"City centers, with their diverse stakeholders from retail, gastronomy, housing, culture, and tourism, face major challenges. The rapidly developing online retail sector has weakened almost all city center industries. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have further intensified the already existing structural changes in the retail sector. Revitalizing city and town centers requires communities to develop sustainable ideas and solutions for the long term. We want to disseminate information through existing resources, but also promote and strengthen the exchange of knowledge and experience through new discussion formats."said Infrastructure Minister Susanna Karawanskij.
This format is being used to test new methods of exchange. The aim is to further develop the already existing constructive exchange of experiences between the Free State of Thuringia and its municipalities within the framework of urban redevelopment conferences and site visits. Participants were able to engage in individual exchanges of experiences, for example, through speed dating. In addition to expert input and an interactive workshop on the topic "What can and do collaborations need?", a joint city walk led to the Mehlis market and the "Green Oasis". "Both locations are exemplary for urban development and the resulting quality of life in Zella-Mehlis," said Minister Karawanskij.
The new exchange format is related to the networking activities of the Thuringian action alliance "City Centers with a Future" and was presented by the Thuringian Ministry for Infrastructure and Agriculture (TMIL) within this framework. 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 among stakeholders in city centers.
A total of three such events are planned for this year. The subsequent events will take place on September 15th and November 29th, 2022.
