What innovative residential projects are there in Prinz-Eugen-Park? What’s new in Obersendling? What neighborhoods have emerged along tram line 23? So far, Munich residents have found answers to such questions in small booklets from the Department of Urban Planning and Building Regulations. This information has also been easily accessible on smartphones since Monday. Together with the company von Portal München, the urban planning department has developed the “Discover Munich” app.
“We’ve always had city walks on offer, but you can do a lot more with them and add and update information dynamically,” says city planning officer Elisabeth Merk at the start of the app. She hopes that the offer will provide easier access to urban construction projects. “You can design your own city walk at any time,” says Merk. The app offers eleven city tours with a total of almost 200 stations. The tours are spread all over Munich and vary in length. They can be covered either on foot or by bike. On the way there are pictures and information about the stations.
As you pass by, you will be informed about the architectural and urban diversity of the city. The past and future of the places should also be presented. The “from Giesing in die Au” tour, for example, uses historical photos to show how the quarter has developed in recent years, while “Along the railway axis” uses futuristic graphics to show the future plans for Munich Central Station.
Most tours are regional, some have a theme
Most tours present a region of the city, but some also have a thematic focus, such as art on buildings in the old town or the history and development of Munich’s high-rise buildings. The development platform of the urban planning department “Plantreff” updates the tours. The team is already in the process of developing new city tours. Cooperation with various Munich museums or associations is also conceivable, it said at the presentation.
Although the app is also available in English, the offer is less aimed at tourists, says Dina Straße, deputy head of the Plantreff. The tours are primarily designed for Munich residents who want to learn more about their city, she explains. “The tours are the first door openers to deal with urban development.” For city planning officer Merk, the app is above all an opportunity to reach younger people. “We can use it to address a completely different generation. The app is an uncomplicated first insight into our topics, especially for younger people.”
The web app can be found under the link discover.muenchen.de.