On the approximately five-hectare site north of Meßdorf Feld, various projects and uses for the area are to be secured under planning law via a development plan procedure. New concepts for public participation are to be tested comprehensively at an early stage in line with the Bonn Participation Guidelines and in the interests of equitable district development. The Committee for Citizen Participation and the Bonn district council have approved the participation concept for the Dransdorf Berg future location.
The following participation opportunities are planned next:
- With mobile participation stands, the project developers will provide information about the project on Friday and Saturday, August 23 and 24, 2024, at four locations in the district that have yet to be determined. They will collect local knowledge and information from people in the district so that the findings can be incorporated into further planning.
- Mentors from the district will advise and support the planning offices: Potential future users, tenants and organizations already active in the district are invited to bring another person from the district to each of the planning offices' presentations and contribute their perspective on the planning offices' initial drafts.
- A youth participation format will take place on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, with and at the Dransdorf Youth Center. Anyone who would like to take part is welcome to contact the "Juze" now.
- Direct participation through volunteering with the New City Gardening Initiative itself. The initiative sees itself as a grassroots movement and is open to citizens who, together with other volunteers from the initiative, would like to shape the site of the former municipal nursery and can contribute their own ideas, time commitment and manpower.
- The Initiative Neue Stadtgärtnerei regularly invites interested people to open information and introductory meetings. A direct invitation is sent out via the association's newsletter. Registration is possible via the following link: https://neue-stadtgaertnerei.org/newsletter/ (opens in a new tab)
In addition to these measures, the city administration is planning an information event for all interested citizens in the fall. Further information will follow. A lot of background information on the project and opportunities for participation can be found at www.bonn-macht-mit.de (opens in a new tab), which is updated regularly.
Three socio-ecological building blocks
The "Zukunftsort Dransdorfer Berg" project comprises three socio-ecological project components in the district.
Firstly, the Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume is developing a neighborhood building block for Dransdorf. Possible uses include a learning center for young people from Dransdorf, care facilities, rooms for environmental education, apartments for trainees or students and a canteen or café, which can be tested for feasibility in the further course of the project and supplemented or replaced by other uses. The Biological Station, as the previous user of the space, is to be given new, more sustainable premises
On the other hand, the Neue Stadtgärtnerei initiative is planning a residential project in a timber and straw construction, which is characterized by a particularly positive carbon footprint. It wants to continue to use the gray energy stored in the foundations of the former greenhouses and - where possible - preserve steel structures. The residential project implements at least the prescribed proportion of publicly subsidized housing in accordance with the Bonn building land model. The housing project is intended to create living space for around 100 people of all generations. By sharing many rooms, the size of the living space per person is to be significantly smaller than is usual today. The housing project will be organized along the lines of the Mietshäusersyndikat and will be self-managed by the future tenants' association.
And thirdly, the Neue Stadtgärtnerei initiative is developing a concept for agricultural use as a tree-field economy on an as yet undefined area. Based on the model of the agroforestry system, the initiative aims to regenerate the soil, strengthen plant and species diversity and enable a rich ecological food supply on a very small area. The integration of educational and community work in the context of agriculture is planned.
Development plan procedure sought
The Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume neighborhood module and the socio-ecological housing project of the Neue Stadtgärtnerei initiative are to be further developed and secured under planning law as part of a development plan procedure. As a first step, an urban development and open space planning qualification process will take place in which several offices will develop designs for the site. The best solutions found in the process will then form the basis for the development plan.
The entire process will be accompanied from the outset by participation opportunities for all interested people from the district. The city administration will provide further information.
Background information
About the project
The site of the former municipal nursery is currently used to a small extent by the Bonn/Rhein-Erft Biological Station. The already sealed area is considered a joint project area, which is divided into sections south of the path "An der Schwarzen Brücke" for agriculture (Initiative Stadtgärtnerei), and north of the same path for housing (Initiative Neue Stadtgärtnerei) and in the project module of the initial capital project (Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume). The cooperation partners want to make the best possible use of synergy effects in terms of climate protection and the neighborhood. The areas that will not be built on in the future are to be unsealed where possible, so that both natural habitats and places of nature are created again for residents and for the district.
