The space was primarily dedicated to motor vehicle storage and movement, leaving little room for alternative functions such as play, rest, or social interaction.

There was minimal presence of trees or planted areas, contributing to low environmental quality and a lack of shading or ecological value.

The streetscape offered few amenities or design features that support a high quality of urban life, particularly for pedestrians and residents.

Vehicles such as bicycles and e-scooters were frequently parked on already narrow sidewalks, limiting walkability and accessibility.

Delivery vehicles often occupied travel lanes or double-parked, contributing to congestion and compromising safety.

The SET Guidelines Kit proved to be a valuable tool in supporting the planning of the Steinhuber Miniblock. The main sections of the guidelines, which together represent the full lifecycle of a street experiment, helped structure the project management process for planning, implementing and assessing the intervention. The same structure is used on the menu on the left to present the process documentation.

The image on the left (click to enlarge) illustrates a project management template based on the SET Guidelines Kit, which was used to track phases, activities and tasks throughout the planning process of the Steinhuber Miniblock, before, during and after the intervention.

This type of template can support organisers in organising responsibilities, monitoring progress and keeping an overview of the different phases of a street experiment.

To help to maintain the greenery of the intervention, Green City e.V. supported the organisers in coordinating a watering programme together with local residents. A call for volunteers was shared through posters hung at the entrances of the budlings, inviting residents to take part and sign up for the programme.

To make watering easier, several watering cans were purchased and stored directly inside the tree planters or in the storage column at Parklet 8, which was secured with a code lock shared with participants. In addition, a large water tank was placed on the street to reduce the distance needed to carry water and support regular maintenance by residents. The tank was filled using water from a street water connection and a hose.

Once the Steinhuber Miniblock was approved at the end of May, a small, informal consultation workshop for residents, referred to as an “Information stand”, was organised to collect input on the project concept and preliminary design. To invite residents, posters were designed and hung at the entrances of buildings along both streets, encouraging them to attend.

(click on the picture on the left to enlarge)

First, a general project concept was developed in order to apply for project funding, to learn more about the background of the project see the ‘About’ section on the Steinhuber Miniblock page. Click on the picture to enlarge the exploratory sketch for the concept development.

The funding approval process took approximately three months, in which the design was on stand-by as it was unsure that the project would get funded. Once the project was approved (mid-May), a period slightly longer than two months were left for implementation (end of July), which is roughly the same amount of time required for the permit process (six to eight weeks). In the time left before the implementation, the project concept needed to be further developed, to adapt it to the street conditions, design parklets, mobility hubs, urban gardening beds, etc and request permits accordingly. In between, the project plan was updated thirteen times in response to residents feedback and administrative requirements.

See final project plans on the ‘Interactive Map’ tab on the Steinhuber Miniblock page.

Photo Credits: Simone Aumann.

One week prior to the intervention, temporary parking restriction signs were installed at the locations designated for the parklets and mobility hubs to inform users that parking would be prohibited during the implementation period (26–28 July). This measure ensured that the parking space was cleared in advance for the placement of materials and installation of the furniture.

What happens if cars are parked on the day of implementation?

In Munich, Germany, if cars are still parked in the restricted parking area on the day of implementation, you are entitled to contact the police for assistance in locating the vehicle owner. If the owner does not appear or move the car, the police can arrange for a tow truck to remove the vehicle and clear the space for the construction.

• Enhance public space (PG-01)
• Promote sustainable mobility (PG-02)
• Increase greenery (PG-03)
• Community engagement (PG-04)
• Local economy (PG-05)

A total of 13 interviews were conducted with key local stakeholders, providing valuable insights into how different user groups experienced the intervention. The interviewees included:

• 2 restaurant owners
• 3 shop owners
• 2 employees working nearby
• 2 students
• 4 residents

These conversations offered qualitative data on how the Steinhuber Miniblock influenced daily life, business, and street use.

To better understand how the Steinhuber Miniblock was perceived and used by the public, a survey was conducted before and during the intervention, gathering a total of 65 and 132 responses respectively. The survey was accessible via QR codes placed directly on the parklets, inviting residents, visitors and passersby to share their experiences, opinions, and suggestions.

The survey included questions about perceptions of greenery, play opportunities, social interaction, mobility, and public space quality. The feedback received provided valuable insights into how people used the space, what they appreciated and what could be improved.

To better understand how people used the space, systematic on-site observations were carried out over a period of two weeks using a combination of methods such as activity mapping, user counting and movement tracing.

Observation plan:

• Schedule: 4 days per week
• Frequency: 3 observations per day
• Duration: 20 minutes per session
• Total: 24 observation sessions

The goal of these observations was to document who used the parklets and how they interacted with the different features, such as benches, trees, the exchange column, the information board, etc.

The observations were conducted by King Chai Chu, who under the supervision and guidance of Ana Rivas and David Duran (co-supervisor), later expanded this work into his master’s thesis titled “Preferences on Parklet Features across Diverse Personas: A User-Centric Study of the Steinhuber Miniblock Intervention.” In his research, Chu cross-analyzed the observations with findings from the interviews and surveys to address two key questions:

1. How do different parklet features align with the preferences and acceptance of diverse user groups?
2. What insights can help improve the design of future parklets to better meet user needs?

