BMVBS-Online-Publikation 09/2013 - Empirica

Innerstädtische Hauptverkehrsstraßen 8
(3) Urban Design and Building Culture (e.g. refurbishment backlog, deterioration of urban patterns
and street lines, risk of and loss of architecturally significant buildings)
(4) Real Estate Market (e.g. residential and commercial vacancies, owners incapable of action,
poor image)
(5) Socio-spatial Segregation (e.g. concentration of socially disadvantaged households)
The described problems on inner city arterial roads are caused by various parameters:
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Housing market: Arterial roads in shrinking housing markets are more vulnerable than in
growing markets. The city size though hardly affects the risk potential.
Inner city housing estates: Serious problems accumulate up to the point of vacancies
primarily in poor residential areas of the city. Price deductions can also be observed at
arterial roads in attractive neighbourhoods; however the demand is safeguarded by the
attractive location itself.
Phase of urban planning and urban layout: Arterial roads with an urban layout which is less
representative are more strained than those with representative functions.
Commitment and capability of real estate owners: With declining demand and falling rents
there is growing tendency to low cost management strategies. The investment cuts become
subsequently visible and evolve into a disincentive for investment activities of the adjacent
owners. All in all the opportunities for the future decrease.
Traffic load: The burden of similar traffic loads are perceived differently. Depending on the
design of the roads even low traffic volumes can be experienced as annoying as high volumes
of traffic.
The complex problems of inner city arterial roads in stagnant or shrinking cities and the resulting
diverse challenges require a new and deeper understanding in dealing with them. Medium and
long-term improvement measures and the implementation of integrated strategies and concepts
are needed. This applies to activities in favor of small-scale stabilization or improvement of the
traffic, urban design and the real estate setting but also for complex conversion projects of entire
roads or road sections. Based on the previous steps, six key practices for an integrated management
of arterial roads can be identified:
(1) Monitoring and evaluation (including the development of observation and analysis tools in
order to prioritize intervention sites on a citywide basis, monitoring of performance)
(2) Integration of the analysis outcomes for arterial roads into integrated urban development
strategies
(3) Communication management (including the dissemination of integrated goals and strategies,
interdepartmental coordination, adaptation of the speed of the process to the capabilities
of the different players)
(4) Participation and activation strategies (including stronger integration of private property
owners, administration has a coordinating and activating role, starting the process only if
financial resources are available)
(5) Profiling and image building (including concentrating the measures visibly, temporary uses)
(6) Management of funds (including bundling of funds for customized solutions)
On the basis of the overall results of the study, recommendations will be made for federal, state
and municipal levels.
Summary BMVBS-Online-Publikation Nr. 07/2013