Neuaubing and the settlement at Westkreuz are densely built-up. High-rise buildings from the 1970s border single and multi-family houses, and there is little public greenery in these districts in the west of Munich. So far, because the city wants to change that now: the city council’s planning committee has decided to convert a green corridor running through the middle of the residential districts into a park mile.
The project is one of the most important projects in the Aubing-Neuaubing-Westkreuz redevelopment area, one of the largest urban redevelopment areas in Europe with an area of 350 hectares and 25,000 inhabitants. The area, which is one and a half kilometers long and up to 350 meters wide, covers twelve hectares and is now to be secured as an open space in the section between Bodenseestrasse and Aubinger Strasse. Apart from the recreational value for the residents, the upgrading of this zone is also “essential for biodiversity, the water balance and the climate,” the planners argue.
The redesign of this core part of the green corridor L, which lies within the former Gotthard route and continues in the south to Paul-Diehl-Park on Maria-Eich-Straße and in the north to Langwieder Haide, has been planned for a long time. However, because some of the areas are still privately owned, a complete revitalization of the green lung can only take place in stages. The ultimate goal is to create a continuous pedestrian and cycle path from Bodenseestraße to the S-Bahn station Leienfelsstraße. In addition, the park mile is to be designed “with a variety of open spaces and structural elements that have an effect on the urban climate” such as trees, so that passers-by and residents actually experience the climatic differences.
In a first step, the building department will start building a promenade and a varied green area for young people including an active area, a small streetball field and seating next to the newly built youth leisure center “AWOs Fredl” on Bodenseestraße. The year 2024 has been announced for this.
Landscape architects should develop plans, then the neighborhood is in demand
The focus is also on the urban areas between Überlinger Weg and Radolfzeller Straße. They are only partially accessible to the population, and above all there is no path across the area. Negotiations have been going on there for years, and it is now clear that the middle school’s sports field on Reichenaustrasse will be narrowed somewhat in favor of a path connection. The sports offer may then also be available to the general public. And the owner of private property is now also willing to talk about possibly ceding part of his property for a road.
There is no shortage of design ideas for this L-section of the green corridor, ranging from natural biotope areas to areas for leisure, sports and local recreation to urban gardening. A landscape architecture office is to work out more concrete details before the citizens are asked for their opinions, probably in 2023/24.
But what about the smaller green areas in the redevelopment area? The green belt between Neuaubing and Freiham has already been designed with the help of urban development funds. Plans are now to beautify the park on Ravensburger Ring from 2025 onwards, upgrade the outdoor area at the Aubing water tower and the “rapid expansion” of the two green spaces “Former Horse Pond” and “An der Pferdeppel” in the center of Aubing.
In addition, the production of the district square and the green spaces in the new local area center on Wiesentfelser Straße in Neuaubing can be subsidized from the subsidy pot. In the middle of a network of paths, there are play islands, robust sports lawns, areas for urban gardening, spaces for recreation and meeting places for the neighborhood.
The successful work of the district management of the Munich Society for Urban Renewal (MGS) will be extended again by four years, the planning committee has also decided. And the sub-measure in the town center of Aubing is also to be continued in order to be able to continue to use urban development funds in the protected area. The city council intends to provide a total of 23 million euros for all these projects, eleven million of which will be refinanced through the “Social Cohesion” urban development program.