A focus is put on the integration of young people with small chances and qualifications into the labour market. Furthermore, the former commercial area was revitalised by establishing several new kinds of uses and structural measures.

The association „Berufliche Ausbildung und Qualifizierung Jugendlicher und Erwachsener e. V. (BAJ)“ (Vocational Training and Qualification of Young Persons and Adults) together with „Stadtwerke Bielefeld“ (Bielefeld’s public utility company), „Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft (LEG)“ (a real estate company) and other institutions in the social and youth sector initiated the project „Junges Wohnen, Leben und Arbeiten – Dürkopp Tor 6“ (How Young People Live and Work – Dürkopp Tor 6) in a former building of the machine works „Dürkopp“. The City of Bielefeld developed a concept for commerce, service, housing and culture taking up this initiative. In the following, an advanced training centre, a youth guest house, “Bildungszentrum Bielefeld” (Bielefeld Centre of Learning), a venue for performances and events as well as 40 freehold flats and 84 subsidised flats were built on the site with a surface of 10,000 sqm

The actors founded a cooperative alliance. Several educational, cultural, leisure-oriented, labour-market, (ortho-)paedagogical and ecological measures are networked within the cooperative alliance of several organisations.

Based on the results of a procedure for calling in expert opinion, an integrated development concept was set up which became legally effective through a legally binding land-use plan.

The project especially addresses young persons and adults. 

On a former industrial site, a functionally mixed neighbourhood with a reduced traffic volume was built.  The publicly subsidised flats partly accommodate assisted living communties.

The neighbourhood was realised as a car-free urban district. A bicycle park and service station with 200 parking spaces was built. On the youth guest house and on the BAJ workshops, solar energy plants with a surface of 2400 sqm were installed. The existing food and cycle path system was added by a public park.

First of all, deprived teenagers and young adults are the beneficiaries. Furthermore, the revitalisation measure also provided the opportunity to launch other initiatives.

BIWA gGmbH
Bielefeld
Germany
http://www.baj-bi.de
Petra Märtens, tel. +49 (0)521/9650231

01/01/1995

case

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Education

Primary education