Lövenich's church square: 50 years of standstill, but new plans in sight!

Lövenich's church square: 50 years of standstill, but new plans in sight!

In Lövenich, a district of Cologne, the town center is often perceived as a large parking lot, which is particularly lively on special occasions such as carnival or the shooting festival. But the image of the neglected square illuminates much more than just a temporary use. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of the former suburbs Lövenich, Widdersdorf, Weiden, Junkersdorf and Marsdorf, and architect Gerhard Standop sees a need for action. He criticizes the fact that little progress has been made in the design of the town center over the years and urgently calls for an attractive redesign, as ksta reports.

Standop presented its plans to redesign the church square as early as 2011. These designs, which received support from the Lindenthal district council, included, among other things, a fountain, new lights, benches and bicycle racks. In addition to 12 planned vertical parking spaces, four trees should also be planted. Unfortunately, these plans have not been implemented to date, although Standop updated them for the anniversary to make the square more attractive.

New life for the church square

The new ideas for designing the church square aim to visually divide the square using different paving stones and create an inviting meeting place with benches and a fountain. An outside staircase should connect the square with a neighboring playground, which would not only improve aesthetics but also functionality. In addition, path connections to Brauweiler and Kölner Straße are planned to ensure public control and to make the square more lively.

However, neither the municipality of Lövenich nor the city of Cologne have taken comprehensive care of the town center to date, which standop makes clear. Since then, the church square has seen little change since the old elementary school was demolished in 1962. There is an urgent need for a holistic view of the town center in order to meaningfully link not only the church square, but also the adjacent areas.

Challenges of urban development

Urban development in Cologne and many other cities is faced with the challenges of developing the right concepts for the city of the future. As staedtetag states, social concerns and financial possibilities of cities must be taken into account in order to create a balance between different interests. Sustainability, climate protection and quality of life are central topics.

The councilor for urban development, Bernd Streitberger, assessed Standop's plans positively, but despite repeated inquiries from the district council in recent years, there has been no progress in implementation. In October 2022, the city planning department even discovered that there were no human resources available for the project, increasing frustration among residents. Smaller improvements, such as increasing the car-free area in front of the church and additional benches, are not enough to actually improve the town center.

It seems that even on the 50th anniversary of the incorporation, the church square remains without a suitable gift or a contemporary redesign. In order to revitalize the place in the future, not only creative ideas but also commitment from the city and citizens are required.