Candidplatz: Contradiction about planned residential development and leisure areas

Candidplatz: Contradiction about planned residential development and leisure areas

An important development is currently being discussed at Candidplatz in Munich. The city plans to revitalize the open space on southern Candidplatz and create affordable apartments there. This could be a crucial step in counteracting the city's acute housing shortage. However, the “Candidplatz for All” initiative takes a stand and instead calls for the area to be preserved as a play and leisure area. Particular attention is paid to the possibility of offering areas for activities such as skateboarding. The concerns about additional traffic loads caused by new buildings cannot be ignored either.

Anais Schuster-Brandis, the chairwoman of the Untergiesing-Harlaching district committee, for her part announced the planning department's project for affordable housing. You and the BA are calling for additional space for social and cultural institutions, such as a community center or a cultural center, to further enrich life in the district. Your decision to forward the neighborhood initiative's application to the administration shows that a dialogue between different interests is necessary. The city has made it clear that not the entire area should be developed; The green eastern part therefore remains untouched, which is a relief for many residents. As tz.de report, this point is important for many stakeholders.

Stilt houses as a solution?

Another interesting concept are the so-called stilt houses, which were developed in the past as a solution to the housing shortage and high rents in Munich. This form of residential use aims to use areas that are already sealed to create new living space quickly and inexpensively. The first stilt houses were set up as part of the “Housing for All” program. A prototype with 100 apartments was built on Postillonstrasse in 2016, followed by 144 apartments above the parking lot on Reinmarplatz in 2022. 56 company apartments are currently being built above the employee parking lot on Rümannstrasse; these are planned for the beginning of 2027.

One of the driving forces behind these projects, Simone Burger from the SPD, took up the issue again in the planning committee. She emphasizes the urgency of pursuing the Candidplatz project seriously in order to actually create affordable housing in Giesing. At the same time, Brigitte Wolf from the Left expressed concerns about the noise situation that could arise from new buildings. Jörg Hoffmann from the FDP has also made proposals to develop the urban area together with a planned investor project called “Candid-Tor”, which envisages a 64 meter high office building.

Overall development of the city in view

Overall, Munich is pursuing a clear strategy for settlement development with various construction projects. At a future congress on long-term settlement development, which took place in 2012 and 2017, strategies were presented that were aimed at a socially just development of the city. The focus is on promoting housing construction and creating lively, mixed urban districts. Overall, a status report shows that there is potential for around 72,500 new residential units in Munich, with the former Bayernkaserne and Freiham Nord also being considered. These efforts are viewed as part of the LaSie strategies, which are intended to promote a city worth living in, according to insights from the City of Munich.

The discussions at Candidplatz are not just local, but reflect a comprehensive problem that affects many parts of Munich. How the dialogue between the various interest groups will develop remains to be seen.