The fact that city centers need new concepts to remain vibrant in the future was already apparent before the Corona pandemic. However, the trend toward an increasing number of store deaths and the growth of online retail is accelerating the decline of city centers. In order to counter structural change in such a way that city centers remain attractive for citizens and are used for multifunctional purposes, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) has launched its "Retail Dialog Platform".
Experts from the retail, logistics and cultural sectors, as well as representatives from various companies, associations, trade unions and the federal and local governments, worked together to develop concepts for innovative and sustainable urban planning. At the center is the federal government's plan to accompany the retail sector on its way to digitization. In addition, new offers for the city centers are to be created so that the city centers remain attractive and lively beyond the retail trade.
The "Retail Dialog Platform" was set up by the Cologne Institute for Retail Research (IFH) on behalf of the BMWi. "Best practice examples" from different cities are just some of the ideas and recommendations for action. In Hamburg, for example, the city is interpreted as a "downtown experience space". In Stuttgart, there is cooperative district marketing under the motto "district as brand". Cooperation between retail companies and other stakeholders is desirable and beneficial. For example, joint use of space can reduce costs and create innovative concepts that attract residents back to the cities.
Source: BMWi
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