science…. – “Mühldorf 2053”

It’s not just in our September 2023 issue that we make space for student projects. Students also present their own work here on our website. You can find all the projects on our “Studies” topic page – and the September issue is available in our store.

In addition to an innovative mobility strategy, new forms of housing and a wide range of leisure activities, the “wissenschafft….” project focuses on training and further education as part of an alternative future for the district town of Mühldorf am Inn.

Basic facts initially show that this is a growing town. In addition to a general influx, Mühldorf is experiencing strong growth in the proportion of older people and a rapidly rising average age compared to the rest of Bavaria. As a result, problems such as a shortage of skilled workers will become more acute in the future and solutions will have to be found to maintain supply and services as well as a lack of workers. The overrepresentation of motorized private transport compared to other non-motorized modes of transport, such as walking and cycling, is also striking.

Following an analysis of generally applicable trends according to their degree of mutual influence, the “education” field of action was identified as the core of the strategy. An increased expansion of training and further education opportunities is to take place in order to create an environment that radiates supra-regional attractiveness through educational opportunities. Relocating the existing TH Campus to an attractive location near the center of the railroad station and simultaneously expanding the range of courses on offer should attract young people in particular. In addition, a bundling of the many existing non-academic educational institutions in the new education center should create a cross-generational place of knowledge exchange and innovation, in addition to economic advantages.

The aim is also to activate and involve the city’s older population, as they offer valuable potential for urban development as knowledge carriers. Secondary effects of the previously mentioned impacts should lead to both existing companies settling in Mühldorf and new start-ups establishing themselves locally, which will lead to the creation of jobs. Ultimately, this should promote healthy urban growth, leading to a positive change in the age distribution. Human capital should be generated and retained locally, which can counteract the shortage of skilled workers.

In order to achieve these goals, other fields of action must also be considered. For example, it is necessary to create living space, improve leisure facilities and ensure sustainable mobility. An inner-city densification that leads to affordable living space for a wide range of population groups, such as apartments for students and trainees, coupled with a future-oriented mobility concept that promotes the expansion of local public transport, particularly with regard to on-demand systems, forms the extended framework of the design strategy.

At the same time, the quality of life in the city is to be improved. A car-free, lively town square and better connections to the banks of the Inn and the riparian forests opposite are intended to make unused qualities available and make the city more liveable in line with the needs of all population groups.

The design was created as part of “Mühldorf 2053”, an interdisciplinary project in the Master’s program in Urbanism at the Technical University of Munich. You can read more about the background to the project here, and the designs of other students can be found here.