Famous racing venue becomes a residential paradise: Citizens make decision!

Famous racing venue becomes a residential paradise: Citizens make decision!

There is currently an exciting discussion in Bremen about the future of the former racecourse site on Ludwig-Roselius-Allee. The 30-hectare area has not been used for equestrian sports for some time; operations ceased at the beginning of 2018. The once important racecourse, with its unused land, is now a hotly debated topic. Since Economics Senator Martin Günthner (SPD) canceled the lease agreement with the Bremen racing club in 2015 to create space for up to 1,000 apartments, the plans have grown and opinions about them have been divided. Yes, the population voted in a referendum in 2019 to preserve the site as open space, which led 55 percent of voters to vote against development. But the critics criticize the nature of the question and consider possible misunderstandings that could stand in the way of a real opinion to be addressed. Weser Kurier reports on the challenges of this situation and the current status of planning.

The city is currently faced with the task of creating living space while at the same time taking citizens' needs for leisure spaces into account. Economics Senator Kristina Vogt (Left) is planning to partially develop the site in order to respond to the acute housing shortage in Bremen by creating living space. Especially in the city, there is increasingly less space for families and skilled workers who would otherwise migrate to the surrounding area. Your idea has already caused a stir because it could perhaps even lead to a new referendum to enable a broader discourse. Critics from the opposition, however, see a foul on democracy, as the promises made in the 2019 referendum may be thrown overboard. Buten un Binnen outlines the differences of opinion and the reactions of the political actors.

Happiness in design

The plans commissioned by the environmental department are promising and aim to create a lively use of the site. A design by the planning office West 8 from Rotterdam envisages not only living spaces, but also public event areas and sports facilities. For example, there are plans to build a restaurant, an event room, a 3,000 square meter hall and a parking garage with 500 parking spaces. In the western part, areas are to be provided for school and club sports. These aspects could definitely receive positive feedback from citizens, especially since the renaturation of the site should also be carried out in cooperation with the residents.

But citizen participation plays a central role here. It has become indispensable in modern urban planning. It not only promotes the acceptance of a project, but also enables people to actively participate in the design of their environment. Citizen participation could act as a catalyst for vibrant and sustainable neighborhoods. [Architektenwahl](https://www.architektenwahl.de/architekt/376-welche-rolle-spiele-b%C3%BCrger Beteiligungen-in-der-stadtplanung/) highlights how important it is to give citizens a say and to use various formats of participation in order to integrate all opinions in the best possible way.

A way forward?

However, how the plans can be implemented depends heavily on the financial resources that the city budget can provide. At the moment it seems as if the residents will have to be patient until the ideas for the racetrack really take shape. Economics Senator Vogt has already announced talks with Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte and Building Senator Özlem Ünsal to discuss how to proceed. A new chapter could be opened, but until then it remains to be seen how public sentiment will develop and what alternatives may still be on the table. So it will be exciting to see how the plans for the former racetrack site unfold and what paths are taken.