Strengthening the inner city through urban development
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Source: Stadt Gelsenkirchen
Several problem fields overlap in the main centre of the city, which in large parts is mixed with housing. The inner city problems are characterised by insufficient inner-city integration and by the functional problems of the main railway station. In addition, the quality of shelter and experience needs to be improved, and there are wasteland areas and under-used areas, as well as, not least, the problematic retail situation. Because of the increasing competition on the "grüne Wiese" and a fall in the purchasing power of the Gelsenkirchen population since the late 1990s, there have been many closures and withdrawals by high quality businesses, and many vacancies. In parallel to this, so-called "cheap shops" have moved into the inner city.
Gelsenkirchen's participation (pop. 270,000) in the research project Stadtumbau West within the framework of the Experimentellen Wohnungs- und Städtebaus (ExWoSt - Experimental housing and city development) offered the chance to implement an overall planning and design concept for the renewal of the city area. A focus here was on strengthening the retail offer.
Source: Stadt Gelsenkirchen
In summer 2003 the city council agreed the "Leitplan City" plan for a forward-looking programme of action. A two-year, cooperative process was created together with Stadtmarketinggesellschaft, Werbegemeinschaft City and other stakeholders. This gave a sustained impetus and orientation for private and public investments in the city area.
The first step was taken in October 2004, with the hiring of a so-called “city manager”. He manages the retailers and owners in the city in respect of vacancy and letting management. The city manager also creates a branch mix concept to modernise the pedestrian zone. The management concept Standort Innenstadt (Location Inner-City) involves other places and temporary uses for empty shops. In addition, a retail information system (Einzelhandels-Informations-System - EIS) was developed, which in future will be expanded to become an information platform for all retail and commercial properties in the inner city. In order to be able to influence the appearance of neighbouring buildings in the main shopping location of the city, a mixture of requirements and recommendations has been established in a dialogue with all inner city-relevant stakeholders in the form of a design constitution and an accompanying development and design consultancy. A design guideline gives instructions for quality designs of the buildings and outside spaces. In parallel to this, a programme to support the modernisation of the retail and office space in the city was set up.
The overall strategy to revitalise the inner-city retail was implemented in close cooperation with Standort- und Immobilienmanagement-Gesellschaft Gelsenkirchen-City mbH (SIG), a private-public partnership whose shareholders are the local banks, a construction company and the city marketing company "Stadtmarketinggesellschaft". Its tasks included, in particular, marketing the location and involving land and property owners as commercial businesses in the development of the neighbourhood and the buildings. For example, SIG works closely with the local city redevelopment office and also performs some tasks which are in the public interest (the operation of weekly markets, toilet facilities, etc.).
Source: Stadt Gelsenkirchen
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Agreement of the City plan and inclusion in the ExWoSt research project Stadtumbau West |
| 2004 | Start of the city redevelopment process and recruitment of a city manager |
| 2005 | Planning phase for individual measures |
| 2006 | Founding of Standort- und Immobilienmanagement-Gesellschaft Gelsenkirchen-City mbH (SIG) |
| 2006 | Completion of the retail information system "Einzelhandels-Informations-Systems" (EIS) and agreement of the design constitution |
| Since 2007 | Initiation of other property and local communities (Immobilien- und Standortgemeinschaften - ISGs) in other areas of the city |
Source: Stadt Gelsenkirchen
Source: Stadt Gelsenkirchen
After a longer recession in retail in the city, the situation has improved noticeably, and 2007 recorded a slight increase in retail sales for the first time. A few new tenants have also been found, especially in the textiles area.
The procedure of the city of Gelsenkirchen to strengthen the inner-city retail is characterised by a well functioning public-private cooperation. This was initially organised by the city manager, whose tasks then transferred to the Standort Immobilienmanagement-Gesellschaft Gelsenkirchen-City mbH (SIG) as a private organisation.
On the other hand, the close technical-strategic inclusion of the city manager / SIG in the city redevelopment team must also be highlighted. Since the SIG was founded, the city has been supporting the formation of other SIG companies in other areas of the inner city. Ultimately, the design constitution and the retail information system have been tried and tested as a supportive instrument for retailers. This was achieved, in particular, by the work of the local city redevelopment office, the work of the city manager and the SIG, as well as a consistent participatory work.
Source: Stadt Gelsenkirchen
The project location can be directly translated into Google-maps. Project in Google-Maps
The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 45879 - town: Gelsenkirchen - street: Bahnhofstraße.
Record inserted on 25.09.2009 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: 30.10.2009
