The planning and building processes are often very intricate and time consuming. Against this backround the project focused on the comprehensive coordination and support of the planning and building phase by the urban planning office.

In Biberach, a medium-sized city, building land was designated to build 105 private residential buildings and 42 flats in blocks on an integrated, formerly public urban area of 5.8 ha. The sparsely populated residential area, which was directed towards the south, was kept free of cars owing to the construction of a central parking complex and thus became a high-quality residential environment. A local public transport stop enables connection to the city centre which is 1.7 km away. The whole rainwater is drained away via a trough-trench system. A wool pellet heating system provides the area with heat via a local heat distribution network. The houses use low-energy standard.

First of all, the results of an introductory architectural contest were advanced with the regional associations of craftsmen, which acted as building contractors. These drafts were presented on the occasion of two project fairs to potential purchasers. Based on the interviews of interested purchasers, an urban planning framework plan and the legally binding land-use plans were developed and the purchase options were distributed. Simultaneously to the structural engineering and land improvement measures, the planning law-related provisions and open space planning were adjusted to the selected types of buildings.

Due to the coordinated process of planning and building, the area could be covered quickly and in a demand-oriented way with cost-effective owner-occupied houses. The simultaneous procedure in planning and production helped to keep down costs for the residents. 8% of improvement costs per row of houses could be saved. The actors involved considered the coordinated planning procedure to be positive.

The purchasers and residents of the houses.

Stadtplanungsamt Biberach (Urban planning office of Biberach)
Biberach
Germany
http://www.biberach-riss.de
Mr. Christian Kuhlmann (Head of Office), tel. +49 (0)7351/51290

01/01/1996

case

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Community development

Citizens' participation