too few green spaces. Now a new "open space for everyone" has been created, with new openings, a higher quality of stay and better play and sports facilities, which can be used extensively by residents and the numerous daycare centers and schools in the neighborhood.
From the council proposal to the new neighborhood park in the Suermondt district
A brief historical overview:
- January 2013: Council motion on the planning and implementation of the "Suermondt Park". The new sports hall originally planned for this site is no longer pursued in agreement with the city region.
- May 2013: Planning decisions in the district council and in the specialist committees. Around the same time, the "community garden" project begins on the site where a municipal building used to stand but was demolished.
- September 2013: public "park workshop" and a "planning walk" with children
- October 2013 to June 2014: Draft planning, internal administrative coordination and intergroup discussion
- July 2014: the draft is presented to the public
- November 2014: District council and specialist committees decide to realize the "Suermondt Park"
- January to July 2015: Implementation planning and preparation of the invitation to tender
- August to November 2015: Tender for the construction work and award of contract to a gardening and landscaping company
- January to June 2016: Construction and completion of the "Suermondt Park"
- 15 June 2016: Opening of the new Suermondt Park by district mayor Marianne Conradt and environmental officer Dr. Markus Kremer