Review - Rental model
model City of Karlsruhe
In order to bring new impetus to the city center and revitalize vacant spaces with innovative ideas, the city of Karlsruhe has developed a rental model implemented. Vacant commercial space was rented for a limited period of time and passed on to founders, creative and entrepreneurs at favorable conditions.
A total of seven usage concepts were implemented along the central and eastern Kaiserstrasse - from sustainable fashion stores to social co-working and urban gardening.
Urban Gardens (Kaiserstrasse 209)
A store for urban gardening and sustainability. In addition to consultations, workshops and lectures, the team operated an innovative "compost bike" for CO₂-neutral waste disposal. The aim was to make the vision of an "Edible City Karlsruhe" visible.
Stubentiger (Kaiserpassage 16)
A cat café with educational and meeting opportunities. In addition to a café and specialist shop for cat supplies, there were workshops, consultations and events on all aspects of animal welfare and species-appropriate husbandry.
Fair Fashion Store (Kaiserstraße 58/60)
A pop-up store for sustainable fashion. The two labels focus on craftsmanship, fair fabrics and a creative exchange with customers - including sewing courses, fashion shows and readings.
daily3 (Kaiserpassage 4)
A fashion store with a focus on affordable everyday fashion and personal advice. The range in the city center has been expanded with brands such as Zabaione and Pieces.
Impact Hub (Kaiserstrasse 97) - remains
A co-working space and platform for social innovation. The rooms offer space for workshops, events, meetings and creative collaboration. The Impact Hub will remain a permanent location in Karlsruhe even after the funding ends.
Madame Croissant (Kaiserstrasse 187) - remains
A patisserie café with French flair. Madame Croissant quickly became a popular meeting place in the city center and successfully continued the concept after the funding phase.
A large selection of sweet croissants at Madame Croissant in Karlsruhe
© KME | Photo: Alisa Litterst
Daiva Store (Herrenstraße 20) - remains
Daiva Hambsch 's boutique offers high-quality shoes, accessories and soon also fashion. It continues the tradition of the former "Sigrun Woehr" boutique and establishes itself as a permanent address for style-conscious Karlsruhe residents.
Wertvoll - second-hand bridal fashion (Kaiserpassage 4) - remains
With "Wertvoll", Karlsruhe city center has gained a unique store for sustainable bridal fashion. The concept offers high-quality, second-hand wedding dresses in a modern setting - a stylish and environmentally friendly alternative to buying new. The dresses are perfectly tailored to the wearer through personal advice and individual fittings. "Wertvoll" quickly established itself during the promotion phase and will remain in the city center in the future
Lasting success
What is particularly pleasing is that four of the funded concepts will be sustainable in the future without funding and will remain in place even after the project ends, thus securing new attractions for the city center in the long term:
- Valuable bridal fashion (second-hand bridal store, Kaiserstraße)
- Impact Hub (Co-Working & Social Innovation)
- Madame Croissant (Patisserie & Café)
- daiva (high-quality fashion boutique)
They make a lasting contribution to making Karlsruhe's city center more attractive, diverse and vibrant.
