Dear people of Aachen,
The pandemic has shaped 2020. We had to learn a lot.
And I am convinced that we will emerge stronger from the corona crisis in 2021.
You have shown a great deal of cohesion and a sense of strong togetherness.
We will also shape the city of the future with this sense of community, because solidarity with one another creates a strong urban society.
Dialogue at eye level, transparent communication and active participation are basic principles of successful future processes.
That is why we are now entering into dialog with the people of this city - online and offline:
In future forums, we want to get into conversation with you and develop viable visions.
Together, we are drawing a picture of the city of tomorrow and beyond. Local players and experts from other cities will give Aachen a new face that looks to the future and shapes the future. We want to start the series of events with the topic of mobility.
I would also like to actively support the "Citizens' Council for Aachen" initiative and would be delighted if we succeed in establishing this form of civic participation in Aachen this year.
I would like to initiate children's parliaments in elementary school and work together with the elected children's mayors in the town hall once a year.
The Lord Mayor is the first citizen of the city, she serves the people, no matter where they make their contribution in the city: as university professors, as cashiers in the supermarket, as carers in retirement homes, as nursery teachers, as artists, bus drivers or entrepreneurs.
Everyone is important for a city oriented towards the common good, only together can we make a difference.
There are numerous specific projects on my agenda for the coming year
In the local elections, voters made it very clear where they see the most pressing tasks in the coming years. The issue of transport was not only at the top of the list in Aachen, but also nationwide. In many cases, citizens are already further ahead than some politicians.
It's about concrete measures to combat climate change, better air quality, greater safety and less noise. Deceleration and a redistributed urban space make a city worth living in.
They offer quality of stay and quality of life for everyone.
I have been your Lord Mayor for two months now.
As soon as we took office, we started to implement measures.
Much of this will not be visible overnight.
However, I will continue to emphasize what I repeatedly said before the election:
We only have a limited window of opportunity to consistently align the economy and society towards climate neutrality and to make them more social, ecological and future-oriented.
That is why we want and need to take concrete action as quickly as possible.
This year, we will start to implement the climate protection concept and make the city greener.
- 400 new trees are to be planted this winter.
I would also like to launch a support program for greening facades.
A general concept for urban greening will follow in the course of the year. - We want to put more photovoltaics on the roofs of at least municipal buildings.
The municipal building management is already in the starting blocks. - We will push ahead with the energy-efficient refurbishment of existing buildings and promote loft conversions - as just one measure in the housing action plan.
- We will vigorously support the planning for the new RegioTram from Baesweiler to Aachen.
I will once again campaign for the introduction of job tickets at companies in our region.
And the city administration will offer company bike leasing after the wage agreement. - The implementation of the "Aachener Radentscheid" will of course also be at the top of my agenda. There will always be conflicts of interest in the actual planning and implementation. We will have to communicate well and campaign for approval and majorities.
I was elected by many people to implement this citizens' petition.
And I have accepted this mandate. - This year we will already be able to see how much quality of life less car traffic can bring - for example at Büchel and Elisenbrunnen.
At the same time, we will have to develop alternatives for parking in Aachen - for example through residents' parking, spaces in multi-storey parking lots or in neighborhood garages.
This year, we will do everything we can to equip schools sufficiently for digital teaching so that all pupils have the same opportunities - even in distance learning.
Creative artists still need our active support.
We will try out new formats and hopefully experience more live culture together in the summer.
We will also continue to support retailers to the best of our ability.
In the "difficult" areas, in the upper and lower Adalbertstraße, we will seek discussions with the owners and developers in order to improve the overall picture in the long term.
The Büchel multi-storey parking lot will finally be demolished after many years. Let's look forward to the new prospects, which are well on their way thanks to the active participation of committed citizens.
The new year will certainly not be easy due to the stress caused by the pandemic.
Nevertheless, I am looking forward to tackling the tasks ahead of us with my team, the entire administration and together with you.
Together, we will do everything we can to make it a good year.
04.08.2021