Good practice:

“Luxus der Leere” in the Altmark region

At the national level, the goal of saving land is to be pursued. For this reason, the revitalization of brownfields and empty fields in PUOS must have priority over further greenfield building designations. Since this phenomenon is affecting more and more local centers in rural areas, initiatives such as " Luxus der Leere" can make an important contribution to sustainable land development. This initiative is the result of currently seven participating municipalities and includes a complex land and empty fields management system based on a simple brownfield land register. The further development of this system is guaranteed by a firm cooperation contract between the municipalities. The Innovation and Start-up Center BIC Altmark in Stendal has the task of initiating and implementing the municipal projects of "Luxus der Leere" within the framework of regional development and is familiar with the management. The municipalities work together on identified fields of action such as the development of inner and brownfield areas and the activation of private property owners. The central instrument of land and empty fields management is the "Kommunale Auskunftssystem Altmark"(KAA). This is a data platform that provides various instruments and specialist services for land and empty fields management. This includes, among other things, the brownfield and empty fields register, which lists these potential areas. The conversion of these potential areas protects the green fields in PUOS.

Currently, each municipality invests 3.000 € to 4.000 € per year for the implementation of "Luxus der Leere". The money is invested in the operation and further development of the instruments of land management, public relations, the organization of inter-municipal cooperation and material costs.

Since 2011, ten projects have been carried out, nine of them under the management of the BIC Altmark in Stendal. The practice-oriented projects improve existing structures. The development of settlement areas and land management are the main topics. An important goal is to put the existing brownfields to a new use in order to preserve the green fields of the PUOS and protect them from constructional encroachment. To date, 25 of such areas have been put to a new use through "Luxus der Leere".

"Luxus der Leere" promotes inter-communal cooperation and regional and supraregional communication to third parties is much more efficient with the joint instruments of the KAA. By bundling the existing resources of the municipalities, necessary personnel services and instruments become financially feasible in the first place. The brownfield and empty fields register provides the important basis for planning processes and for a municipal potential land register. Also it can provide opportunities for marketing. The inter-municipal real estate platform offers municipal and also private real estate owners the opportunity to present their properties to interested parties. This instrument supports the inner development of small communities and counteracts additional land sealing. This is intended to give priority to the unused potential of brownfields and protects the green fields in PUOS and pursues the goal: inner development before outer development.