Friedberg is planning a new city meeting point: City Decks for a better quality of life!

Friedberg is planning a new city meeting point: City Decks for a better quality of life!

There's a lot going on in Friedberg's city center! The first “City Decks” will be tested between July and the end of October 2025, with the aim of improving the quality of stay and creating meeting places. This exciting project is called “Rediscovering Streets” and includes the installation of 14 different pieces of street furniture, including benches and city terraces.
The city has put a lot of effort into the implementation to set up this furniture free of charge. Only the parking fees represent the only financial expense for the city. Locations planned include Five Finger Square, Usagasse as well as the parking bay in front of the Future Space and the southern Stadtkirchenplatz. It should be inviting and comfortable to linger there, which will also benefit business people and initiatives that can use the furniture. The response in the Urban Development Committee has been consistently positive, which is a good signal for the future development of the city. Building authority manager Tobias Brandt describes the project as a “real-world laboratory in the city center” that is intended to show what a redesign of Kaiserstrasse could look like.

What will happen next with the renovation measures on Kaiserstrasse is also currently being discussed. Extensive underground investigations and planning are underway here. Friedberg is also applying for the “Growth and Sustainable Renewal” urban development funding program. The deadline for applications is July 1, 2025. “A real highlight for the city!”, the CDU parliamentary group leader sees the building authority’s initiative as a great opportunity.

ISEK for sustainable urban development

As part of these developments, a consistent transformation of the city is on the agenda. The city of Friedberg has commissioned an Integrated Urban Development Concept (ISEK), which is crucial for future planning. A team of urban planners and architects will ensure that development topics in the expanded inner city area are clearly defined. Numerous proposals for measures are born through the experiences of citizens, who have been signaling their interest in urban development for years. Citizens are invited to submit concrete suggestions in workshops and to participate in urban development.
The ISEK will also take into account the improvement of squares, parks and streets, with an energy usage plan being developed in parallel to make energy saving potential visible. This holistic approach aims to link private and public investments and give a voice to a wide range of social groups.

Effective monitoring and constant success control are essential to ensure the quality of implementation. The ISEK will function as an informal plan that binds the administration, but has no direct external legal effects. The big challenge will be to unite the different interests of the stakeholders and make the development process transparent. External experts should take over the moderation and control of the planning and participation phases in order to protect local interests and actively involve citizens.

Overall, the city of Friedberg's plans show that a clear and structured concept can set the course for sustainable urban development. With the ISEK and the “Rediscover Streets” project, Friedberg has the opportunity to position itself as a lively and inviting city in which it is good to live and work.