Regensburg's construction chaos: gastronomy and retail on the brink!

Regensburg's construction chaos: gastronomy and retail on the brink!

Construction sites in Regensburg cause a lot of excitement. While some recognize the need for these infrastructure measures, local commerce and restaurants are suffering from their impact. An example from Brückstrasse shows how far-reaching the consequences are: the street has been closed since 2023 due to the renovation of the Wiedamann House. The restaurateurs at Moccabar and Café Rauscher have already closed their doors due to a lack of customers, and the clothing store “Bayrisch Wild” is also considering closing.

In conversations, the suffering restaurateurs report about the lack of communication and support from the city. “We only find out about a lot of things when it's too late,” complains Josef Schlaffer, operator of El Sombrero, who was only informed of the construction site shortly before it began. Freddy Löw, who runs the Pirate Cave, is also planning to give up his business and is looking for a successor, highlighting the worrying situation.

Communication and lack of information

The city of Regensburg tries to emphasize that it usually approaches businesses proactively. But in cases of private construction sites, for some reason the interests of the developers seem to take precedence. At the Kohlenmarkt, where a crane has been standing since the end of May for the renovation of the houses at Fischgässel 5 and 7, the affected restaurateurs also remained in the dark to clarify the situation.

Instead of providing residents with early information, there was little to no support. Schwinger Immobilien was unable to respond to inquiries and the requirements for construction projects vary widely, which leads to confusion. There is apparently no clear plan for dealing with the affected residents at this construction site.

Criticism of the city administration

The Regensburg city administration, especially the construction site management department, is exposed to harsh criticism. Residents and business owners in particular are frustrated by the inadequate planning of the construction sites. Critics agree: Better planning could help reduce the disruption this work entails to a minimum.

Many merchants are currently worried about their existence. These concerns are heightened as construction sites are often installed in phases of public reopening, encouraging new activity while perpetuating existing histories of woe.

The challenge of construction site management

Efficient construction site management is not only important for maintaining the infrastructure - it is also crucial for informing the affected citizens in a timely manner. The Association of German Cities sees these challenges as some starting points for improving processes, such as the management of traffic flows or environmental and noise protection. A central, integrated platform could bring together all the necessary information about construction sites in one place, so that citizens, the city and builders can communicate better with each other.

Open standards and common interfaces are crucial for such a solution to work well. Platforms like CIVITAS/CORE could play an important role here, for example by integrating real-time data from IoT systems to enable dynamic construction site control. However, the path there is paved by many hurdles, both financial and technical.

Regensburg is currently in a dilemma that concerns many cities. Construction sites are necessary to ensure an attractive infrastructure, but the way in which these projects are communicated and organized raises questions. The time for action is now, and the public is excited to see how the new mayor and city government will respond to this important issue.