European Urban Development Project "Weisseritz"

Impulses for Dresden Southwest

With the Weisseritz Integrated Urban Development Project, the City of Dresden is positioned to meet the challenges of improving the situation in its south-western districts of Löbtau, Plauen and Cotta.

Now that financing for the clearance and repair of damage caused by the floods of 2002 has largely been assured, and flood protection measures are being implemented, the project provides a new impulse to the sustainable, long-term development of the housing areas and industrial sites along the Weisseritz River. In order to revitalize the project area, several important objectives were pursued:

• Strengthening the appeal of Löbtau and Plauen as attractive residential areas by improving neighbourhood environments, complementing the building renovation work now being carried out
• Improving conditions for commercial activities, with a special focus on protecting existing jobs
• Upgrading the urban spaces and landscapes along the Weisseritz River by creating a linear park (the Grünzug) between the Plauensche Grund Valley and the city centre
• Improving access to commercial locations and providing housing areas with new connections to public transport

The project budget to 2008 was to have been 10 million Euros, 75% provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and 25% by the City of Dresden. By April 2007, total financing had amounted to 18.5 million Euros.

Leeway for cooperation and participation

The project’s innovative and flexible approach is designed to engage residents and local business people and their initiatives and ideas.
All important actors and interest groups thus become involved in the planning and implementation of single measures, as well as in the development of the whole project. These include: 

• The inhabitants of Löbtau, Cotta and Plauen
• Owners of buildings and land
• Trades people and businesses owners
• Clubs, associations and citizens’ groups
• Churches and social and cultural organizations

New kinds of collaboration

To facilitate and support participation and cooperation, new forms of involvement and interaction between the city administration, citizens and local interest groups have been developed and tested. For example:

• Regular Local Initiative meetings at various changing locations in the project area - for presenting, discussing and agreeing on ideas, suggestions and initiatives.

• “Drop-in shops” for consultations and information about single measures and possibilities for support

First measures

The project concept, which was adopted by the town council in 2002, defines the framework within which support for single measures can be obtained. On the basis of this, and in collaboration with private owners and citizens’ initiatives, the first concrete measures which illustrate the range of measures that are possible, were carried out:

• The reconstruction of former parks and the creation of recreational possibilities in the Plauenschen Grund Valley and the Hohen Stein area

• Upgrading the historical industrial area around the Bienert Mühle (Bienert Mill) by demolishing the unusable and dilapidated parts of the former bakery

• Demolishing and rebuilding the children’s day-care centre on Hermsdorfer Strasse

• Renovating and improving the sports facilities of the Plauen High School

Other measures that have been recently planned or are in the process, include:

• Upgrading and consolidating the housing areas at Oederaner Strasse and Altonaer Strasse in cooperation with owners and tenants by improving the residential environment

• Strengthening and upgrading the image and functions of the district's central shopping area along the Kesselsdorfer Strasse by supporting the Kesselsdorfer Strasse e.V. (trade association).

• Supporting the "Uferlos" Project (for youth welfare in the context of social-educational projects) by reusing an old blacksmith forge as a workplace and training facility for unemployed young people
  

The project area: Problems and opportunities

• It has a bad image within the town
• Large population losses before and after the political changes of 1989/90 have badly effected the area’s retail and services sectors
• Since 1990, commercial and industrial activity has diminished significantly as a result of restructuring
• There are many derelict sites and empty buildings
• There are isolated housing areas with high vacancy rates, some of which suffer from noise and fume pollution from major roads close by.  
• There is a shortage of public open spaces and green areas
• Schools and kindergartens are in a bad condition

• It is at a central location in the city, near to research establishments and universities (the Technical University and the University of Applied Science)
• There are attractive scenic landscapes along the Weisseritz River, especially around the Plauensche Grund Valley and the Hoher Stein
• It contains many historically valuable and listed industrial buildings, which are suitable for new uses
• There are active citizen initiatives and organizations, such as the Bienert-Förderverein and the Kesseldorfer Strasse e.V.