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If Müller Closes in Weißenfels – Thoughts About What Comes NextThere is great concern online about the possible closure of Müller in Weißenfels. 
Many citizens are asking themselves: What will happen to the city center? What impact will this have on urban life, and what should become of the vacant property? A playground? A parking garage? Or something completely different?One suggestion that was made: Convert the property into an indoor playground. Especially for families with children and many newcomers, this would certainly be an attractive offer. But the idea has its pitfalls. A playground without supervision? Hard to imagine. In addition, ongoing maintenance needs would quickly arise with intensive use. The building would have to be purchased or rented – and generating revenue would be difficult. In short: a nice idea, but financially a bottomless pit and a significant cost factor for the city.Another thought: a parking garage. After all, the parking situation is one of the reasons Müller wants to close in the first place. But: Whether this is even structurally feasible is questionable. Perhaps the building would need to be gutted or even completely demolished. That too would involve immense costs – but at least it’s a suggestion that addresses the real issue: the chronic lack of parking in the city center. Business tax reduction – solution or illusion?It was also proposed to lower business taxes for downtown retailers. At first glance, this sounds reasonable. But a closer look reveals: Only retailers who are still making a profit pay business tax. No sales, no profit – and therefore no tax. Such a measure would only help a few. The core problems – lack of customers, lack of foot traffic – remain.Criticism of consumer behavior – but what's behind it?Consumer behavior in Weißenfels was also criticized in the discussion. Too much is being ordered online. True – but that’s not the whole story. Anyone who remembers the COVID years knows: People were practically pushed into online shopping. Lockdowns, mask mandates, 2G and 3G rules ensured that many had to – or wanted to – avoid retail stores.I personally experienced being reprimanded by staff for not wearing a mask – not out of fear of the virus, but fear of the regulatory office. During that time, many retailers were forced to alienate their customers to avoid fines. Sales losses were accepted. This development left deep scars – for both customers and retailers. Ultimately, this shows: Political and administrative decisions helped trigger the decline of the city center. Less money, less mobility – the reality for many citizensAnother factor: demographic change. Our society is aging – including in Weißenfels. Many elderly people have limited mobility. Long distances, heavy shopping bags – all of this becomes a burden. Add parking fees, and they quickly become a dealbreaker.On top of that: Money is no longer as readily available for many as it used to be. Politically mandated rising costs and prices are eating up pensions and salaries. Every extra euro for parking meters is a deterrent. And these very obstacles must be removed if the city center is to be revived. Why not take measures to keep Müller?The fundamental problem is obvious: There is a lack of walk-in customers. The number of people living directly in the city center is not enough to generate the necessary sales. The city center must also be attractive to customers from surrounding areas. But who takes the bus to go shopping? Who rides a bike on roads without bike lanes? These are green illusions that ignore reality.The only realistic scenario is this: People who want to shop come by car. But who wants to search forever for a parking space, pay fees, and possibly get a ticket if their shopping trip takes too long? Simple solution: Free parking and more spacesA major step toward revitalizing the city center would therefore be: Create parking spaces – and abolish parking fees. Anyone who wants to win back customers must make shopping as pleasant as possible. That includes stress-free, free parking.The decision lies with the cityIn the end, the question is: What is more important to the city? A few euros in parking revenue – or preserving urban life? Less income from parking fees would surely be tolerable if, in return, businesses stayed, revenue was generated, and the city center didn’t deteriorate further.The responsibility now lies with the city administration, the mayor, and the city council. They must decide which path Weißenfels should take: the path of transformation – or the path to insignificance. It’s not too late yet. Müller could still be retained. But it requires bold, decisive action. Now! Not in six months! Then there would be no need to go begging to businesses. Adults can’t be re-educatedAnother insight from this topic: people can't truly be re-educated. Politicians and even administrative staff often display tendencies to want to educate citizens. But as this shows, that doesn't work.To a certain extent, people can be coerced – as we saw during the pandemic years. But not everyone plays along, and it doesn’t work forever. The city center is supposed to be car-free. Okay – then those who rely on cars for shopping simply won’t come to the city center anymore. Urban planners and politicians would be wise not to push their ideas through, but to focus on what people actually want and need. 
Author: AI-Translation - Michael Thurm & Американский искусственный интеллект | |
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