Munich - Urban Transformations

The snow-capped mountains on Munich’s horizon are firmly anchored in the public consciousness as a typical feature of the Bavarian capital, as are the towers of the Frauenkirche, the English Garden, the Wiesn (site of the Oktoberfest), and the grounds of the Olympic Games.  The Isar River with its meadows, lakes and green environs, Schlosspark Nymphenburg, the green corridor along the Würm River, and the Kunstareal (artist's quarter) are some of the other important open space areas that contribute to Munich’s great range of recreational activities.  Because these sites are so important, they are being improved and extended.  In the spirit of sustainable urban development, the city’s locational advantage is being preserved and strengthened through the use of the strategy Compact, Urban, and Green.

Munich's boundaries are tightly developed and unbuilt space for development is in short supply. Urban planners are therefore systematically concentrating on conversions and on qualified internal development.  The renaturalization of the Isar and its meadows within the city, high-profile urban planning projects such as the transformation of the former airport in Riem and vacant inner-city areas into verdant urban neighbourhoods, increasing the attractiveness of the city’s centre, and the design of a green belt system are all part of an urban development scheme to promote citywide urban ecology and the creation of recreational space. This strategy and its projects serve to develop and preserve the quality of Munich's landscape and to strengthen the image and the locational advantage of a city close to the mountains that has attractive lakes and green areas through the transformation of the urban landscape.