State Program Economy 2021–2027 – Sustainable Urban Development – Sustainable Urban Mobility

State Program Economy 2021–2027 – Sustainable Urban Development – Sustainable Urban Mobility promotes innovative measures to create a livable and environmentally friendly urban infrastructure in Schleswig-Holstein. This funding program targets cities and municipalities designated as upper, middle, or lower centers as well as urban fringe cores according to the state ordinance. The focus is on concepts and construction projects that reduce motorized individual traffic and instead strengthen pedestrian, bicycle, and public local transport. The goal is to sustainably redesign urban spaces and enhance the quality of life in neighborhoods through improved environmental conditions, reduced greenhouse gas and fine dust emissions, and increased accessibility.

The funding is provided as a grant covering up to 40% of eligible expenses. Eligible costs include planning, participation, and monitoring costs as well as construction and ancillary construction costs within the framework of redesigning public spaces and establishing attractive pedestrian and bicycle networks. A prerequisite for funding is a solid integrated urban development plan that identifies existing design and usage deficits and derives concrete measures for sustainable mobility. Additionally, a minimum own contribution of 10% of the costs must be provided. Non-eligible expenses include, for example, costs for parking concepts or electromobility facilities, land acquisition costs, as well as operation, maintenance, care, and follow-up costs. The selection of projects is based on strict criteria that assess, among other things, the sustainable contribution to improving transport infrastructure, the innovativeness of mobility concepts, and the contribution to inclusive, integrated urban development.

The application procedure is designed in two stages. Initially, a sketch is submitted as a declaration of interest by the specified deadline; a positive evaluation leads to an invitation to submit a complete funding application. The Investment Bank Schleswig-Holstein acts as the central approval authority and supports municipal applicants throughout the entire process. The program is part of regional measures to promote Smart Cities & Regions, environmental and climate protection, as well as symbiotic urban development initiatives and is financed by funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Joint Task for the Improvement of Regional Economic Structures (GRW), and state funds. Through the practical redesign of public spaces, not only functional improvements are achieved, but also socially integrative meeting places are created, making urban spaces future-proof.