Neighbourhood redevelopment Flensburg-Fruerlund Living for generations

Between 2009 and 2014, the housing association Selbsthilfebauverein (SBV) and the city of Flensburg redeveloped the Fruerlund neighbourhood. The neighborhood, which was built in the early 1950s, was reorganized in terms of urban development and open space planning. 16 rows of buildings with 280 small apartments were demolished due to structural deficiencies and replaced by 19 new apartment buildings with around 200 apartments of various sizes.

The reactivation of the neighbourhood is based on the motto 'Living for generations'. The design of the residential environment plays a major role in this. In autumn 2009, the city of Flensburg held an open space planning competition to obtain proposals for the design of the residential environment with a neighbourhood park, open spaces close to the buildings and public street spaces. The design by kessler.krämer Landschaftsarchitekten, which won first prize, formed the basis of the park and residential environment design.

The clear allocation and shaping of the private and public open spaces in the neighbourhood is intended to promote the coexistence and interaction of the different groups of residents. An attractive and diverse design encourages movement, stay and meeting outdoors and extends the living areas into the outdoor space.

The open spaces offer graduated possibilities from the private to the public, there are residential, neighborhood and neighborhood-assigned outdoor facilities. The social field of reference can be found and determined in stages - from the private terrace to row-related communal areas to the public neighbourhood park.

The central open space is the neighbourhood park, which runs from the newly arranged Willi-Sander-Platz in the west as an elongated green corridor to Ostlandstraße. The main design ideas for the park are
- a clear spatial setting: along the northern edge a curved edge, along the southern edge the park path Fruerlundlücke with hedge-lined tree arch
- a 'slow' strolling and recreational path in the north and a 'fast' through path in the south
- focal points for recreation at the two opening/ending areas of the park: On the western edge, the quiet seating area at Willi Sander Square; on the eastern edge in the wider section of the park, the playground provides a lively meeting place and activity area
- The bold brick-red color of the furniture elements such as pergolas, bench/table combinations, et al.etc. is intended to reinforce the identity of the park
- all adjacent residential buildings will be linked to the park by footpaths The immediate residential environment should be designed and equipped to provide everyday functions in a practical and attractive manner.
- all ground-floor apartments have a private terrace and lawn area of at least 5 m in width facing south or west.
- in the vicinity of all building rows there are communal areas (small children's play, recreation, meeting places) for the residents
- parking spaces are generally arranged as compactly as possible and screened from
the recreation areas by pergolas
- each house is assigned areas for bicycle sheds, etc., and the garbage enclosures are provided for the use of the residents. Each house is assigned areas for bicycle sheds, etc., and the enclosures are located near the entrance to the parking spaces
- A network of smaller footpaths on the side away from the street connects the residential buildings to one another
- As in the park, the brick-red colour of the pergolas, enclosures and furniture elements is an identity-forming and connecting design element.

Special Prize Living EnvironmentGerman Landscape Architecture Award 2015

Jury verdict: Together with the city of Flensburg and the Flensburger Gesellschaft für Stadterneuerung (Flensburg Society for Urban Renewal), the housing cooperative Selbsthilfebauverein has reorganised a neighbourhood built in the early 1950s in terms of open space planning in such a way that a central neighbourhood park with a clear spatial setting has been created, which corresponds with the open spaces close to the apartments in the same form and material language.

The developers, together with the winners of an open space planning competition, have succeeded in creating graduated residential, neighbourhood and neighbourhood-related open spaces that offer a variety of uses and promote the coexistence of different groups of residents.

The immediate residential environment is designed and equipped so that private terraces, communal areas, garbage enclosures and bicycle sheds are arranged in a user-friendly manner. The compact arrangement of parking spaces between some residential rows, which disturbs the residential tranquility, should be reconsidered in future projects.

The jury recognized the cooperative interaction between the city, redevelopment agency and cooperative in the context of a complex neighborhood renewal, in which the open space design plays a prominent role for the appearance of the neighborhood and the social cohesion in the neighborhoods.