Neckarpark: New space for residential and commercial use

The site of the former goods station was acquired by the city in 2000 as part of the Stuttgart region's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. As part of the "Olympia-Aue", it was intended for the construction of the Olympic Village. Although the bid for the major sporting event was unsuccessful, this opened up completely new possibilities. The result is a diverse urban quarter with a high quality of life - urban, liveable and sustainable.

In addition to the creation of residential and commercial space, the new urban quarter will also play a pioneering role in terms of energy and environmental policy. A future-oriented energy concept is being developed for NeckarPark, which will ensure the largest possible supply of locally available renewable energy sources such as solar energy, geothermal energy and wastewater heat. The aim is to comprehensively reduce energy consumption and avoid local emissions of pollutants. In addition, a sustainable school and education center is planned to be centrally integrated into the project. The quality of life is also to be improved through affordable living space and attractive open spaces in the new urban quarter.

Further details on the new urban quarter can be found on the  City of Stuttgart's participation portal (opens in a new tab) and in the following flyer.

Before the development of the area could begin, the main sewer had to be renewed and Benzstrasse in NeckarPark had to be relocated to the north. This resulted in 21,000 square meters of roads and 12,600 square meters of traffic-calmed areas as well as footpaths and cycle paths, most of which will have infiltration-capable surfaces for the ecologically important retention of rainwater. Large areas of the quarter will be reserved for pedestrians and cyclists. The residential and working areas are to be reached via so-called access loops. However, the aim is to keep the open spaces largely free of car traffic and to prevent shortcuts.

The park, which was inaugurated in July 2017, covers an area of around 10,000 square meters, of which around 8,000 square meters are unsealed. A special feature is the meadow trough running along the northern edge of the park. Here, surface water seeps away and is collected in a reservoir located under the park area. From there, it is pumped upward and evaporates back over the surface. Precipitation water from the settled neighborhoods is also later drained in this way, thus relieving the burden on the sewage network. This long side of the park is accented by a row of trembling poplars. On the opposite side along the Wasen promenade, pines were planted in small groups. As evergreen trees with gnarled growth and structured bark, they form a strong contrast to the flexible poplars.

Children and young people can look forward to plenty of space and a variety of play opportunities. A water playground for younger children, various playground equipment and sports facilities such as slackline and table tennis for the older ones are set up on three playgrounds distributed throughout the park. The large meadow areas are available to all for the full range of outdoor play and recreational activities. Part of it is regularly mowed as a playing field.

A civic committee deliberated and decided on numerous suggestions for the name of the park. Veielbrunnenpark is a project as part of the Bad Cannstatt 17-Neckarpark redevelopment; ground was broken in October 2016. The total cost of around 2.23 million euros was subsidized by the state with 1.25 million euros in funding as part of the state redevelopment program.

Within NeckarPark, the area with the former customs office is an important identity factor for the future residential area. In addition to the non-profit cultural island, the youth welfare office's community work has also become an important factor for cohesion and transparency in the development of the neighborhood. For this reason, both services are to retain their place or be given space on the Zollamt site in future. The aim of urban renewal is to preserve and support the special character of the location as far as possible in the event of structural redevelopment or additions.

The planned residential development and the associated noise protection requirements will change the framework conditions for the customs office site. For this reason, an operating concept is being developed for the site that takes this development into account and is intended to support the special character of this socio-cultural offer in the best possible way. The necessary construction measures can be funded as part of the Bad Cannstatt 16-Veielbrunnen redevelopment area.

On October 6, 2015, the Environment and Technology Committee approved the plans for the bathroom from the architectural competition held in July 2015. The first prize in the Europe-wide planning competition was won by the consortium of Arke, Häntsch, Mattmüller-AHM Architekten mbH and Berlin und Lehmann Architekten GmbH. After a construction period of 3 years, the indoor sports pool was opened in summer 2022.

The new pool is primarily available for school, club and competitive sports. It is also possible to hold national title competitions. In addition, there is the opportunity to offer citizens the chance to enjoy a sporty swim. A 50-meter pool with eight lanes and a 25-meter pool with a moving floor and a grandstand with 900 seats and standing room have been created.