City center perspective
Making the town center more attractive and ensuring active mobility
As part of the efforts to overcome the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, the state of Lower Saxony has launched the "City Center Perspective" emergency program. The joint municipality of Uelsen has been provided with a virtual budget for this, 10% of which is to be topped up with its own funds. The joint municipality and the municipality of Uelsen have submitted two applications to the Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen (Nbank).
First application:
Among other things, a conceptual redesign of the Kappenberghof / Itterbecker Straße area is being considered with a view to reducing the traffic junction, incorporating a cycle traffic routing that meets the requirements and using newly created areas to increase attractiveness.
In a central location in the village of Uelsen, a new small quarter developed at the Kappenberghof / Itterbecker Straße intersection in the years before the coronavirus pandemic. A residential/commercial area has been created with doctors, a pharmacy, day care, but also with gastronomic establishments that are of substantial importance for our town as a tourist destination, such as a chocolaterie, a café and an ice cream parlor.
The commercial units on the first floor ring are particularly characteristic of this quarter and are intended to make a significant contribution to the revitalization of this area.
Geographically, this quarter is located at a completely oversized traffic junction that is extremely car-heavy. The Covid-19 pandemic has once again highlighted these traffic problems and the crisis has exacerbated them. Due to the dominance of car traffic in this area, there is insufficient open-air capacity as a terrace or rest area. To improve road safety and increase the attractiveness of the area, the dominant car traffic is to be pushed back in favor of bicycle traffic.
In the plans for a demolition, among other things, protective lanes in line with requirements plus safety lanes for bicycle traffic to parked cars should remain possible.
A current pedestrian traffic light should be included in the considerations and crossing aids for pedestrian traffic should contribute to further traffic calming and strengthening public traffic as well as traffic safety.
The new areas created in the side space by the demolition of the junction should be used to make the open space more attractive. In addition to green areas with trees to improve the climate balance, inviting areas for outdoor catering or small, attractive places to linger are planned, which will offer the population and the catering establishments in the new quarter attractive spaces for a variety of uses.
Another not insignificant aspect of this measure is that it is hoped that the entire town center will be increasingly relieved of car and truck traffic, as the through road no longer promises any time advantage as a result of the demolition. Overall, the measures to reduce car traffic in this area and emphasize cycling and pedestrian traffic will also contribute to climate protection.
During the pandemic crisis, the mobility behavior of the population has changed towards cycling, especially in rural areas. The increased use of bicycles is also in line with the transport policy goals of environmental compatibility and traffic relief in cities.
These ideas are to be reviewed and developed as part of a feasibility study.
By dismantling the traffic junction and incorporating a cycle route that meets the requirements, the municipality is planning a further step towards ensuring active mobility and making the town center more attractive.
The application has since been approved by the NBank. A total of 90% of the planned costs of around €36,000 will be financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Union's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Second motion:
Attractiveness of the town center in Uelsen
Among other things, various investment measures aimed at upgrading the town center are intended to enhance Uelsen as a tourist destination after the coronavirus pandemic.
Within the center of Uelsen and thus within the development area, two smaller neighborhood areas have emerged in recent years as a result of urban development planning, each with its own restaurants and supply facilities, but which benefit from each other and can be seen as an economic unit. These are connected by a pedestrianized staircase from Kappenberghof to Am Markt street, which, however, is not very appealing due to its different paving shapes and materials and is not inviting to use. For this reason, a renewal of the footpath is planned.
Additional seating will be installed to create further rest and relaxation areas in the development area.
Planting options will be set up to visually enhance and add greenery to the area.
Cycle tourism will also be strengthened and supported in the future. To this end, a total of ten new bicycle parking facilities will be created at a central location in the immediate vicinity of the bus stop for line 10 (bicycle bus) and bicycle service stations will also be set up throughout the development area.
Another project is concerned with the lighting structure in the town center, which is to be redesigned by converting to sustainable, insect-friendly LED technology, which will also include considerations regarding the illumination of various buildings (including the historic church and old town hall).
The application has since been approved by the NBank. A total of 90% of the planned costs of around €236,000 will be financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Union's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
