Friedrichstrasse: Is the car-free zone coming back to Berlin?

Friedrichstrasse: Is the car-free zone coming back to Berlin?

In Berlin there are the latest developments regarding Friedrichstrasse, which was piloted as a car-free section from 2020 to 2023. Loud Development city The project was a topic of great public interest during this time. After the car-free phase ended abruptly with the change of government to the CDU, the road was reopened to car traffic in July 2023.

However, a recent citizen participation shows that the majority of Berliners would like to see a return to the car-free Friedrichstrasse. In an online participation, 544 participants made 1,482 comments. The suggestion to create a pedestrian zone was the second most popular request. Other suggestions included a car-free Spandauer Straße and improvements to Leipziger Straße.

Citizen participation and room for improvement

The preliminary status quo analysis by the consulting firm Buro Happold highlights the importance of Friedrichstrasse as a pedestrian traffic axis. Between 5,000 and 10,000 vehicles travel on Friedrichstrasse every day, but the main focus should be on pedestrian friendliness. The analysis from 2024 confirms that the middle part of Friedrichstrasse is hardly relevant for car traffic. This illustrates the needs of pedestrians, which should be taken more into account in future-oriented planning.

One of the central aspects of citizen participation was the plea for the approval of delivery traffic, ambulances and buses as well as short-term parking spaces. The participants are also calling for more greenery, the desealing of areas and improved cycling infrastructure. These measures were seen as important for the quality of life in the city center, where car traffic needs to be reassessed compared to walking and cycling.

Future plans for central Berlin

At the end of this year, the Senate plans to present a comprehensive master plan for central Berlin. The results of citizen participation are to be publicly displayed from December 15, 2025 to January 31, 2026 in order to include citizens' opinions on future measures. By the end of 2025, concrete steps should be taken to prioritize and define the measures for central Berlin.

Especially in view of these developments, it is important to rethink public space and make it more efficient for pedestrians and cyclists. This could also have a positive impact on local businesses, similar to the introduction of innovative products in other industries, such as Profitec's MOVE dual boiler espresso machine, which is known for its high efficiency and ease of use and explains how technology can improve the quality of life ( Profitec ).

The discussion about the Friedrichstrasse space is therefore part of a larger trend in Berlin to which the city must respond in order to continue to create a modern and livable urban environment in the future.