- The new playground was built next to the daycare center and the elementary school, with direct access for both facilities.
- The youth square now offers the neighborhood’s young people the opportunity to meet and spend time together.
- 80 percent of the new areas were funded as part of the “Social City Aachen-Nord” project.
The time has come: After intensive participation by children, young people and adults around the street Zum Kirschbäumchen, a playground and a youth area have been built there in recent months, which were officially opened on Wednesday, August 21st.
Heinrich Brötz, the city councillor for education, youth and culture in Aachen, is enthusiastic: “With these areas, the ‘Kirschbäumchen’ will become a hotspot for games, sports and adventure for children and young people. You can see that – as is a good tradition in Aachen – they were able to contribute their own ideas.”
And Hilde Scheidt, chairwoman of the children and youth committee, adds: “Play areas are particularly important in densely populated urban areas like here in Aachen-Nord. For playing, romping and as a meeting place for young people and their families. The newly designed playground at the Kirschbäumchen has created such a meeting place. It was planned and designed together with the children and young people in the district, and today we can see the result: really great! The playground at the Kirschbäumchen in Aachen-Nord is a wonderful new way to spend time together.”
The new and redesigned area has resulted in a 1,660 square meter playground with direct access from the neighboring elementary school and the neighboring daycare center. There is a small slide tower, a climbing course, a turntable, a sand playhouse and a play wall as well as swings for children. The playground is barrier-free and a circular path can be used as a “practice track” for scooters or Bobby Cars. The area was previously a play area, but was used as a dog toilet for many years.
More than 2,700 square meters for young people
Not far away, the 2,770 square meter youth area was created. It was “sharpened” from the neighboring sports field and now offers a football field, a streetball court, a calesthenics facility, a table tennis table and a trampoline. Two hammocks and many benches, youth benches and table-bench combinations invite you to meet up with friends. The barrier-free path to the area is designed as a ramp with seating elements and looks like a small grandstand with a view of the sports field.
Achim Ferrari, district mayor of Aachen-Mitte, said of the function of the youth square for the district: “The square is of great importance for Aachen-Nord and is not only a playground for almost all age groups, but thanks to its wide range of activities it is also a meeting point for all residents in the area. Aachen-Nord will therefore gain a lot in terms of quality for communication and meetings in the district.”
Karen Roß-Kark, the landscape architect responsible for the climate and environment department, describes the plans: “I am delighted that the two play areas that have already been completed have been so well received. We have tried to take into account many of the ideas and wishes of the children, young people and local residents.
A great added value is that a public exercise program for young people and adults is now available on an area of the sports field that was previously not accessible to the general public. In the densely populated city center, it is almost impossible to find new public spaces and then offer a corresponding leisure program.”
The main focus of the planning was to support the motor skills of children and young people with and without disabilities and to promote cooperation.
Roß-Kark says of the concrete planning ideas: “We did not make it easy for ourselves when it came to relocating the playground, which was previously located next to the adventure playground. Ultimately, several participation processes led us to place the playground next to the school and close to the daycare center, so that both facilities can now use the new children’s playground via direct access.”
Work on the new green area has begun
The design of the third area, the “Zum Kirschbäumchen” neighborhood park on the site of the former playground, has now also begun. Klaus Meiners, head of the climate and environment department, also sees the importance of the new green spaces: “More than ever, cities need multi-talented public open spaces that serve as a place for relaxation, encourage exercise and creativity, and strengthen social cohesion. Kirschbäumchen is now such a place – it has a wide range of talents, invites you to play and linger, and its heat-tolerant trees, some of which are planted in the autumn, provide shade and cooling on hot summer days. And so ‘Zum Kirschbäumchen’ is likely to become another real magnet for Aachen children and young people. Let’s look forward to it together.”
In the spring of next year, when all three areas are completed, there will be a festival on the street Zum Kirschbäumchen. There is already a lot of interest from the public in taking part.
The three sub-projects were funded 80 percent under the title “Spiel Sport Schule zum Kirschbäumchen” as part of the “Soziale Stadt Aachen Nord” project.
Published on 22.08.2024
