Millions for infrastructure

By Annett Kschieschan

Leipzig. Leipzig is lovable and worth living in. This has a lot to do with its rich history, cosmopolitanism and modern flair. But it's also clear that a city that wants to be attractive for residents and newcomers alike must continue to invest in its infrastructure. Leipzig is doing this continuously - from its own resources, but also with subsidies. Just recently, the Free State and the EU pledged 8.8 million euros. On September 13, Prime Minister Michael Kretzschmer handed over the corresponding decision for the funding period 2021 to 2027 to Mayor Thomas Dienberg. What is to happen with it has long been planned. The eastern part of Messestadt will benefit from the cash injection.
"The promise of funding for the new funding period gives us the security to tackle the planned projects," says Thomas Dienberg. The funding program is an important building block for the development of the neighborhood. The money is expected to bring many improvements, from a structural, but also from an economic and social point of view. "This holistic strengthening radiates beyond the assisted area and produces positive effects for the whole of Leipzig," says the mayor.
The 8.8 million euros are part of the total costs of 12.6 million euros, as the city must also provide 30 percent of its own funds. In the previous funding period between 2014 and 2020, a total of 9.9 million euros had been invested, with 8 million euros in funding.
The money is to flow into the expansion of the Park Arc East, for example. The plan is to close existing gaps in the northeastern and southeastern sections of the green active strip. A new pedestrian and bicycle path will connect Leipzig's east with the neighboring neighborhoods. According to the city administration, the large-scale project will expand the green infrastructure and the range of sustainable mobility options.
Both are important, especially for young people. And Leipzig needs them not only for the many prospering business projects, such as the new Panattoni Campus being built on Merseburger Strasse.

Advertising for skilled workers
Leipzig is actively recruiting new residents, most recently even in the Far East. In mid-September, a municipal business delegation, led by First Mayor Torsten Bonew and Social Mayor Dr. Martina Münch, accompanied representatives of the Leipzig Transport Services as well as the St. George Clinic and of the University Hospital to Vietnam. The city and the company presented themselves at various events in order to make working in Leipzig attractive to Vietnamese specialists and potential trainees. A memorandum of understanding to this effect was signed by Katrin Lukas, LVB's Managing Director of Human Resources and Driving Services, at the German Embassy in Hanoi.
The approach is clear: Those who come to Leipzig not only find jobs with a future, but also a home in the heart of Saxony - and at the same time in the middle of Europe.