Chemnitz will change on its way to becoming the Capital of Culture – through creative interventions in the urban space, through projects and ideas by regional and international artists, through new places of encounter and the desire to experiment. Most recently, 17 areas in Chemnitz were discussed for which more or less significant changes would be desirable in the coming years. But what do the people of Chemnitz think about it? What ideas do they have? Which projects have what it takes to become their favourite topic? What does the city society stand for?

After an intensive workshop in the Hartmann factory on 27 October and four weeks of public discussion, many good ideas from citizens have already been collected. Especially the topic “City by the River” inspired the imagination – already during the workshop and also afterwards in numerous mails and letters: For example, a pontoon with deck chairs, light gastronomy, a playground on the riverbank and bathing facilities or the redesign of the stairs at the Seeberplatz with access to the river was suggested. But also the creation of more passability directly on the river, such as on the Weltecho, was a topic, as well as the damming up of the river to make it navigable with canoes. Several people in Chemnitz wanted to have gastronomy and continuous cycle and foot paths along the river, while others were talking about specific locations such as at the confluence of the Würschnitz and Zwönitz rivers or at the confluence of the Pleißenbach and Chemnitz. RV parks directly on the riverbank and in other parts of the city were also a great indication to think about the touristic enhancement of the city in view of the application for the Capital of Culture.

Another topic with many reactions was the railway viaduct – the proposals ranged from an open-air gallery visible from afar, designed by children and showing personalities of the city, to a “covered” technical playground, a mini-golf course or a boules court under the bridge. There is also a cycle path on the viaduct or a lookout point opposite the clock tower by Schubert & Salzer was also considered. The Sportforum was also a driving force for many people in Chemnitz: mostly as a place of national sports highlights and also as a leisure sports park on today’s open spaces. In addition, the appropriate KSR bus line was already being thought up for the development of Karl Schmidt Rottluff’s parents’ house into an event location, while for the city’s many industrial wastelands, very different ideas for subsequent use were received, ranging from hostels to alternative classrooms and flexible event halls to multi-generational housing projects.

But also independently of the 17 project locations already conceived, new ones were brought up for discussion: for example, the development of the Küchwaldbühne into the city’s cultural stage, the opening of the roundabouts for creative design, the creation of a culture island on the Hartweg, the “Apple2000” project – and again and again the expansion of the network of cycle paths along the river, along old railway tracks, along exciting industrial, art and nature routes was a popular topic.

Thus, a concrete picture is increasingly emerging of how the people of Chemnitz could well imagine their city. A perfect basis for the next planning steps, which we want to present in January.