Die Leonhardsvorstadt – Ein lebenswertes Quartier für alle?, Reinhold Buhr
Inhalt
Places for everyone!
The design »Die Leonhardsvorstadt – Ein lebenswertes Quartier für alle?« aims to test a contemporary form of urban planning. The focus is placed on a more open planning, which at the same time involves and strengthens civil society actors and is user-oriented. It will propose how to overcome the hierarchical approaches of top-down and bottom-up. The main focus is on the public space. Here it was decided against a classical master plan. The reason for this is to ensure real participation. This means enabling self- control, self-organization and empowerment on the part of the actors concerned. Particular attention was paid to actors without a voice.
At the heart of the design is a simulation of a possible process that shows the interlocking of all actors in integrated urban deve- lopment. Here they meet at eye level. This is divided into 3 phases. The first phase describes the initial situation with the previous planning game as well as planning decisions of the city. This is taken as the status quo and forms the first basis for the design. The following phases describe the scenario I have designed. In order to strengthen the civil society actors, this begins with the conti- nuous participation in the process as well as the common definition of goals. Throughout the scenario, the role of the planner was taken by myself.
The future Leonhardsvorstadt is located in the heart of Stuttgart and consists of the two neighborhoods »Leonhardsviertel« and »Bohnenviertel«, which are currently undergoing a transformation process.
In the course of the IBA‘27, the Leonhardsvorstadt was chosen as an IBA quarter by decision of the city council. The quarter as well as the conversion area Züblin-Areal are to be developed in a community-oriented manner and with a high degree of citizen parti- cipation.1 Above all, the current planning focuses on the Züblin site.2 For this purpose, there was already a planning game that took place between August and October 2020. The results of this simulation – up to this point – will be taken as part of the basis for the design.³
The core of the neighborhood lies in its diversity, which is reflected at different levels. First, the diversity consists in the users of the neighborhood. There are a variety of visitors such as: Culture enthusiasts, punters, party-goers, etc. . Then, of course, there are the residents, who are made up of wealthy people, socially disadvantaged, young people, children, seniors, a large number of people with a migration background, single households (70%), families, and so on. In addition, different marginalized groups such as sex workers, homeless people and substitutes have found a space in this part of the city. Particular attention was paid to these groups in the process. Secondly, the diversity lies in the use of the neighborhood. The Bohnenviertel is a residential neighborhood with small businesses and craft enterprises, whereas the Leonhardsviertel is home to many cultural institutions, the red-light district and social facilities. The neighborhood is thus representative of Levfebree‘s definition of the essence of the city: densified diversity.
As an alternative to the master plan, a »basis plan« was developed. The foundation for this was, on the one hand, the results from the planning game. On the other hand, a spatial as well as socio-spatial analysis of the entire area, that was carried out by me. Especially the socio-spatial analysis is important, because it made the different user groups in the area visible, as well as weaknes- ses and qualities through the use could be determined. The plan includes fixed top-down decisions, such as traffic calming for the entire neighborhood. It also defines new green spaces, bicycle paths and street cross-sections. On the other hand, flexible trans- formation spaces were defined. These spaces are going to become places of public life. They are either in a permanent provisional state (appropriation spaces) or can become permanent in the long term (cooperative development spaces). Lastly, a distinction is made between protected spaces (shelters), which are intended to ensure that marginalized groups are not pushed out of the cityscape. All areas are assigned to the possible groups of actors who are responsible for their use or development. The basic plan is understood as part of a toolbox that has been expanded to include additional instruments.
Of course, the draft refers in some aspects specifically to the area under consideration. However, a transfer of the basic features to a larger or other neighborhoods is conceivable. It would be desirable if planning were more transparent and enabled more actual participation in the living environment. In the future, this will primarily be the duty of the administration and urban planners, which will have to rethink their role.
¹ Buhr, Reinhold. Theoretisch wissenhschaftliche Arbeit: Bürgerschaftlich Stadt entwickeln, Die Leonhardsvorstadt – ein Aushand- lungsprozess beginnt. 2019
² ibid.