Social Cohesion Ben-Gurion-Ring

In the Integrated Urban Development Concept (IUDC) Social City Ben-Gurion-Ring at the beginning of the grant program, the strengths and weaknesses of the estate were analyzed, and development targets for the future defined. Individual projects were stated in a list of measures that if realized are destined to achieve these development goals.

To devise the IUDC, between March and October 2017 an extensive public participation process took place that offered all inhabitants of the district to help structure the development target for the coming years.

The needs and potential to be developed were identified in successive events and workshops. As experts on everyday life in the neighborhood, the residents contributed their knowledge to the IUDC and in this way developed tailor-made projects for social urban renewal. This participation process was showcased as part of a public results exhibition in the district management office in October 2017.

All project ideas from the participation process were bundled into a total of 16 measures.

The action plan was updated in 2025 and supplemented with a status plan (see PDFs below).

In the Consultative Council, 11 to a maximum of 15 local residents meet 10 people representing the institutions based in the “Bügel” district.

The Consultative Councils liaise between their local residents and those running the Social City program. They are contacts for local residents and represent their wishes before the municipal authorities and local politicians. The Consultative Councils are also familiar with current projects and pass on relevant information in the neighborhood.

Furthermore, the Consultative Councils act as advisors with regard to Social City projects: They recommend projects for inclusion in the annual applications for funding and play a role in their planning and implementation. The recommendations of the Consultative Council serve as the basis of discussion for the political bodies.
The Consultative Council is open to anyone living in Ben Gurion Ring. The involvement of local residents is important for the future development of the area! If you would like to become a voting member of the Consultative Council, you should introduce yourself at one of its meetings or contract the district management. Meetings of the Consultative Council are public and are held every six weeks at 6.30 p.m. on a Thursday evening.

Scheduled meetings2025
Thurs. Jan. 30
Thurs. March 27
Thurs. May 15
Thurs. July 3
Thurs. Sept. 18
Thurs. Nov. 27

In the row of stores at Ben Gurion Ring 56 premises have been rented in which to establish a project-related meeting point and a place of work for the Ben-Gurion-Ring Social City. The district office is both a space where people can meet and also the district management office with open visiting hours. The district management as the central local point of contact provides information on pending developments and services and offerings locally.

 

Contact
District Office
Ben Gurion Ring 56
60437 Frankfurt/Main
Tel: 069/ 500 040 60
Email: qm-bgr@qurban.de

Opening hours: Mon, Tues., Thurs, Fri. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Mon 2 – 4 p.m.; closed Wednesdays

With a view to strengthening its commitment to the common good, the City of Frankfurt is making available to those districts undergoing urban renewal a budget (contingent fund) for the execution of minor local projects and measures. In an unbureaucratic way the fund will enable independent civic activity in the non-investment field.
Do you have an idea that could be used to play an active role in your neighborhood? The City of Frankfurt will be pleased to reimburse you for your efforts.

Initial ideas for projects can be discussed informally with the neighborhood management team.

To the district management page

One of the most important gateways to the quarter is that in the south-east at Homburger Hohl. Via the Homburger Hohl street, it connects the district with the local public transport network (Bonames Mitte LRT station). The district gateway is currently characterized by a large, private, single-story parking garage with a parking deck and parking lot, two barrier-controlled access roads as well as a waste disposal area and various trees and shrubs.

In 2022 and 2023, an urban planning, architectural and landscaping ideas competition was held for the redesign and upgrading of this gateway to the quarter – with the due involvement of local residents. Gerber Architekten won first prize with their design “Bunter Ben”.
The subsequent plan was for the winning result to be translated into a design planning by the owner of the property, Nassauische Heimstätte. In mid-2023, the owner of the property, Nassauische Heimstätte, withdrew from developing the project. The City of Frankfurt is currently looking for alternative development options.

With its 11 retail units, the row of shops is a central, well-frequented spot in the Ring. These spaces, which are fully accessible to the public, are privately owned by a homeowners’ association and the GWH housing association.

Between 2018 and 2022, the existing beds at the rear of the entrance to the quarter were redesigned by a landscape gardener and plants put in them – together with the local preschools. The goal: to achieve visible improvements in the relatively short term. There was also a lack of seating in this area and seven colorful flexible chairs were financed by the City of Frankfurt’s Contingency Fund. The new seating will be set up during the day by the retailers and the district management and improves the quality of leisure time in the location during store opening hours.

A survey and an analysis of the current building stock were carried out for the front gateway area on Ben-Gurion-Ring in 2021, something in which the neighboring businesses. Based on this, in 2022 and 2023 the landscape architecture firm Waldvogel created designs for the location. Following a public participation process in 2024, the plans will be incorporated into design planning by the owner GWH.

