Downtown & retail development

With our expertise, we play a pioneering role in the sustainable further development of city center locations and stationary retail.

Not least as a result of the Corona pandemic, city centers and the retail sector are undergoing profound change. Mönchengladbach is by no means alone in facing the phenomenon of an irreversible downward spiral of city centers as a result of increasing vacancies, growing online trade and a lack of development prospects. However, the situation on the ground is further complicated by the phenomenon of two centers (Gladbach and Rheydt) that has been experienced for decades.

For this reason, we are deliberately devoting ourselves separately to the complex of tasks of inner city development and retail. We see it as a playground for innovative ideas, temporary uses, hybrid concepts that combine the advantages of stationary and digital retail, smart logistics and traffic approaches, and new ways of developing sustainable neighborhoods. This is always linked to the goal of enhancing the quality of life in city centers.

Consequently, over the past decade we have established a nationally recognized pioneering and expert role in this area, which is reflected in a number of projects, some of which are scientifically supported. “MG Retail 2020,” “Mönchengladbach bei eBay” and “City Labs for Germany” are just a few of the highlights. Here you can find the vacancy indicator realized in the framework of the latter project.

In cooperation with other city stakeholders, we are working hard to bring this expertise to Mönchengladbach’s city center locations and to actively help ensure that citizens and entrepreneurs not only enjoy living in Mönchengladbach, but also recognize the added value for themselves and their city in actively visiting the city centers as places for leisure, communication and shopping. And we do this in a wide variety of formats initiated by us or by partners, from retailers’ breakfasts to center dialogs, from provisional arrangements to an immediate program for the city center.