Post-suburban revitalization? Redevelopment of suburban business centres in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region

Abstract

This paper focuses on urban revitalization strategies and regeneration of suburban business parks in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region in Germany. Due to the polycentric city region’s strong economic development in the past decades, suburban business centres have been developed outside the traditional city cores. Back offices of large banks, foreign companies’ German headquarters and corporate services are often located here. Because these locations have diverse planning and realization periods they show a differentiated picture in terms of building structure, mix of uses or quality of public space. In order to get an overview of specific characteristics of suburban business locations, the paper analyzes these sites in terms of their quality of place and identifies two specific types. This classification is illustrated with two case studies located in Frankfurt and Eschborn.