How can a weekly market become not only a place to shop, but also a driver of sustainable neighbourhood development? This is the question that Baltic Environmental Forum Germany is exploring together with the Hamburg-Mitte District Office as part of the Interreg project Change(K)now!.
At the heart of the project is the Billstedt weekly market. The market is a central meeting place in the neighbourhood that offers much more than a place to buy fruit, vegetables or flowers. People from a wide range of backgrounds meet here, the neighbourhood comes alive, and the market demonstrates how important local access to everyday goods and social meeting places are for daily life.
At the same time, the area surrounding Billstedt-Center in the RISE funding area Billstedt Zentrum is set to undergo a comprehensive transformation over the coming years. This development provides an opportunity to consider sustainability from the outset and to make the weekly market fit for the future in the long term. The project is funded through climate plan funds provided by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
The focus is on more than simply introducing reusable systems. Together with representatives of the district office, market traders, politicians, civil society and other local stakeholders, a vision for the future development of the market was developed. In several workshops, on-site visits and discussions with traders, challenges were identified and concrete measures developed. Key topics included cleanliness, the quality of the market environment, customer loyalty, communication and the gradual introduction of sustainable solutions, including reusable options.
A particular focus is placed on adapting the measures to local conditions. Billstedt is a diverse neighbourhood characterised by considerable cultural and linguistic diversity. At the same time, economic considerations play an important role for both traders and many visitors. Sustainability can therefore only be successful if it is practical, suitable for everyday use and economically viable. This is precisely the approach pursued by the project.
The experience gained from the Change(K)now! pilot project at the weekly market in Hamburg-Winterhude provides a valuable foundation. However, the insights gained there are not simply transferred, but specifically adapted to the conditions in Billstedt. The aim is to develop solutions together with local stakeholders that work in the long term and are supported by the people on the ground.
The result of this joint process is a catalogue of measures containing short-, medium- and long-term recommendations for action. Some measures can already be implemented by the market traders themselves in the short term. Others will be gradually implemented as part of the planned redevelopment of the market square over the coming years.
With this strategic replication project, Change(K)now! demonstrates that sustainable reusable systems should not be considered in isolation. They can have an impact when they form part of a holistic development – shaped jointly by public administration, businesses and the local community. In this way, the Billstedt weekly market can develop into an attractive, vibrant and sustainable place for everyone in the long term.
Change(K)now! project is co-funded by Interreg Baltic Sea Region. The project´s main objective is a mindset change from single-use to circular or multiple-use of food delivery systems in cities and residents of the Baltic Sea Region.
Beitrag jetzt teilen!