About the Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume and the initial capital principle
The Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume gAG is independent and non-profit. It is part of the Montag Foundation group in Bonn. In line with the foundation group's guiding principle of "acting and shaping with social responsibility", the Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume is an independent partner of local authorities, associations and civil society initiatives in urban districts that are characterized by special social and economic conditions. The idea behind the initial capital principle is that the surpluses generated through the management of the property permanently benefit charitable projects in the neighborhood and local actors who are committed to the common good. The Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume has been implementing this approach since 2014 with the Samtweberei in Krefeld, the "FreiFeld" in Halle an der Saale, the "KoFabrik" in Bochum, the "BOB CAMPUS" and the Wiesenwerke in Wuppertal and the "HONSWERK" in Remscheid. Further locations for possible project implementations based on the initial capital principle, such as the building on Brucknerallee/Mühlenstraße in Mönchengladbach-Rheydt, are being investigated.
About the Montag Foundations
The Montag Foundations are an independent and non-profit foundation group in Bonn. It includes the Montag Stiftung Jugend und Gesellschaft, the Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume, the Montag Stiftung Kunst und Gesellschaft and the Montag Stiftung Denkwerkstatt. In line with the guiding principle of "acting and shaping with social responsibility", the foundations each work independently and on a project-related basis in the fields of educational architecture, equitable urban district development, participation in the arts, education in the digital transformation, future concepts and inclusive all-day education.
As the umbrella foundation and owner of the foundation's assets, the Carl Richard Montag Förderstiftung finances the foundation's project-related work in the spirit of its founder Carl Richard Montag. It is supported by the Montag Foundation Denkwerkstatt as a source of inspiration and think tank, which is also responsible for strategic consulting as well as the foundation group's overarching communication and public relations work.
About the New Urban Gardening Initiative
The members of the Neue Stadtgärtnerei initiative have joined forces to create a living, learning and nature space on the site of the former city nursery in Bonn-Dransdorf. The starting point for their voluntary work is the question of how the necessary social, economic and ecological transformation can succeed in times of climate crisis and housing shortage. Their goal is to implement climate protection together in Bonn. They are organized in plenums, working groups and decide by consensus. To ensure the best possible implementation of the project, the New Urban Gardening Initiative has entered into an additional cooperation with the Institute for Technology, Resource Conservation and Energy Efficiency at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences to provide scientific support on topics such as cold flow and heat. The Neue Stadtgärtnerei initiative is planning to use the model of the Tenement Syndicate to socialize real estate and is aiming to become a member of the Tenement Syndicate. The members are currently working closely with advisors from the Tenement Syndicate. In future, the Neue Stadtgärtnerei association would like to pass on its own experience and knowledge to other interested parties from similar projects.
The 30 active members are involved in the planning process with the City of Bonn and the Montag Stiftung Urbane Räume on a voluntary basis alongside their professional and family commitments. At the same time, the initiative is obliged to contribute to the costs incurred in the planning process. The initiative is financed by donations, crowdfunding, direct loans and grants. The members of the initiative are therefore very happy to receive monetary support. If you would like to donate, you can find the account details and a video at: https://neue-stadtgaertnerei.org/spenden/ (opens in a new tab)
The Initiative Neue Stadtgärtnerei regularly invites interested people to open information and introductory meetings. A direct invitation is sent out via the association's newsletter. Registration is possible via the following link: https://neue-stadtgaertnerei.org/newsletter/ (opens in a new tab) Further details and information on the project and organization of the New Urban Gardening Association: www.neue-stadtgaertnerei.org (opens in a new tab)
Contact: infoneue-stadtgaertnereiorg The Neue Stadtgärtnerei initiative is also happy to respond to e-mail inquiries by telephone.