The Rheinische Post article “A Turning Point for City Centres” discusses the challenges and opportunities facing German city centres, particularly in light of the pandemic and the growth of online retail.

Eckhard Brockhoff, Managing Director of Brockhoff GmbH, stresses that city centres need a wider mix of uses to remain attractive. He advocates more restaurants, leisure facilities and housing in urban centres. He criticises the oversupply of shopping centres and fashion stores, which does not bring enough life to cities. In his view, places such as Monaco, Paris and Barcelona could serve as models: public spaces are used more actively and traffic is restricted to make room for restaurants and places to linger. Brockhoff calls for more cycle- and pedestrian-friendly cities and new concepts to revitalise retail.

The discussions at the RP Forum “A Turning Point for City Centres” highlight the need to make city centres livelier and more diverse so they remain attractive over the long term.