Redesign Historic Centre of Arbon

The old town of Arbon was heavily influenced by traffic until the opening of the new cantonal road. Since the opening of the new cantonal road in October 2013, the old town has been relieved of through traffic; however, the question of attractive design and use of the urban space remains. To clarify the future function, design, and use of the old town, the city council launched the project “Living Space Old Town” in 2012. Various scenarios were evaluated through workshops with the local population. The traffic regime was provisionally designated as a shared space zone (encounter zone).

Based on the provisional shared space zone, the design concept for the old town is being developed so that the design is discreet and functionally aligned with the identity and characteristics of the different areas of the old town. The design of the urban space is planned from façade to façade, taking into account the diverse uses: for ground-floor commercial uses, flexible wide forecourts with short-term parking are provided, while for residential uses, the forecourts offer opportunities for appropriation. Historically significant places are marked by a uniform paved surface to make them recognizable as such.