"City centers with their diverse actors from retail, gastronomy, housing, culture, and tourism face major challenges. The rapidly developing online trade has weakened almost all city center sectors. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have further intensified the structural change in retail that was already present. For the revitalization of city and town centers, communities are needed to develop long-term viable ideas and solutions. We want to provide information through well-known offerings, but also promote and strengthen the exchange of knowledge and experience with new discussion formats", said Infrastructure Minister Susanna Karawanskij.
The format is used to test new methods of exchange. This is intended to further develop the already existing constructive exchange of experience between the Free State and the Thuringian municipalities within the framework of the urban redevelopment conferences and urban redevelopment tours. Participants were able, for example, to enter into individual exchange of experience through speed dating. In addition to professional input and an interactive workshop on the topic "What can and do cooperations need?", a joint city walk led to the Mehliser Markt and the "Grüne Oase". "Both stops are exemplary for urban development and the quality of well-being created in Zella-Mehlis", said Minister Karawanskij.
The new exchange format is related to the networking work of the Thuringian action alliance "Innenstädte mit Zukunft" and was presented in this context by the TMIL. In addition to the goals of repositioning city centers, further developing existing urban development funding instruments, and focusing more on digitalization, the alliance has also committed itself to better networking city center stakeholders.
A total of three such events are planned this year. The follow-up events will take place on September 15 and November 29, 2022.
