Leipzig-Stötteritz „Urban District Development“

Context

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The urban district of Stötteritz is in the south-east of Leipzig, approx. 4 km from the city centre. It is characterised by housing from the time of the German Empire. Approx. 70% of the listed existing stock has been redeveloped and repaired in the meantime.

After 1989, several ecological settlement projects were started in the east of Leipzig (pop. 497,000) in cooperation with citizens’ initiatives and the community. From this, the Leipzig “Ostraumproject” (East space project) arose from 1992 on, an intermediate organisation which carried out several subprojects in the areas urban ecology, development of the surrounding area, economy and employment until 1998.

Project description

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The urban district development in Stötteritz is significantly co-determined by committed citizens and associations. The association “Netzwerk Südost e.V.” (network south-east) was founded in 1993 and is one of the main stakeholders. It promotes and maintains structures and initiatives for self-organisation. The aims of its urban district work are “giving a social meaning”, revitalisation of public space, communication across the generations, coalition between citizens, companies and owners, and also the promotion of the local economy. The people responsible want to support, supplement or replace “existing administration structures which cannot cope with current problems”.

On the basis of an extensive stock analysis and survey (incl. regarding vacancy, redevelopment needs, wishes of the inhabitants, reasons for moving), a lack of cultural events and facilities, insufficient shopping possibilities and too few small flats for elderly people were determined in Stötteritz. As part of the “Urban District Development and Marketing Concept for Leipzig-Stötteritz”, the association developed future scenarios and gave “practical encouragement for acting and designing”. An important aspect for the future is the linking of voluntary offers of assistance, local companies, cultural and social services. Many suggestions were implemented by the urban district cooperative “Stötteritzer Margerite e.G.” from 2001 on. Especially with the help of measures to promote employment, it was possible to initiate architectural, cultural, social-work but also community projects in the urban district.

The cooperative founded an artist management agency and equipped a recording studio for the promotion of art and culture in Stötteritz. In order to make founders of new businesses more competitive, they were trained and advised in media design. The “market hall” and numerous other listed buildings were redeveloped in the past 5 years. Furthermore, the “Literature House Stötteritz” is currently coming into existence, which will offer readings and other cultural events. Markets, neighbourhood meetings and urban district festivals promote the social togetherness in the urban district, and the “Canapee”, a gastronomy company of the cooperative, offers an affordable lunch every day.

The work of the urban district cooperative will be taken over and continued by the “Network Association Initiative” in the course of 2004.

Project chronology

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Year	Event
1993	Founding of "Netzwerk Südost e.V." (network south-east)
1994/95	Community analysis for Stötteritz
1997	"Urban District Development and Marketing Concept"
2001	Founding of the urban district cooperative "Stötteritzer Margerite e.G."
2002	Redevelopment of individual buildings
2004	Giving up the cooperative and take over of the activities through network association

Aims

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• Promotion of the economic, social and ecological development of the urban district
• Supporting the public administration through citizens’ commitment
• Upgrading and conversion of listed building stock
• Promotion of art and culture and of social togetherness
• Specific services for the population (e.g. lunch, counselling, training courses)

Types of measures

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• Organising markets, urban district and neighbourhood festivals
• Conversion of the “market hall” for events and gastronomy
• Redevelopment of different listed buildings as part of employment and qualification projects
• Commputer and media training for founders of new businesses
• Funding an artist management agency, organising exhibitions and music events
• Setting up a recording studio for music recording

3rd sponsoring prize of the initiative “Active Citizenship”

Innovations

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The citizens’ commitment as part of the association and cooperative work created a series of specific offers and projects and with this significantly promoted the urban development and the social togetherness in Stötteritz.

Sources

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• <http://www.netzwerk-suedost.de>
• <http://www.stoetteritz.de>
• Netzwerk Südost e.V. (ed.) (1999): Das neue Südost. Stadtentwicklung, Bürgerschaft und Kommunalreform (The new south-east. Urban development, citizenship and reform of the community). Leipzig
• Netzwerk Südost e.V. (ed.) (1998): Stötteritzer Anstiftungen. Ein Stadtteil-Entwicklungs- und Marketingkonzept für Leipzig-Stötteritz (Stötteritz initiatives. An urban district development and marketing concept for Leipzig-Stötteritz). Leipzig
• Netzwerk Südost e.V. (1997): Stadtteil-Laden Leipzig-Stötteritz. Konzeptpapier (Urban district shop Leipzig-Stötteritz. Concept paper). Leipzig
• Leipziger Volkszeitung (1997): "Wir müssen mehr aus dem machen, was wir haben (We have to make more out of what we have)". Issue of 24.4.1997
• Stadt Leipzig, Dezernat Stadtentwicklung und Bau (City of Leipzig. Urban development and building department) (2000): Stadtentwicklungsplan Wohnungsbau und Stadterneuerung (Urban development plan for housing and urban renewal). (Contributions to Urban Development Magazine 30). Leipzig
• Stadt Leipzig, Dezernat Stadtentwicklung und Bau (City of Leipzig. Urban development and building department) (2000): Stadtentwicklungsplan Zentren (Urban development plan for centres). (Contributions to Urban Development Magazine 28). Leipzig (photo 1: aerial photo)

Further information

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• Hahn, Ekhart; Richter, Christoph (1996): Leipziger Ostraum-Projekt: Modellprojekt einer ökologisch-orientierten Stadt-Umland-Entwicklung (Leipzig’s east area project: Model project of an ecologically oriented city/surroundings development). In: Jürgen Breuste (ed.): Stadtökologie und Stadtentwicklung: Das Beispiel Leipzig (Urban ecology and urban development: The example of Leipzig). Berlin
• Ostraum-Projekt, Project leading office (ed.) (1996): Leipziger Ostraum. Modellprojekt einer ökologisch-orientierten Stadt-Umland-Entwicklung (Leipzig’s east area: Model project of an ecologically oriented city/surroundings development). Flyer on the project. Leipzig
• Hüchtker, Sibille (2000): Eilenburger Bahnhof: Eine Grünradiale in Leipzig (Eilenburg train station: A green radial in Leipzig). In: Selle, Klaus (ed.): Freiräume entwickeln - in Stadt und Region (Arbeits- und Organisationsformen für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung. Bd. 3) (Developing free space - In the city and region - Work and organisation forms for a sustainable development, volume 3) Dortmund

On the initiative "Aktive Bürgerschaft" (Active citizenship): <http://www.aktive-buergerschaft.de>

The project location can be directly translated into Google-maps. Project in Google-Maps

The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 04299 - town: Leipzig - street: Rudolph-Herrmann-Straße.

Protagonists

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• Verein Netzwerk Südost e.V. (Association network south-east), Georg Pohl (Management), Stötteritzer Str. 43, 04317 Leipzig, Tel./Fax: 0341/9902309, eMail: <nw-suedost@t-online.de>, Web: <http://www.netzwerk-suedost.de> (photo: 2)
• Cooperative Stötteritzer Margerite e.G., Achim Richter, Lichtenbergweg 5d, 04299 Leipzig, Tel. 0341/8611940, Web: <http://www.stoetteritz.de> (photo: 3 - 5)
• Stadt Leipzig, Stadtplanungsamt (City of Leipzig, Urban planning office), Stefan Heinig, 04092 Leipzig, Tel. 0341/123-4920, Fax -4925, eMail: <sheinig@leipzig.de>, Web: <http://www.leipzig.de> (layout plan)