Augsburg in the crisis: Standstill in large projects before the election!

Augsburg in the crisis: Standstill in large projects before the election!

Augsburg, Deutschland - nine months before the local elections in Augsburg is a picture of the standstill in urban politics. Many major projects are stagnating, and serious construction work does not seem to be so pronounced for over 50 years. Important topics such as affordable living space and schools are still in the room without clear progress. This reports daz-augsburg.de .

Currently, the local elections for 2026 are a central matter. Candidates such as Florian Freund from the SPD, Martina Wild from the Greens, Eva Weber from the CSU and Bruno Marcon from the Alliance Augsburg in Bürgerhand e.V. will fight for the votes of the citizens: inside. But the unfinished major projects, such as the station tunnel and the desired line 5, press the plans and ambivalent future prospects of the city.

construction sites in the city

A particularly urgent concern is the construction of affordable living space. Augsburg is classified according to the csu as an area with increased residential needs. In the past 23 years, the population has grown by 50,000 inhabitants, which has increased the pressure on the housing market. Low earners have little chance of affordable living space, while citizens with medium and higher incomes now have to plan more than a third of their income for rent.

The demand for social residential projects is also unmistakable, especially since the rental prices rise again. The CSU parliamentary group has therefore applied for the review of the fundamental decision III to adapt the regulations for affordable housing construction. The aim is to secure 30 % of the new apartments as affordable living space in order to achieve relaxation of the housing market even under the current economic conditions.

financial bottlenecks and large projects

The city's financial bottlenecks mean that important projects fall by the wayside. The renovations of the city market and the schools were postponed, and the construction of Hall 116, which is aging, had to close due to construction. In fact, many major projects, such as the controversial State Theater with an increase in construction costs near 500 million euros, are a permanent political construction site that contains the city's health insurance funds and prevents the implementation of urgent priorities.

Unplanned additional expenses for provisionals in the Martini and Deuter Park and the unclear future of the creative area Gaswerk are also on the agenda of the challenges that the city dwellers want to discuss inside. The development of the center in Lechhausen also remains uncertain, while vacancies in the city center are another means of pressure for urban development.

urge to public discourse

A public discourse on these topics is becoming increasingly urgent before the local elections. The city cannot afford it to neglect the exchange with the citizens: on the inside. The past few years show how important it is to take the needs of the population seriously and at the same time act effectively and sustainably.

Because living is a basic need for people who deserve special attention, especially in times of change. The Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building has set itself clear goals for affordable and air conditioning law in the coalition agreement, and Augsburg could also benefit from these comprehensive framework conditions. In this context, a variety of funding programs are provided to support municipalities, to find innovative solutions and to implement how on the page of the BMWSB can be read.

The urgent questions that can only be answered with a common commitment to urban politics and the citizens: are therefore on the agenda, and the time is urged. The next few months could be decisive for what Augsburg's future will look like.