Germany - services of architectural, construction and engineering offices and testing laboratories

Description

With a letter from the Ministry of the Interior and Sport dated November 28, 2019, the newly planned "Mitte/Innenstadt" area of the City of Ludwigshafen has been included in the Urban Renewal/Sustainable Urban Growth and Sustainable Development (previously Urban Redevelopment) funding programme of the Federal Government and the State of Rhineland-Palatinate. Against this background, an integrated urban development concept, including contractors and framework planning, is to be drawn up for the provisionally defined area of central/city centre (approx. 126 ha).
The inner city of Ludwigshafen is undergoing change. As in other inner cities, current trends in trade and investment decisions in favour of locations outside the central locations in Ludwigshafen's city centre have led to increased vacancies or under-use of commercial properties. With the urban redevelopment process under the motto "Today for Tomorrow", it has been possible to bring Ludwigshafen's city centre, with all its urban functions such as living, shopping, leisure and culture, back directly to the Rhine. For this purpose, the development concept for the city centre was drawn up in 2006 and approved by the city council. The public space was redesigned, urban redevelopment and redevelopment areas were designated and numerous private investments were made on a not inconsiderable scale. The reorientation of the city centre towards the Rhine (including the new ECE Rhine Gallery and the redesign of the banks of the Rhine with green spaces and improved access from Berliner Platz) as well as many smaller measures such as the establishment of a city centre management from the beginning of 2014 to March 2015. In addition, investments were made in the redevelopment of important public cultural and educational institutions such as the Pfalzbau and the municipal library. This was balanced in 2016/2018 with the update of the strategy paper "Action Concept for the City Centre" and from this the first recommendations for action and the necessity for an in-depth examination of the following points were derived:- Traffic and road connections;- Uses;- Urban planning/public space/public buildings;- Climate. In addition, a proposal for the delimitation of the study area of the present task was elaborated. This is based on the findings of the urban development concept from 2006, when the opening of the city towards the Rhine was to be supported. Despite these efforts, there is still a need for action in the city centre. The impending functional change must be accompanied and directed in a targeted manner in order to reduce trading down effects in the city center and to establish sustainable uses.in addition to the general structural change, the situation of the two elevated roads in Ludwigshafen is special. The northern elevated highway will be demolished and replaced by a ground-level city street. A new inner city area, the "City West", will develop around the Hochstraße Nord and the new city road. The elevated highway south has been closed since summer 2019 due to structural defects and static uncertainty. The possibilities for redevelopment or new construction of the southern elevated highway are currently being investigated. Overall, the new road planning will not only lead to the acquisition of new building areas but also to improvements in the urban space. For example, there is the possibility of better spatial coverage of the Rathausplatz and Ludwigsplatz. In addition, the City Hall tram stop and its connection to the inner-city bus lines will also be reorganised. There will be new connections between the Hemshof district and the city centre. There are also plans to further expand the green network within the city centre and between the city centre and the neighbouring districts.the effects of the new city road are to be considered both from a traffic point of view and with regard to changes and development opportunities in terms of urban planning, demographic development, social structure and economic development.the future of the City Hall of Ludwigshafen is also currently under scrutiny. The purchase of the Rathauscenter has been completed in the meantime. Various options are currently being examined as to whether the town hall can be completely renovated and, if necessary, an additional extension can be built or whether a new building should be constructed at the same or another location. The redesign of the town hall offers a great opportunity for the surrounding neighbourhood, both in terms of functionality and urban development. On the one hand, the town hall as an important meeting point for all citizens* of the city has a high impact on the surrounding uses and also on the streets in the immediate vicinity. On the other hand, the negative effects of the current vacancy of the Rathauscenter, which will be completed by 31.12.2021 with a current sales area of around 17,300 sqm and a possible construction site at a central location in the city, must be considered and absorbed.Based on the framework conditions and findings explained, it is now necessary to address the existing challenges in the city centre and the fields of action developed in the update of the strategy paper "Action Concept for the City Centre". At the end of 2019, the inner city area was included in the Urban Renewal Programme of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate, for which preparatory studies are to be carried out in accordance with § 141 BauGB, with the objectives and purposes of the redevelopment being determined in accordance with § 140 No. 3 BauGB, with framework planning in accordance with § 140 No. 4 BauGB. In close connection with this, an integrated urban development concept according to Art. 3 of the VV-Städtebauförderung 2020 i. VV-StBauE 12.5.11 (in particular no. 5.1.1) shall be drawn up.

Opportunity closing date

21 August 2020

Value of contract

£100k-1m