Award set up by the Foundation

Foundation Award 2009

Paths into the City: Child-Friendly Mobility

• „Lebendige Stadt” Foundation presents award to Griesheim in Hessen for its child-friendly mobility concept
• Special mentions for Kiel, Kaiserslautern and Oberursel
• International "Colorful City" conference kicks off with open-air theater at Cologne Cathedral

The Foundation Award was presented by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the „Lebendige Stadt” Foundation, Alexander Otto, at the "Gaffel" venue in Cologne in the presence of Prof. Dr. Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, State Secretary at the German Transport Ministry, and Alexander Möller, Head of Marketing at the DB Stadtverkehr GmbH rail company. "The winning concepts are also and in particular characterized by their exemplary nature and are ideally suited to serve as best practice models for other towns and municipalities", said Dr. Andreas Mattner, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the „Lebendige Stadt” Foundation. 

In this year's Foundation Award competition staged by the „Lebendige Stadt” Foundation on the theme "Paths into the City: Child-Friendly Mobility", the expert jury decided with a clear majority in favor of the "concept" entitled "The Playable Town" in Griesheim in the state of Hessen. The jury was particularly impressed with a concept that was geared towards children and that not only focused on public spaces from the point of view of traffic safety but that also based on a broad definition of "mobility" as unhindered movement and the opportunity to play on public routes and paths. The Evangelical Polytechnic in Darmstadt and the Griesheim authorities are responsible for the concept itself and for long-term follow-up activities. The jury said that the way in which the town of Griesheim has succeeded in reclaiming the street environment for children and young people is exemplary, transforming it into an open space where children can play and interact. To achieve this goal, the municipality put up around 100 simple "play objects" in public spaces that not only encourage children to play in the street environment but that also serve as "route-finding" elements. This is a model that can be put into practice with minimum expense. 

Special mention for Kaiserslautern
Three of the entered projects received special mentions, and the “Kaiserslautern Child Accident Commission” was among them. What the jury particularly liked about this concept was the broad approach towards integrating both state and non-state partners. The creation of the Accident Commission in 2002 and above all the pooling of concerns relating to child safety in the transport environment have paved the way for the implementation of numerous target group-focused measures to promote the safe mobility of children. These measures include traffic education, road area design and traffic checks. The work of the Child Accident Commission has been widely reported throughout Germany and has led to the creation of accident commissions in other towns and cities. 

Special mention for Kiel
A further special mention went to the Child and School Route Safety Program in the state capital of Kiel. The jury decided on this project as it represents the systematic continuation of the main thoroughfare development planning concept as part of a long-term process. Particular mention was made of the fact that ongoing implementation of the program is ensured by a separate cost center in the civic budget. The jury also praised the Child and School Route Safety Program as a close-knit approach focusing on the optimum organization of road areas. 

Special mention for Oberursel
The project "Oberursel under the magnifying glass" in the town of Oberursel in the Hochtaunus region of Hessen also received a special mention. In the opinion of the jury, what is special about the concept is that it implemented an exemplary and comprehensive participation model for children and youths in a project that involved the local children's and youth club as well as the International Children's and Youth Welfare Federation. In Oberursel, children and young people had an opportunity to track down shortcomings in playgrounds, green spaces, school routes, traffic thoroughfares and sports facilities under expert supervision. These defects were documented in a catalogue of measures that are now being implemented and that will have a positive impact on new planning and therefore also on the mobility of children.

The 2009 Jury