Urban Planning Study East-West-Axis, Cologne

Mobility of the future

Konzept

Together with the City of Cologne, the Cologne Public Transport Authority (KVB) and VKT traffic planners, WES LandscapeArchitecture studied Cologne’s urban spaces along the EAST–WEST axis in an exemplary traffic and open space analysis.

The goal was to strengthen local public transport for the future by reducing passenger car traffic on the basis of Cologne’s Mobil 2025 plan.

A comprehensive, sustainable concept has been developed that abolishes the dividing effect of the east–west axis by redefining the north–south links, having examined both above- and below-ground integration of the urban rail network in the space of the city.

The concept integrates bus stops in historical squares and creates new opportunities for use of the urban space. City squares that are heavily fragmented by vehicular traffic in some places are to be reconstructed on the basis of their previous dimensions and spatial confines.

The project was complemented by a comprehensive public participation procedure in order to give the City Council of Cologne a recommendation about options for further planning.