Close to the urban core, Mannheim's Spinelli Quarter delivers distinctive living and lifestyle. What sets it apart is the seamless integration of city vitality with generous green spaces. The recently completed Chisinauer Platz, designed by Uniola Landschaftsarchitektur Stadtplanung, elevates this even further.
Here, the tree-lined streets and avenues converge into a mixed urban forest at the quarter's heart, transforming it into a vibrant civic hub where residents can stroll, meet, and settle into moments of repose on thoughtfully placed seating platforms. The existing street trees are complemented by climate-resilient species—tulip trees, bladder ash, hop hornbeam, and flowering ash among them. The redesign prioritizes more than traffic flow; climate adaptation and biodiversity are equally central. Distinctive paving patterns define and calm the traffic zones across the site, while an innovative drainage system anchors the entire approach. Rather than funnelling rainwater away, this "sponge city" concept captures and stores it locally through underground tree trenches modelled on Stockholm's proven approach. The result is twofold: heavy rains no longer overwhelm the district, and the urban microclimate strengthens while street trees flourish. The system accounts for both typical rainfall and extreme events—the tree trenches themselves filter water before it replenishes groundwater reserves, eliminating the need for additional filtration technology. The multimodal infrastructure creates genuine flexibility. Weekly markets, community festivals, and neighbourhood gatherings find a natural home here. Above all, it's a place designed for human connection.

www.uniola.com

Photography: Johannes Vogt
www.johannesvogt.de

(Published in CUBE Frankfurt 04|24)