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New life for dying inner cities: ideas for MV in focus!
Innovative concepts for revitalizing empty inner cities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are the focus of an NDR talk on November 10th, 2025.
New life for dying inner cities: ideas for MV in focus!
The inner cities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania don't have it easy. The decline in lively shopping landscapes is particularly noticeable in cities like Demmin and Anklam, where a number of shops have had to close in recent years. According to a current study by Jan Nissen, who researches at Neubrandenburg University, the function of inner cities will fundamentally change. Nissen is when NDR Talk about the new ideas for the often empty city centers.
Nissen believes that in the future we will no longer see predominantly consumer-oriented places in city centers. Rather, the focus must be on use for the common good that promotes encounters, culture and community life. “Urban society must actively appropriate the space in order to make the inner cities come alive again,” says Nissen. These changes could be initiated through simple actions, such as children's flea markets or street football tournaments.
From vacancy to use: change is imminent
Online retail and shopping centers on the outskirts of the city have brought about a massive change in the inner city structures. To counteract this, temporary use initiatives have been launched in numerous German cities. These projects aim to actively use empty spaces and thus increase the attractiveness of inner cities. The Federal has created an interim use network, which was officially launched on June 1, 2023.
The aim of this network is to network existing temporary use initiatives and to offer a central contact point for those interested. The aim is to provide answers to organizational and legal questions that often represent a hurdle to the implementation of such projects. The exchange about best practice projects is also intended to promote the increase in experience of the actors and support the successful transformation of inner cities.
Examples of successful conversions
The example of the “Open Mill” in Neubrandenburg impressively shows how new living spaces can be created from formerly empty buildings. This event location in a former bakery building is already valued as a meeting place in the community and represents the changeability of inner cities. Something similar is happening in places like Cottbus and Lüchow, where empty rooms have been converted into hobby workshops, co-working spaces and rehearsal rooms.
Despite the positive approaches, the conversion of inner cities can also cause conflicts. Nissen warns of possible discussions about the planned conversion of streets into pedestrian zones or the use of empty shops by initiatives promoting minority rights, which can often lead to neighborhood conflicts.
Finally, Nissen emphasizes that the future of the city centers will be a negotiation process. It is up for debate whether these places should become more diverse and lively, or whether they should remain in their traditional state, which could lead to their further decline. However, in Demmin, which is currently fighting against loss of importance, a trend reversal seems to be emerging.