In the future, Munich residents will be able to set up terraces on public land and in parking lots every year. The city council approved the so-called city terraces and parklets permanently on Wednesday. However, these may not be created wildly, they must be approved by the district administration department (KVR). As a result, the cityscape will change constantly after the Corona crisis. The sidewalk cafés, i.e. the guest terraces set up by landlords in parking lots, were permanently approved in 2021.
What pleases the citizens who are looking for catering or simply relaxing places in public space should also be financially profitable for the city again. Because with the resolution of the new statute, which now allows much more life in public space, usage fees will be charged again. The city had waived these out of consideration for the precarious situation of many innkeepers and shops during the corona crisis. Before the pandemic, around 1.7 million euros a year came from the outdoor areas alone, and the city received half a million from itinerant traders and shops who displayed their goods outside the door on public land.
In 2020 and 2021, the city has thus waived more than four million euros. However, with the permanent approval of the sidewalk cafés and the bar areas in front of the bars, some of which extend far beyond the building boundaries, income will increase significantly: the city expects an increase of 1.4 million euros a year. The administration doesn’t know exactly yet, because some restaurateurs could do without their additional seats and tables because of the fee that is now due.
With the permanent approval of city terraces in public squares and parklets (similar use, only on a maximum of two parking spaces ten meters long), there should also be more non-commercial meeting points in public space in the future. They are allowed from April 1st to October 31st. The city defines a framework for the equipment: for example, only weatherproof furniture is permitted, playing music is prohibited. The application runs through the local district committee and subsequently through the district administration department. For each terrace and each parklet, responsible persons must be named who take care of the cleanliness. It is free to use, there is only an administration fee.
Just two complaints: the Parklets test was a success
There was a lot of praise for the city terraces in the district administration committee, but there were different opinions about the design. “I’m really happy. I’m already being chased by initiatives that want to know when things will finally start,” said City Councilor Lena Odell (SPD), who is one of the major supporters of citizen projects in public space.
With the new use and the sidewalk cafés, the coalition is creating “a new face” for Munich, said Green City Councilor Gudrun Lux. The CSU would have liked the city to become active itself. It is the task of the administration to look for suitable places and to build city terraces with the building department, said the deputy parliamentary group leader Evelyne Menges. That was rejected by SPD colleague Odell: “It’s just the joke that these arise from urban society.”
In the trial year 2021, 16 parklets were used at eight locations from July to November. The reaction of residents and visitors was positive, writes the KVR in the draft resolution. The experiment with the city terraces included seven locations in four districts. There were only two complaints. With the decision of the district administration committee, the citizens of the entire city can now get started.