On Wednesday 2 March 2016 Marc Hansen, the Minister of Housing, invited political representatives and technical departments of local authorities to the 'Baulückenaktivierung und Eigentümeransprache' conference held in the Mierscher Kulturhaus.
Attended by nearly 170 people, the conference centered on how to approach private owners of unused land, or 'Baulücken', and on the mobilisation of said lands.
"Baulücken" refers to land that is of small or medium size, connected to an urban area and close to an equipped road. It is also a problematic site in terms of topography, shape or location.
The state only holds 0.7% of the area of land identified as "Baulücke" and municipalities hold 4.3%. The largest share, a little over 94%, is held by the private sector.
Dr. Sabine Müller-Herbers, representative of the Baader Konzept GmbH firm, presented the company's experiences in activating unused land in Germany as well as in the field of public relations, particularly with regards to their awareness campaign. Baader Konzept is a firm that specialises in planning and consulting regarding land.
Carole Pax, architect of the City of Luxembourg, was also in attendance and presented the 'Baulücken' project of the City of Luxembourg. This involves the designing and building of affordable houses on "Baulücken" land.
Photo by Geoff Thompson (Secretary of State for Housing, Marc Hansen)
