Experience Aachen on foot
Mobility on foot was a topic for the Chair of Landscape Architecture in the summer term 2019. The works of the students will be exhibited on 22 September 2019 at the Elisenbrunnen in Aachen during the Mobility Special.
Foot traffic contributes to sustainability and climate protection. Environmental pollution can be reduced and exercise promotes health. Foot traffic planning, for a long time a niche topic in urban planning, is therefore moving more into focus. The City of Aachen also wants to promote walking. The city is planning ten "Premium Routes" that form an attractive network of paths from the city centre to the city's green surroundings. The Chair of Landscape Architecture has taken this plan as an opportunity and offered two courses for architecture students at the RWTH on the subject of pedestrian traffic.
The students examined the planned Premium Routes during the lecture "Forum City and Landscape". Supported by the City of Aachen, they implemented targeted interventions at selected locations, which, for example, drew attention to grievances, opened up new perspectives and playfully stimulated the imagination of pedestrians. For example, there was a temporary beach at Augustinerplatz, a palm-lined island at Ponttor or an open coffee party at Jakobsplatz. During these activities, the students asked pedestrians about their opinions on topics such as quality of stay, usability and safety on Aachen's footpaths.
In addition to the Forum, students in the seminar "Per Pedes: On green paths through the city" also dealt with walking and green path networks. They examined how good conditions for pedestrians are being created in other cities. The case studies range from Frankfurt am Main to Kiel, from Copenhagen to Seattle. The results are creative solutions, some of which could also be implemented in Aachen. In addition, the students developed the exhibition with results from the Forum and seminar.
The exhibition "Experience Aachen on Foot", supported by the City of Aachen, will take place during the European Mobility Week in September. It shows the many ideas and suggestions collected during the interventions and through the case studies. Here, too, visitors can contribute their ideas for walking in Aachen in participatory activities. All suggestions and ideas will be forwarded to the City of Aachen after the event. Please follow our account on Instagram.
We are looking forward to good ideas to make walking a daily routine in the future!
Where and when? On Sunday, 22 September 2019, from 12 am to 5 pm
at the Elisenbrunnen in Aachen as part of the Mobility Special event!