Rostock Planning Advisory Board before a crucial meeting: What awaits us?

Rostock Planning Advisory Board before a crucial meeting: What awaits us?

An important meeting of the planning and design advisory board is scheduled to take place in Rostock on Friday, December 12, 2025. From 2 p.m. in the town hall, the advisory board will discuss several central topics. These include, among other things, the re-submission of a new residential area on Dalwitzhofer Weg and the start of the city-wide integrated urban development concept (ISEK). In addition, members receive an overview of the urban development projects around the Unterwarnow and the city harbor. The meeting is open to the public and interested citizens are welcome to attend. The advisory board meets quarterly to assess plans and develop recommendations for the citizens, committees and the city administration, as the Rostock Town Hall reports.

There will also be an emotional farewell at this meeting. The long-standing members Prof. Abelmann, Prof. Stevens and Prof. Dr. Zahiri are adopted, whose term ends after seven years. From 2026, the people of Rostock can look forward to three new advisory board members who will bring a breath of fresh air to the committee's work.

Polarizing discussion about the advisory board

However, in recent weeks there have also been heated discussions about the role of the planning and design advisory board. A proposed resolution that aims to dissolve it is causing a stir. The aim is to use the financial resources thus released to minimize the budget deficit. Critics argue that the advisory board is not an instrument of citizen participation and can only make recommendations that have no direct influence on construction and planning projects. Another point is that advisory board work often leads to delays in the creation of planning law, such as CDU Rostock faction determines.

The existing advisory board is unknown to many citizens, which gives the impression that the advisory board's work does not produce any visible successes in the city's planning system. This perception leads to the actors who work with the advisory board finding its existence disruptive.

The importance of citizen participation

But what does this mean for urban development in Rostock? The general framework conditions of urban development require active and early citizen participation. Julia from the Bürgergesellschaft supports this statement and explains that citizens are often only involved late in planning processes when the space for participation is severely limited. Early information about planning goals is required by law.

Urban development is more than just building housing. It covers social, economic and ecological issues and requires collective cooperation between all actors. Open spaces and a well-developed infrastructure are crucial for a good life in the city. Examples like Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin show how important such development concepts are and where citizen participation plays an indispensable role.

In summary, it appears that the planning and design advisory board in Rostock deserves both praise and criticism. While some question its influence on urban development, others emphasize the need for citizen participation in all phases of the planning process. The upcoming advisory board meeting therefore promises not only exciting discussions, but also important decisions for the future of the city.