Lünen: One vision, many fields of action

Client: City of Lünen, Department of Urban Development

Project period: 2021 – ongoing

The project in brief

City centre management for the city center and the district center of Brambauer – this was the brief that Lünen (population 86,000) in North Rhine-Westphalia approached us with. The conditions for a long-term attractive city center are in place in Lünen: hardly any vacancies and plenty of residential space in the center, green oases along the Lippe River and a diverse retail offering. But until now, there has been a lack of targeted management of the city center and its stakeholders – as well as a common vision for city center development.

Task and background

The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia is making 100 million euros available for an emergency program to strengthen city centres and town centers. The transformation of the retail sector is in full swing and has been accelerated by the coronavirus restrictions. But city centers and town centers are the heart of a city – and should remain so. The task for cities like Lünen is to future-proof their city centers and support local retailers.

Lünen is taking action and using the funding it has received: a city centre management system for Lünen’s city center and the Brambauer district centre is being created under the titles Erlebnis.RAUM Innenstadt and Erlebnis.RAUM Brambauer. This is intended to specifically address the concerns of retailers, restaurateurs, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders – and thus ensure the preservation and further development of the city center.

Our solutions for Lünen

We can use a wide range of our expertise for Lünen – both in place branding and urban development. In close cooperation with the city administration and the various stakeholders, we open up new communication channels and strategic fields of action. The basis for this: a strong and unifying narrative for Lünen’s city center – a shared vision for Lünen. Our solutions:

Activation and management of stakeholders:

Communication with city center stakeholders (including property owners, tradespeople, cultural workers) in the form of guided one-on-one discussions.
Strategic network formation and work.
Initiation of a regular exchange between local stakeholders and the city administration via an “initiative circle” for both locations.
“Owners’ forum”: Initiation of a continuous exchange between property owners.
Involvement of relevant stakeholders and partners in the form of specialist input and workshop events.

Lively participation and communication:

“Stadtlabor”: Development of an accompanying dialog, communication and event format for the participation of citizens.
“Stadtgespräch”: Planning and moderation of an interactive event format on the future of the city center.
Conception of communication measures – including website, posters, flyers, social media.
One city center, one vision: developing a narrative as a connecting story for Lünen’s city center

Strategic inner city and neighborhood development

Location analysis and development of a strategy and action plan with fields of action, recommendations and measures.
Development of spatial profiles including related fields of action and measures for inner-city neighborhoods.
Vacancy management through the development of vacancy profiles and a “gap diagram” for the retail sector, followed by support in the targeted acquisition of “local heroes” and regional chain stores.
Processing of the rental disposal fund, technical examination of application concepts.
Development of an acquisition strategy for the Lünen city center location.
Development of a market concept to activate the city centre.

Stadtmanufaktur_Projekte_Luenen_Innenstadtentwicklung-und-Zentrenmanagement

The result: one for all, all for Lünen

The project is still ongoing – and yet progress and initial successes for Lünen are already evident. Here are some examples of what the joint efforts of Stadtmanufaktur and the city of Lünen have already achieved:

Improved cross-departmental and interdisciplinary cooperation for city center development and strengthening the center of Brambauer.
Development of an organizational structure for city centre management, including political decisions to provide the corresponding staff positions.
Joint vision, fields of action and measures for the further development of the city center and the district center.
Continuous momentum through involvement and communication with a wide range of stakeholders
Attracting new inner-city players.

Videos from Stadtlabor city centreand Stadtlabor Brambauer.