Münster, Germany
City population: 289521
Duration: 2018 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 421479 m2
Type of area: Previous derelict area, Other
Last updated: October 2021

After its abandonment by the British military in 2012, the development of a new utilization concept and plan for the former military base in Gremmendorf was encouraged by the city’s planning department. Intensive citizen participation efforts were identified and ideas conceptualized, followed by an architectural competition based on which the spatial development plan was elaborated. The plan, which is currently being developed further by the winning architecture bureaus in coordination with the spatial development authority, intends the development of an attractive living quarter as a "garden town" with several green and sustainable drainage elements (Ref. 1 and 5).

The "Secret Garden" on the former parade ground. Sketch: Lorenzen Architects
The "Secret Garden" on the former parade ground. Sketch: Lorenzen Architects
Source: https://www.stadt-muenster.de/stadtplanung/konversion/york-kaserne.html

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
  • House gardens
  • Green playgrounds and school grounds
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
  • Green corridors and green belts
  • Community gardens and allotments
  • Community gardens
  • Green areas for water management
  • Sustainable urban drainage systems

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Environmental quality
  • Air quality improvement
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Regulation of built environment
  • Conversion of former industrial areas
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Transformation of previously derelict areas

Project objectives

-Implementation of green corridors and connecting green stretches as spatial elements of the new quarter (Ref. 4 and 5) -Maintaining the original trees in the area as much as possible (Ref. 4) -Creating a modern living quarter with a high quality of living, based on the facilities mix and private and public green spaces (Ref. 4 and 5) -Integrating an isolated monument into the city landscape (Ref. 1)

Implementation activities

The living quarters are discerned into different categories with different green arrangements. The "garden living" is conceptualized as terraced houses, surrounded by private gardens, community gardens and an original small forest patch. Also, multi-functional use of space is planned with a tree alley next to the bicycle/car lane and the private green spaces and sustainable drainage systems ("Muldenversickerung"). The "living in the park area" consists of terraced houses, interspersed by the original park landscape with a "secret garden" in the middle which is a wilderness park surrounded by a living quarter but accessible for the whole community. There is also a housing area next to the landscape park planned. The surrounding grassland with several natural elements, such as hills or outlooks will serve as a playground and contains lower-lying water retention areas with a reed (Ref. 4).

Main beneficiaries

  • Private sector/Corporate/Company
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
  • Taskforce groups
  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

In 2012/2013 the city of Münster suggested the development of a prospective planning concept based on citizen involvement. In a two-days workshop, co-financed by the regional authority for real estate issues, covering the topics "centre and diversity", "city landscape and living" and "Mobility and connectivity" four working groups consisting of 25 citizens each came up with ideas for the future use of the military base. Building on this prospective planning concept and developing it further, a competition concerning the development of the area was initiated in which several architects participated. Based on the development project of the award-winning architect bureau, an urban zoning plan is being developed which is the prerequisite for any development to start (Ref. 3).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (The implementation of green spaces (called compensation spaces) in redevelopment projects is obligatory in urban redevelopment projects due to national law (Ref. 6).)
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (The climate adaptation concept of the city of Münster mentions the conversion of former military baracks as a major strategy for creating additional living quarters which are urgently needed considering demographic projections for the Münster area. Also it mentions the creation of natural retention areas and green spaces to mitigate heat island effects in the project (Ref. 7))

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Public regional budget
  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of land
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Restoration of derelict areas

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Stadt Münster. (n.d.) Konversion der York-Kaserne. Neues York-Quartier auf dem Weg zum Planungsrecht. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 August 2020)
2. Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben. (2017b). York-Kaserne. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 August 2020)
3. Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben. (2017a). Nachnutzung /Bürgerbeteiligung. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 August 2020)
4. Lorenzen Architekten, ARGUS Stadt- und Verkehrsplanung, ARGE:IFS + MÜLLER_KALCHREUTH and ATELIER LOIDL Landschaftsarchitekten. (2016). YORK-KASERNE. Qualifizierter städtebaulicher Entwurf. Ausschluss für Stadtplanung, Stadtentwicklung und Verkehrsplanung am 13. April (2016). Münster. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 August 2020)
5. Stadt Münster Amt für Stadtentwicklung / Stadtplanung / Verkehrsplanung (2014) Städtebaulich-freiraumplanerischer Wettbewerb. Entwicklung der York-Kaserne in Münster-Gremmendorf. Münster. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 August 2020)
6. Stadt Münster. (2016). Eingriffsregelung in der Bauleitplanung. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 August 2020)
7. Stadt Münster Amt für Grünflächen Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit. (2015). Klimawandelanpassungskonzept Münster. Münster. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 August 2020)