Sport- und Bürgerpark

Basic information

Project Title

Full project title

Sport- und Bürgerpark Baesweiler

Project Description

An attractive, integrative and high-quality sports park was created in Baesweiler. Requests for reorganization, visibility, making the games more attractive, accessibility and opening up rear areas were developed by the public In several citizen participation sessions and implemented in the second construction phase.

Geographical Scope

Regional

Project Region

Baesweiler, Germany

Urban or rural issues

It addresses urban-rural linkages

Physical or other transformations

It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)

EU Programme or fund

Yes

Which funds

ERDF : European Regional Development Fund

Description of the project

Summary

The Sports and Civic Park in Baesweiler is not just a place for physical activity, but also for social interaction and integration. The park is a central driver for promoting physical activity in an urban environment. It offers classic sports facilities such as soccer fields, a basketball court, jogging tracks, and playgrounds that appeal to people of all ages and fitness levels, as well as space for trendy sports like skating and yoga. Integration and social inclusion are to be promoted. People from different backgrounds, cultures, and age groups come together here to engage in sports together or simply spend time outdoors. The Sports and Civic Park provides opportunities for social interaction and community building. In addition, accessibility is of great importance here.

The park provides space for relaxation and recreation. Families can picnic, children can play, and people from all walks of life can enjoy nature for free. In times of climate change, rainwater management is of growing importance. The park serves as a rainwater management system by collecting and storing rainwater. The use of green spaces and ecological landscape design helps minimize the impacts of floods and naturally recharge groundwater. The Sports and Civic Park in Baesweiler now plays a crucial role in the urban environment. It promotes movement, integration, and accessibility, creates places of relaxation, and contributes to mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Key objectives for sustainability

The focus was on opening the Sports and Civic Park to the public and revitalizing this place. It was important to create an outstanding and cross-regional offering with high appeal. In the planning process, emphasis was placed on connecting the city with the park. Existing elements were incorporated, further developed, and sensibly complemented with new additions.

Old play equipment was renovated and integrated into the concept. Care was taken to ensure that the play and sports equipment—not just on the playground—demonstrates robust everyday usability and has a long lifespan. The park is characterized by the de-sealing of large areas and a sustainable approach to on-site rainwater management. Approximately 50 new trees were planted, large areas were seeded with local wildflower seeds, and insect-friendly perennial plantings were established.

Key objectives for aesthetics and quality

The existing Sports and Civic Park was developed from the existing infrastructure. In the process, new elements were integrated into the existing structure, thus enhancing and maintaining it. Two continuous features, the fast track and the slow track, connect different areas of the park. These two paths open the park into the city, making it easily discoverable and accessible to the public. Clear markings and the use of the park color "red" provide good orientation and guidance throughout the park. The red hue is easily recognizable and visible everywhere (red pillars, red markings).

Key objectives for inclusion

The aim was to create a meeting point for people of all ages with the Sports and Civic Park in Baesweiler. The park was intended to gain attractiveness and become a focal point for the region due to the variety of sports and leisure activities. It was important to us that there be a low-threshold offering of sports activities, ranging from easily executable to challenging exercises or training equipment, catering to both athletic and less athletic individuals.

The Sports and Civic Park is easily accessible, with a bus stop in close proximity, allowing visitors from more distant neighborhoods and other cities to visit the park. The Sports and Civic Park opens towards the city and extends its offerings into Baesweiler. The pathways are barrier-free.

Results in relation to category

The Sports and Civic Park is open to all—for the young and old, for the rich and poor, for all genders. It serves as a meeting place and provides various opportunities for sports and movement, offering both trendy and conventional sports, as well as family-friendly activities. Through the conscious decision to open the park towards the city and not charge an entry fee, it is accessible to all citizens. As a public space, the Sports and Civic Park also serves an important social function because every public space is also a social space.

How Citizens benefit

From the beginning, we involved the city community in the design process. We organized various formats, explicitly inviting not only the general public but also young athletes, teachers, and students from the vicinity to explain the project to them and incorporate their wishes. It was important to us that the Sports and Civic Park is open to everyone from the start, and as many ideas from the population as possible are adopted. Nowadays, numerous clubs utilize the premises. Professional courses for beginners take place on the skate park. Information boards have been placed at each fitness station, explaining the exercises to be performed at the respective locations.

Physical or other transformations

It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)

Innovative character

The Sports and Civic Park in Baesweiler is usable across generations and open to both the young and old. In addition to traditional sports (such as soccer, basketball, fitness), alternative sports activities (such as yoga, skating) can also be pursued. We aimed to provide a gender-sensitive offering, and in doing so, we planned and built two sports fields to particularly offer an attractive option for girls.

Disciplines/knowledge reflected

Fields of expertise: Open space planning, engineering, skate park planning, playground planning, ground management, gender-sensitive planning, integrative planning, participatory approaches.

Through the collaboration of these disciplines, a sustainable and exceptional park was able to emerge.

Methodology used

We are planning public open spaces that provide added value for the city community. It's about offering something for people of all age groups. Here, individuals can meet, engage in sports, play, and linger without entry fees or consumption pressure. Thus, the park becomes an important social space, creating opportunities for encounters. The park is also a learning space, where experiences are gained in both sports and social aspects.

Therefore, all areas have been built to be practical for everyday use and robust to be as sustainable as possible. Our approach was to revive, enhance, and design the aging park attractively and sustainably, aiming to provide a future-ready space for movement and recreation for the users.

How stakeholders are engaged

The project was developed locally by the city of Baesweiler. As landscape architects, we planned the park and oversaw its construction. The impact of the park is now regional due to its exceptional offerings. Its appeal is felt throughout North Rhine-Westphalia.

Global challenges

This project aims to address global challenges by implementing local solutions, especially in the context of climate adaptation measures, a multitude of tree plantations, rainwater management, and the de-sealing of surfaces. Overall, the implementation of these local solutions contributes to strengthening the resilience of communities against the impacts of climate change while simultaneously making a positive contribution to addressing global challenges.

Learning transferred to other parties

The involvement of local residents, their participation in the project, is exemplary and easily transferable to other initiatives. People were able to contribute to the planning process and were present at the park's opening. This ensured that the project was embedded in and supported by the city community from the very beginning.