“If you do Giesing for five years, then you become an expert,” says Torsten Müller and laughs. From 2015 to 2020 he was in charge of the “Tegernseer Landstraße/Chiemgaustraße redevelopment area”. The majority of the areas are no longer designated as redevelopment areas. But a small part remains.
The project ran for 15 years. As early as 2005, the city council had determined the areas, which are mainly in Obergiesing and to a small extent in Untergiesing-Harlaching. The goals for the 104 hectares were, for example: create more affordable living space, more public green space and strengthen trade on the Giesinger site. The measures cost a total of around 50.5 million euros. They were funded, among other things, from the federal and state urban development funding programs “Social City”, “Future City Green” and “Social Cohesion”.
As district manager of the Munich Society for Urban Renewal (MGS), Müller was on site for five years. His main task was to mediate between the residents and the administration. During a walk he shows what has happened.
More life in the district center of Giesing
“If you do Giesing for five years, you’ll become an expert,” says Torsten Müller. From 2015 to 2020, the district manager looked after the “Renovation Area Tegernseer Landstraße / Chiemgaustraße”.
(Photo: Alessandra Schellnegger)
Meeting point is at Tegernseer Platz. Torsten Müller is standing in front of the post office. A cap on his head, the brochure “Evaluation – District Renovation Giesing” in his handhttps://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/.”To cheat,” he says and grins. Then he points around. You are in the center of the district. Buses, trams and subways are also a transport hub here. In addition, the Tegernseer Landstraße, called “Tela” by most Giesingers, is heavily used by cars. One goal was to upgrade the street in order to “strengthen the district center”.
On the opposite side of the street, Müller points to house number 64, for example, an office and commercial building has been built. The Hertie department store used to be there, where you could get everything for your daily needs. That was “very important”. The business was “closed” and “large vacancies” followed. Then, until the start of construction of today’s building, the “Puerto Giesing” cultural site was accommodated. The current house was completed in 2013. This is not only a “customer magnet”, but also “a high-quality new building”, writes the planning department in the cancellation decision.
A bus drives by, an orange garbage truck. Müller points to the street: no cycle path. “Highly dangerous” it is. Especially if you want to switch sides. This is unfavorable, especially in a shopping street whose ground floor area is characterized by small shops. At Tegernseer Platz and the northern part of the Tela you can not only see what has improved, but also what is still missing. The section should therefore remain a redevelopment area.
One place for everyone: The Grünspitz
Where used cars used to be traded is now a public green space. “The Grünspitz is a real investment project,” says Torsten Müller.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
To the south, Müller continues along the traffic artery. To one of his favorite projects, the Giesinger Grünspitz. Where used cars used to be traded is now a public green space. It is played by the Green City club. “The Grünspitz is a real investment project,” praises Müller. People could have “really tried” what works. Now you have “a place where everyone can be”.
Living on the former Agfa site
950 apartments have been built on the former Agfa site. This puts a strain on the social fabric.
(Photo: Alessandra Schellnegger)
The next stop is the former Agfa site. Also “such an identity issue,” says Müller. Many people from Giesing worked for the Agfa company before it went bankrupt. The eleven hectare company site was then no longer used. An urban development and landscape planning competition was held in cooperation between the planning department and the investor. Around 950 apartments including subsidized housing have been created. In addition, a place was created for the social community center Giesing-Harlaching. It is important that the “barrier effect” is gone, explains the district manager. The former Agfa areas were separated by a fence. This made access to the Weißenseepark behind it more difficult.
A popular park
Access to Weißenseepark used to be difficult. It is already evident how popular the site is.
(Photo: Alessandra Schellnegger)
Children are queuing on the slide, one person is training on the “balancing track”: Especially on a sunny day, the Weißenseepark and the so-called “Katzenbuckel” are popular. In 2005, the green area was intended to be “updated a bit,” explains Müller. The facility was designed in three construction phases with the participation of citizens. After a summer program for 12 to 15 year olds had been organized, it was clear: “The park works,” says Müller.
Neighborhood meeting place and district shop
“Social City”, says Müller, “means: just changing something structurally is not enough”. Local engagement needs to be strengthened. One of the projects that should contribute to this is the “Pöltinsel”. A cooperation between the municipal housing association Gewofag and the social department has resulted in a house on the Mittlerer Ring, which houses a family and advice center and a neighborhood meeting place, among other things. There is also a district shop so that citizens can get involved. The district management was based there from 2006 to 2020. The room at Tela 113 was a contact point for bringing in ideas, obtaining information and networking. Lars Jakobeit from the non-profit QuarterM GmbH now sits in Müller’s former office. He also works at the interface between administration and district. The quarter perspective and networking are important. Jakobeit puts it this way: “The district shop should remain as it was.” They didn’t want to create a “new product”, they wanted to keep the old one. But you have to “reconcile it with new demands”.
Müller is particularly pleased that the facility was able to remain. That’s an opportunity, he says, so “new impetus” can come into the district. And Torsten Müller himself? Is still district manager – but now in Neuperlach.