The redesigned east entrance to the quarter at Ben-Gurion-Ring 102 was inaugurated in early August 2025. The objective was to improve the quality of the space and give the entrance a new, open appearance. Inhabitants were able to input their ideas and wishes at an early point in time in the framework of several civic participation events. The plans directly reflected their contributions.

The once paved area with the carpark and waste collection point has been transformed into an inviting, green, and barrier-free entrance zone. This high-grade outdoor space across a total of some 2,500 square meters now boasts a design with plenty of greenery, new seats, and playground and mobility zones. A new mobility station for bicycles, cargo bikes, and e-scooters, a bicycle repair station, and two carsharing parking spaces support the transition to eco-friendly transportation. In addition, a new DHL package station ensures that deliveries are kept out of the car-free center of the neighborhood.

This private measure received funding in the framework of the “Social Cohesion” urban design support program run by the federal, state, and municipal governments. Planning and realization of the redesign was handled by GWH Wohnungsgesellschaft mbH Hessen in close consultation with the City Planning Dept.

The plan is to likewise soon redesign the adjacent outdoor area with the neighboring building containing Saalbau Am Bügel. The Ben-Gurion-Ring road with the pavements either side are owned by the City of Frankfurt/Main and on the basis of the City Council resolution “Redesign of circulation areas at the entrances to the quarter” will be redesigned by the City of Frankfurt Dept. of Roads and Accessways.

There are numerous components to the public relations work being carried out. All of them are destined to help enhance the image of the Ben-Gurion-Ring quarter in the longer term. The construction measures are all being accompanied by a series of participatory events, such as workshops, information events, exhibitions, tours, and festivals. In addition to the civic participation formats for the construction measures, there is also continuous participation by the Ben-Gurion-Ring Advisory Council, which meets approximately every six weeks. Each measure and action taken as part of the support program is also accompanied by press releases, posters, and social media posts.

Ben-Gurion-Ring is distinguished by generous outdoor spaces between the high-rise buildings. These are made up of private and public green spaces, most of which merge into one another without a visible boundary. The center of the estate is car-free. The aim is to improve their appeal and the frequency with which they are used. The outdoor spaces include meadows, parking areas, pathways, and the Bügelsee lake.
The plan is for the outdoor areas to enable activities for all age groups. An open space concept has been drawn up for the renewal of the urban outdoor spaces, the “Ben-Gurion-Ring Green Belt”, which is now gradually being implemented. The following steps have already been realized:

• participation in the Luminale 2018
• cultivation of an flowering meadow that attracts insects to the south of the building at Ben-Gurion-Ring 124-138
• installation of dog stations
• assignment and supervision of patrons for the dog stations by the district management
• information displays with solar modules set up on behalf of the district management
• the addition of bollards ensures that the green corridor is car-free.
• Installation of a sunshade in the infants’ section on the See playground
• Installation of a bookcase for children in front of the Regenbogen Family Center in collaboration with FES Frankfurter Entsorgungs- und Service GmbH
• Provision of two additional, insect-friendly street lanterns on the only insufficiently lit main path between the St. Lioba church and Grosse Wiese

Further plans are in the pipeline:

• financing a children's Little Free Library in front of the building at Ben-Gurion-Ring 110a (District Advisory Council 10)

The environment directly surrounding residential buildings has a decisive influence on residents’ quality of life and neighborhood cohesion.

A radically new concept was developed for the North Ben-Gurion-Ring 20-42 inner courtyard through an intensive participation process: Tenant gardens with hedges and communal areas with raised beds were created running alongside the buildings in accordance with the wishes of the residents. In the middle of the inner courtyard, a toddler’s playground, a boules court, a small area with fitness equipment, flowerbeds for perennials, benches, and seating pebbles under trees invite residents to linger. The setting was developed according to the wishes of the tenants. The project by GWH Wohnungsgesellschaft mbH Hessen was funded by the “Social City” program.

The City of Frankfurt Planning Dept. is very interested in the private courtyards at Ben-Gurion-Ring 176-186 and Ben-Gurion-Ring 124-138 also being redesigned by the housing companies with the participation of the tenants.

The large municipal playground next to the Bügelsee lake was given a comprehensive makeover by the City of Frankfurt Parks Dept. in 2017. The municipal playground at Rondellplatz and the municipal playground on the Grosse Wiese meadow are currently being redesigned as part of the section-by-section renewal of the green belt.
All of the other playgrounds are privately owned. They are mostly outdated and in poor condition, have hardly any playground equipment or benches and are therefore little used. The City of Frankfurt is dependent on the willingness of the owners to modernize and invest in these playgrounds.

Planning the redesign of the inner courtyard at BGR 112-118 and the Schattentheater playground commenced in 2025. Realization is scheduled for 2027. The project is being supported by an urban planning grant