Basel: A new urban quarter is being created in Klybeck
BASF and Novartis want to create a new urban quarter in Klybeck together with the canton of Basel-Stadt. The two chemical companies own factory sites there that will no longer be needed for industrial purposes in the future, or only to a very limited extent. A total of 300,000 square meters of space is available for development.
BASF, Novartis and the canton of Basel-Stadt say they want to work together to create the conditions for opening up these sites and developing a lively urban district with a variety of uses, while incorporating the existing buildings.
Changes for the Klybeck site, which was previously used purely for industrial purposes, have been on the horizon for several years. In 2013, BASF decided to continue its activities in Basel on a long-term basis in rented real estate and to sell its properties in the Klybeck area. Novartis also intends to redevelop the parts of its properties that are no longer needed.
Networking of Klybeck and the neighboring neighborhoods
Until now, the industrial areas in Klybeck have not been accessible to the public; they draw a bar between the Rhine and the small river Wiese, which separates the neighboring quarters. The intended removal of this barrier and the opening of the area can create a network between Kleinhüningen, Klybeck, Horburg and Matthäus.
The new quarter is to bear the name "klybeckplus". It will not be redesigned from scratch, but will change step by step over a longer period of time, incorporating the existing buildings. Basel-Stadt and the landowners are planning a quarter with uses for living, working, leisure and culture, supplemented with public green and open spaces and the necessary transport links.
One third economic areas
Around 50,000 square meters of land are to be made available for ongoing market demand for business space, possibly also as an expansion site for the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area. Recreational areas with leisure facilities, for example connections to the Rhine and Wiese, or cultural uses should also be possible.
In the second half of 2016, an urban development test planning is to start, in which several planning offices will draft different development scenarios for the entire site in order to first sound out its potential. The scenarios developed are expected to be condensed into a synthesis by the end of 2017. In the next step, it will be combined with other ongoing planning processes to form an urban district master plan for Klybeck-Kleinhüningen. This urban district guideline plan will be the authority-binding basis for all further planning steps and will be made publicly available. (ah)
