Restructuring of Hanauer Landstrasse - Danziger Platz

Reason for planning
Commercial zones falling into disuse tend to undergo a period of transition; this situation attracts private investors keen to revamp these sites in their own interest. That said, the present considerable need for housing in the city urgently calls for measures ensuring that things are steered in the desired direction. This must, moreover, be achieved prior to establishing development plans proper such that a meaningful overall spatial concept can be formulated for the zone. 

Development district
The project site in Frankfurt’s Ostend district straddles the area of Danziger Platz and the surrounding neighborhood along with the zones extending on both sides of Hanauer Landstrasse, between the railroad embankment and Launhardtstrasse/Osthafenplatz. The site is approx. 65 hectares in size.

Planning objectives
The aim was to create a single overarching masterplan that covered the following: existing buildings; plans already approved but not yet realized (e.g., redevelopment on the grounds of the former Fire Station 1, Hanauer Landstrasse 77); urban planning measures (e.g., the competition “Danziger Platz – west of Ostbahnhof” held at the end of 2007); landscape planning (e.g., “Landschaftslücke” and “Hafenpark”); as well as the potential for new builds and modernization.

The masterplan serves the purpose of steering building permission granted for unplanned areas between buildings in accordance with section 34 of the Federal Building Code (e.g.). In some areas it provides the basis for development plans not yet issued (see development plan no. 900 “Hanauer Landstrasse – west of Launhardtstrasse / Osthafenplatz”), in others it ensures exemptions in those areas where the applicable planning law has been outstripped by reality (e.g., the “Globetrotter” new build on the corner of Grusonstrasse and Hanauer Landstrasse). In the area of Danziger Platz/Grusonstrasse there are plans for development on the southern periphery with center zone amenities to end the present state of disuse.
The above-mentioned “Globetrotter” development kick-started proceedings. The streets on the north side of Danziger Platz will be grouped to constitute one continuous plaza with quality leisure facilities. In the future, stairs leading up to the railroad embankment will link up Danziger Platz with the Ostpark and Hafenpark parks, thereby closing the existing “gap in the landscape” (Landschaftslücke) on what is at present the disused northern railroad track. As regards the zones extending on both sides of Hanauer Landstrasse, the intention is to restructure the commercial zones, some of which are not being used to full capacity, into mixed-use urban districts with a high proportion of residential developments and related services and amenities. The incentive behind creating new public plazas facing away from the busy main arteries and thus enhance the quality of living inside these quarters. The idea is to mirror Osthafenplatz in the north on the other side of Hanauer Landstrasse and link it with Danziger Platz by introducing new public footpaths.   

Project progress
The masterplan for the “Restructuring of Hanauer Landstrasse, Danziger Platz and the Surroundings” takes its cue from the conceptual framework “Danziger Platz – Surroundings” devised and published in 2010. The spatial representation of existing building sites and potential new construction zones, not to forget existing public roads/plazas and planned new links/plazas has been refined by adding representations of specific building structures.
The urban masterplan was presented to the public on November 4, 2014. At that meeting, development plan no. 900 “Hanauer Landstrasse west of Osthafenplatz/Launhardtstrasse” was put on public display in an effort to give local residents the opportunity to become involved in the planning.
The project was concluded with the status of planning as at October 9, 2014 and has since served as the basis for both exemption decrees as well as the above development planning.