Criticism of church square plans: Mayor Janik calls for better ideas!

Criticism of church square plans: Mayor Janik calls for better ideas!

There is currently intensive discussion in Starnberg about the redesign of the church square. The building committee has now postponed the greening plans, which displeases Mayor Patrick Janik. He criticizes the proposals as “reformatio in peius”, i.e. as a change to the detriment of the city. Apparently the church square was renovated by landscape architect Andreas Kicherer in 2010/2011, and the lack of shade trees has now become a pressing problem, especially in the hot summer months. [Merkur] reports that the space currently acts more like a heat magnet because the existing greenery is not sufficient.

Events such as the weekly market, Christmas market and French Week took place on the church square several times. The most recent extensive remodeling has turned it into a multifunctional event venue, but its design is complicated by an underground car park running under the square. This prevents the planting of deep-rooted trees and contributes to the problem of lack of shade. According to [Süddeutsche], the trees along Wittelsbacherstraße are suffering from a lack of water and need to be replaced.

Building structure and financing

Originally the planned costs for the measures were 260,000 euros, now they are 422,000 euros, with the city having high hopes for state funding of up to 90 percent. However, there is resistance in the building committee, where the increasing costs due to ongoing church renovations and the use of materials such as corrugated iron for raised beds are raised. The discussion is increasingly about better design ideas, because the existing plans have met with a lack of understanding among the city councilors. WPS city councilor Johannes Glogger has already criticized inadequate planning in the past, which further increases the need for action.

The city administration continues to look for solutions to address the climate problem. “The need to promote public green spaces is undisputed,” says [Urban Development Funding]. These areas play a central role in climate protection and adaptation by contributing to improving the quality of life and regulating the urban climate.

Technical perspectives and next steps

Experts, including the city building authority and other authorities, have already worked on preliminary designs in order to come to a viable solution. The suggestions include mobile chestnut trees in planters and large raised beds with seating. In the city's parlance, it is referred to as comprehensive planning, but this is still in place and requires further research. The administration is pushing for the design of the church square to be made more climate-friendly, which should benefit both the citizens and the event guests.

Currently, the church square remains without sufficient greenery for the time being, and while the weather forecast for upcoming events is mixed, it remains to be seen how the city will move forward with the project soon. Preferences and opinions continue to vary when deciding final plans. Citizens are invited to take part in the development of the design in order to achieve a good result for everyone.