Editorial
Quartier Vauban - A Guided Tour
When the French military deployment vacated its Vauban barracks in Freiburg in 1992 the idea of creating a new city district on the site inspired urban planning experts and many people in the city and beyond . The site, only 3 km away from the center of town, offered a rare opportunity to deal with the housing shortage, to offer space for commercial areas, and right from the planning stage onwards to integrate social and ecological aspects into one coherent overall concept.Now , 15 years on, Vauban is largely complete - just a few more areas remain to be built. The infrastructure is running, and it would be impossible to imagine the place without the tramline, opened in 2006.
It is time for an overview, to take stock, and to look at how ideas have been turned into reality and how they have evolved. Did the building collectives prove to be a success? Does the novel traffic concept work? How about the interaction between residents and the City Council?
To document this we have thoroughly revised and updated the District Brochure of 1999, published by the former Forum Vauban e.V., aiming for a well-rounded portrait of Vauban. This is intended as a discussion document for local residents and to provide comprehensive information for our many visitors from this country and from around the world.
Since most of our visitors come from France, we have produced this brochure in French as well as German. And in addition this booklet in English.
We hope you enjoy browsing this brochure and discovering our lively, novel and yet entirely normal neighborhood.
Vauban District Association