citizen participation - waterfront communities project

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waterfront communities project toolkit
The wider context
Hamburg
Hamburg‘s comprehensive, long-term strategic vision for the development of the city - ‘Metropolis
Hamburg - Growing City’ - aims to ensure that the city will maintain its position amongst the leading
c i t y-regions in Europe. Within this broad strategy, the ‘Leap across the Elbe’ is one of five ke y
projects which help to promote strategic objectives for Hamburg’s future internationally and to make
the overall concept visible and tangible for the residents of the city.
The ‘Leap across the Elbe’ emphasises the opening up and developing old harbour districts and Elbe
Island. In this context the development of Harburg’s inner port is just one step to span the divide
from this up-coming development area in the south to the HafenCity, in the north section, and to
improve areas in between. This context has necessitated the development of a strategy which
addresses both port development and urban planning with individual implementation strategies for
each site. There is also a need to integrate existing transport infrastructure and future transport
projects into the ‘Leap across the Elbe’ conceptual framework in order to develop sustainable
transport concepts compatible with the needs of the city.
The creative results of the ‘Wilhelmsburg Future Conference’ and ‘Leap across the Elbe’ international
design workshop participation processes have also reinforced the importance of active involvement
of residents from the areas concerned. Enthusiastic resident participation helps architects and city
planners to respond to special needs and aspirations as well as benefit from local knowledge and
e x p e r t i s e .