Hanover is transforming the city center: The car must go

Hanover's Lord Mayor Belit Onay (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) won the election for Lord Mayor with the theme of a car-free and green metropolis of Hanover. Now he declared the phase of experimentation over and announced the start of implementation. With the goal of having the 530,000-inhabitant city "future-proofed and resilient" by 2035. What this will cost in the end, the mayor does not yet want to estimate.

Historically, Hanover originated as a crossroads of the great west-east connection from Cologne to Warsaw and further (today A2) and north-south from Hamburg across the Alps (today A7). The old connections crossed in the city. This created a star of roads all passing through the city center. Onay's concept cuts the connections. Anyone wanting to get from west to east in the city by car has to go around the outside. Only cyclists and public transit will be privileged. In addition, roadside parking will be eliminated. Anyone who wants to get to the center by car will end up in a parking garage or a Park & Ride lot. Only residents will be allowed in.

Citizens, those affected and businesses in the city center are still reserved in their opinions. Only the CDU opposition sees the OB laying the axe to the city's future viability. All those involved, however, can be sure of the attention of other municipalities. (aum)