Additional feedback was gathered through several informal channels:

• Emails sent directly to the organisers
• Emails sent directly to the District Council (forwarded to organisers)
• Emails sent directly to The City of Munich (forwarded to organisers)
• Letters and notes from the Information Board mailbox installed on-site

The feedback helped to identify both support and concerns from the local community.

On the left menu, go to section ‘5.1)Results’ to see the overall results according to the evaluation categories and project goals.

New seating areas, greenery and playful elements made both streets more inviting and vibrant, especially for students, workers and passersby who used the Steinhuber Miniblock to relax or socialise. Some residents appreciated the improved aesthetics and calming atmosphere. However, a few questioned the necessity of the intervention given nearby alternatives, and not all features (e.g., tables or play areas) were equally used or valued by all groups.

The bicycle parking and bike repair station features form the Mobility Hubs were praised for making cycling more convenient and encouraging sustainable transport choices. Nevertheless, the loss of car parking spaces sparked mixed reactions, some residents viewed this shift as necessary, while others expressed frustration about reduced parking.

The introduction of the wandering trees, flowers, edible herbs and plants was one of the most appreciated elements of the intervention. Residents highlighted that the greenery improved the street quality, atmosphere and microclimate, and many voluntarily watered the plants and valued the presence of herbs they could use, fostering a sense of ownership.

The intervention enabled informal encounters and spontaneous social interactions across different groups, students, employees and residents, particularly during lunch breaks and through shared amenities like benches and the table tennis area. Many participants reported feeling more connected to the street, though some long-term residents questioned the added social value or felt insufficiently involved in shaping the intervention, noting a desire for earlier and more inclusive communication.

Local businesses, particularly cafés and restaurants, generally welcomed the intervention’s contribution to a livelier and more attractive street environment increasing the visibility of establishments. At the same time, a small number of business owners expressed concern that reduced parking and car access could affect customer accessibility, and none reported a clearly identifiable increase in sales attributable to the intervention.

Based on the paper ‘From temporary arrangements to permanent change: Assessing the transitional capacity of city street experiments’ from  Van Hoose et al., 2022, the diagram above summarises the transitional capacity and levels of change of the Steinhuber Miniblock.

The scores aim to explain what has the experiment achieve and what kind of change it has generated.

Steinhuber Miniblock, not the first street experiment in Munich, yet it is the first one to adopt the term ‘Miniblock’. It is ambitious in its goals aiming to enhance not just the quality of public space and community engagement, but also to promote alternative mobility to motorized cars and include greenery. It introduces to the street other uses and activities such as play, meeting and exchange spaces.

The experiment models on experiments from other cities, in particular the Superblocks in Barcelona.  It was embedded in a programme of the 2^nd Munich Mobility Congress, which called for ‘Innovative Projects by Citizens in Public Space’, to showcase alternative mobility, climate-friendly, resource-efficient and socially just projects, while simultaneously improving the quality of stay in public spaces (München Unterwegs, n.d.).

After its budget approval, the experiment was planned and implemented within roughly two months (see timeline). Existing networks were activated to support on the planning, implementation and evaluation (e.g. Green City e.V. provided wandering trees, TUM Plant A Seed selected plants and herbs, the Chair of Urban Structure and Transport Planning (TUM) supported the evaluation, Wow! Urbane Utopien constructed the parklets in modules to speed up production, etc). These collaborations allowed the project to be realised quickly with readily available resources.

The experiment was evaluated through different various methods and it has generated learnings. The learnings are documented in Ana Rivas’ PhD dissertation which will inform the SET Guidelines Kit 2.0. Although the experiment did not aim to become permanent, since its implementation in 2023, two parklets continue to be implemented every year.

The experiment gained wide local media attention, sparking interest and discussion beyond the neighbourhood. In addition to this media visibility, the intervention had a strong physical presence on both streets gaining the attention of residents.

Although intervention changed how people used the street (e.g. high use during lunch breaks for eating, outdoor seating during breaks, reading outdoors, spontaneous meeting with neighbours and play at the street), there is no evidence of shift in behaviour from private car use to alternative modes.

There is currently no evidence that the project itself has ignited any formal policy or regulatory change.

The experiment led to new relationships among existing organisations local organisations (See Getting Started section). After the experiment, various petitions were submitted  (e.g. request planting permanent trees, making the parklets permanent and permanent bike parking), showing interest in changing the status quo of the street.

Although the intervention temporarily changed the use and functions of the street through the parklets, mobility hubs and greenery, the changes did not turn into permanent material change in the streets. Although two parklets have been reinstalled every year since 2023, and some bicycle parking remains, indicating a partial material change on the street.

Two parklets from the Steinhuber Miniblock have been implemented every year since 2023 during the parklet season (April–October), and have been incrementally upgraded with new features such as tables, a pergola, a bicycle repair station, a USB charger for phones and a water feature.

After the experiment ended in 2023, three different petitions initiated by local organisations or residents were submitted, requesting:

• planting permanent trees in both streets (2023) by Green City e.V.
• more bike parking in both streets (2024) by Wow! Urbane Utopien
• keeping two parklets permanent (2024) by a resident of Steinheilstraße

Seven out of nine parklets from the Steinhuber Miniblock were acquired by the City of Fürstenfeldbruck. The parklets were reinstalled in front of the municipal library, where they complemented an existing street experiment with street art. This not only extended the lifespan of the parklets but also exemplified principles of urban circularity.

Photo credits: Wow! Urbane Utopien