Urban development construction projects

The city of Aachen is facing major challenges. These include, for example, the urban land-use planning for the Büchel old town district, the new Theaterplatz, numerous framework plans and urban development qualification procedures. They also include the creation of good residential and care locations, new daycare centres and university complexes, the guidelines for inner-city outdoor catering, the finalization of the landscape plan, the launch of heat planning and the design of the energy transition in listed areas.

Visitors to Theaterplatz on the Day of Urban Development — © ODYS STUDIOS

Spotlight on!

Theaterplatz

The theater and its square - an exciting place that you should have seen and will enjoy seeing again and again. Together with parts of the accompanying Kapuzinergraben and Theaterstraße, Aachen is developing an important urban building block in the city center here

Drawing of the Forst district with means of transportation, houses and people — City of Aachen / Michaela Gude-Starke

Aachen Forest

Forst and its sub-areas Unterforst, Altforst, Schönforst, Forster Linde, Obere Trierer Straße and Driescher Hof will be strengthened for the future and made more attractive and liveable.

The ball fountain in Aachen at the height of Willy-Brandt-Platz — steg NRW, © steg NRW

Eastern city center

In order to meet the challenges in the eastern city center, preparatory studies in accordance with Section 141 of the German Building Code (BauGB) have been carried out since the end of 2021 in a parcel-specific spatial perimeter (study area)

Büchel old town quarter

As part of the "inner city" redevelopment area, a comprehensive redevelopment project has been underway in the Altstadt district since 2022. In addition, new preparatory studies for the area have been underway since the end of 2024.

Trees and foliage and a channel filled with flowing stream water — Christian Reichel

Aachen streams

Hot thermal springs and cold streams are essential prerequisites for the foundation and further development of Aachen.

There are several areas in Aachen where projects are currently being implemented with the help of urban development funding and will be in the coming years. The challenges in terms of content are as varied as the districts themselves:

In the city center, the focus over the next few years will be on the eastern part of the city center. The ongoing structural change requires an examination of this area and a concentration of measures.

The lead project in Beverau is the conversion of the former equestrian farm "Gut Branderhof" into a neighborhood and meeting center.
In Haaren, the focus is on upgrading public squares and green areas.
The "Socially Integrative City Aachen-Nord" and Brand development programs have already expired; individual measures are still being completed here. The Aachen East area was already completed several years ago.
An integrated urban development concept is currently being drawn up for the Forst / Schönforst / Driescher Hof area, which will form an important basis for the future development of the district and the acquisition of funding.

With urban development funding to the "city of tomorrow"

Cities and municipalities are subject to constant change. Federal and state urban development funding has been supporting municipalities in actively shaping this change for more than 50 years. The aim is to reduce urban planning deficiencies and development deficits, take preventative action to an increasing extent, improve economic performance and develop established building structures in a contemporary and sustainable manner.

We are combining demographic, ecological and economic aspects. This is a complicated project that can only succeed in consultation with residents and business people. It is important to think ahead about development scenarios for the coming decades and make Aachen fit for the future.

Integrated urban development concepts (IUDC) form the basis for urban development funding and the framework for the interdisciplinary, strategic development of neighborhoods. Specific individual measures respond to the challenges and generally enjoy federal and state funding amounting to 80 percent of the costs.

From concept development to project implementation, the participation of citizens and stakeholders in tailor-made formats plays a central role. This enables participation at a local level and strengthens the identity with the neighborhood, city and region. We want to lay the foundations for places or projects to continue to develop on their own after the funding measures have been completed.

There are therefore three priorities in urban development funding:

Vibrant centers:
Regardless of whether they are downtown or district centers - they are attractive when life is pulsating. They have to offer something for everyone: for those who live or work here, who run a business or go to school - or simply visit the museum.
Social cohesion:
Where neighbors stick together, meet and care for each other, the quality of life increases. Especially in disadvantaged neighborhoods, we focus on the quality of living and create the conditions for a diverse range of socio-cultural activities. Green parks as meeting places for all generations, green spaces for sport, play, neighborhood and recreation are just some of the measures. And last but not least, the neighborhood offices as "hands-on centers" for everyone who wants to get actively involved.
Growth and sustainable renewal:
Vacant shopping streets or industrial buildings that are no longer needed often shape the character of cities in transitional periods. Innovative impulses, investments in the future and ingenious utilization concepts are required here. They breathe new life into these places and awaken the desire to live or work in the redesigned district.

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