Luckenwalde focuses on pedestrian-friendliness: More safety for everyone!

Luckenwalde focuses on pedestrian-friendliness: More safety for everyone!

The city of Luckenwalde is providing new impetus for pedestrian-friendliness and climate protection. The city, which is located in the Teltow-Fläming district about 50 km south of Berlin and has around 21,000 inhabitants, has launched measures to improve pedestrian traffic as part of the “Better climate in communities is going well” project. A “walking climate check” was recently carried out to comprehensively analyze the city center between the district hall, the train station and the castle. The city was able to rely on the support of the German Foot Traffic Association Fuss e. V., who gave important suggestions for optimizing footpaths.

During this check, volunteers who worked as “neighborhood walkers” were able to provide valuable information and suggestions for improvement. For children and young people in particular, the focus was on their sense of security on the way to school. This is also reflected in the participants surveyed, who come from a wide variety of user groups, such as the city council, the senior citizens' and disabled people's advisory board as well as the district and city administration.

Evaluation of the walking climate check

As part of the walking test, various stations in the city were visited. The experts noted both weak points and suggestions for improvement. A central point was the market square, where the participants pointed out the inadequate quality of stay and the sidewalks at St. John's Church that were too narrow. This lack of accessibility poses a challenge for people with walkers, wheelchairs or strollers.

Dirk Ullrich, the head of the department, discussed the history of the one-way street regulation, while Bertram Weisshaar from Fuss e. V. described St. John's Church as a “traffic island”. Possible measures such as closing the connection from Poststrasse to the market, extending the pedestrian zone and making the street and sidewalks the same level were discussed. These proposals are intended to help increase priority for pedestrian traffic and improve overall safety.

Sustainable urban development through good planning

With the Integrated Urban Development Concept 2030 (INSEK 2030), Luckenwalde is pursuing clear guidelines to develop the city into a “city of short distances”. A traffic development plan (VEP), which was updated in 2024, focuses on the safe design of intersections and junctions, especially for pedestrians and cyclists. This also includes measures that expand traffic-calmed areas, promote 20 and 30 km/h zones, and promote the repair of sidewalks and the improvement of the quality of stay in public places.

An important part of this plan is the creation of accessibility through measures such as curb lowering and ramps, which were developed in collaboration with the Brandenburg State Association for the Disabled. The aim is to increase the share of the environmental network in the total number of paths to 66% and thus promote walking and cycling.

The next steps result from the results of the walking climate check, which will be discussed in workshops next year and the first measures will be implemented on a trial basis. Luckenwalde shows a clear path towards a more sustainable and livable city.

For further information about the projects and activities in Luckenwalde, visit the official pages: Luckenwalde.de and foot e. v..