Escape into the inner city
(Brandenburg)
Source: Stadt Treuenbrietzen
Treuenbrietzen (pop. 8,500) is in the south-west of Berlin in the county Potsdam-Mittelmark in the federal state of Brandenburg. Like many historical old towns, the community has high redevelopment needs. Since 1991, the first measures for securing old buildings and repairing streets have been carried out. The inner city has been defined as a redevelopment area (42 hectares) since November 1994 and forms the development focus in Treuenbrietzen.
Source: Stadt Treuenbrietzen
For the revitalisation of the inner city, the City of Treuenbrietzen initiates developments, brings partners together and influences the development of certain urban areas. Thus, culture, education and leisure are seen as important pillars for strengthening the function of the inner city. Here, not the individual project is at the centre of attention, but a versatile development approach.
The city functions as a motor and initiator and enlivens selected areas of the city for future developments. The areas receive their own profile which can be developed further. Public facilities, especially with a large number of visitors, are specifically relocated to the town centre from other areas to enliven the inner city and are preferredly accommodated in listed buildings. These buildings can be preserved with this new use. The best example for this is the completed redevelopment of the largest timbered house in the town. It now serves as a nursery with 100 places. At the same time, three nurseries are closed on the urban fringe - one in the short term, two in the medium term. The library and the senior citizens club, which are both located outside the old town area, will also be relocated into the timbered building. The reduction target for the demarcation of land in the outskirts issued by the city supports this.
For complicated property that shapes the image of the city in the urban area, the City of Treuenbrietzen created the foundation “Alte Häuser” (Old Houses) so that it is easier to include these properties in redevelopment and funding. One example is the redevelopment of the oldest house in Treuenbrietzen from the year 1540, which has been completed recently.
A further redevelopment measure was the listed school in the old town. At the same time, the open space, such as the design of the playground and the yard, were improved.
34 buildings haven been completed up to now as part of the modernisation and repair measures. Seven others are being built, two are being prepared.
Apart from the selected places, especially target groups such as children, youths and young families are decisive for a sustainable stimulation of the inner city. Activating citizens’ commitment as part of the concept for strengthening the centre significantly contributed to the success. With the involvement of children and youths, open space in the inner city was designed and rearranged. The success of this strategy can be seen in the strongly increased visitor numbers in the inner city for example.
The measures were mainly financed by the urban development grants in the Federal and state programme “Urban Development Preservation of Historic Monuments”. Additional financing was carried out by the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz (German Foundation for Monument Protection) and as part of the programme “Infrastructure measures promoting employment” by the Federal Employment Agency.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Formal determination of the redevelopment area |
| 2002 | Founding of Kinoförderverein e.V. (association for the promotion of cinema) |
| 2003 | Establishing the foundation “Old Houses” |
Source: Stadt Treuenbrietzen
Source: Stadt Treuenbrietzen
Source: Stadt Treuenbrietzen
The versatile combination of strategic measures that go beyond the redevelopment instruments is characteristic for this project.
The redevelopment of buildings that shape the townscape, the design of new inner city open space, the strengthening and concentration of public facilities in the inner city are at the centre of the redevelopment programme on Treuenbrietzen. It is the key element when concentrating the whole urban development on the city centre.
The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 14929 - town: Treuenbrietzen - street: Großstraße.
Record inserted on 10.12.2006 by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) within the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR).
Last update: 03.02.2011
