The Agentur StadtWohnen Chemnitz as a scientific research object - Experiences and impressions of a student of European Studies

Since I was born in Chemnitz and still live and study here is it exciting to see how diverse this city can be and what developments have taken place in recent years. Nevertheless, Chemnitz is still facing great challenges that need to be addressed. This is for instance the problem of vacancies, especially in the “Gründerzeit” neighbourhoods in Chemnitz. I came across this problem while translating a text of the URBACT network ALT/BAU for my internship in the EU Office Chemnitz. The topic and the threatening consequences of vacancies had aroused my interest and I contacted the “Agentur StadtWohnen Chemnitz” – an URBACT good practice - in May 2019. The housing agency for shrinking cities pursues the objective of revitalising decaying buildings by connecting owners, users and public authorities.

European Studies and ALT/BAU

As I study European Studies, I was particularly fascinated by the Agency’s European relations within the URBACT network ALT/BAU and right from the beginning I saw the importance of the project for the integrated urban development and image of the city. I wanted to explore the topic more intensively and make it the subject of my bachelor thesis. The aim is to analyze the extent to which the Agentur StadtWohnen implements social sustainability standards in its work and the impact of the agency's work on social sustainability developments in the city of Chemnitz. The influences of networking also play an important role here. The highlight during my internship was the opportunity to attend the Midterm Review Meeting in Chemnitz in December 2019. Here I could see again how important personal communication is and I could also gain a practical insight into the work of the partner cities and their relevance for sustainable network results.

The conclusion so far

For me the Agentur StadtWohnen is a unique and very important project for the urban development of Chemnitz. It highlights the importance of the interaction between different stakeholders in the urban real estate market of the city, but also with national and even international actors. The increasing implementation of the Agency's policies and practices in the other cities, confirm the importance of the Agency’s work. But the ideas and experiences of other European cities exchanged in the network offer new approaches and possibilities and have triggered food for thought in Chemnitz.

However, a central finding of my scientific work is the fact, that the Agency is in a constant process of development and still faces challenges such as the threat of vacancies just shifting from one neighborhood to another due to a relatively small increase in the number of households, but still high vacancy rates. The long-term rehabilitation of the “Gründerzeit” neighbourhoods in Chemnitz should be therefore generally associated with a stronger concept for social sustainability in the city in order to achieve more incoming young families in the long term and to upgrade the city image. Models such as cooperative housing, which are supported by the Agency, are a good approach, but not the end of progress yet.

One more personal note

As an European Studies student I very much welcome the possibility that Chemnitz, which is the lead partner of a European network for the first time, will continue to be active in European networks in the years to come and possibly opens up further opportunities for international cooperation for the city.