Mobile twin city: transport infrastructure must be adapted to cross-border integration

The best-known planned individual measure of the Frankfurt-Słubice INTERREG project "Mobile Twin City", which was officially launched this week at the Collegium Polonicum in Słubice, is the feasibility study for a second bridge. Uwe Schüler, State Secretary at the Brandenburg Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning (MIL), promised the twin city the support of the state government: "A second bridge for Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice is essential in the long term."
 

Mayor René Wilke and Słubice Deputy Mayor Tomasz Stefański stated in the context of the project that the "capacities of the cross-border transport infrastructure lag behind the degree of cross-border integration."

In other words, the inadequate transport links between Germany and Poland are hampering the progress of the European integration process.

Radosław Brodzik, Head of Department at the Lubuskie Marshal's Office, pleaded for close coordination between Germany and Poland on the issue of how to effectively control migration and for greater efforts to find solutions that restrict life in the border region as little as possible.

Deputy Mayor Stefański emphasized that a second bridge is part of a joint, cross-border transport and mobility concept, which also includes strengthening cycling and cross-border public transport. He added that the plans for a Słubice bypass also take into account the connection to another border crossing.

The Deputy Voivode of the Lubuskie Voivodeship, Tomasz Nesterowicz, stated that a second bridge is important for the development of the twin city, but is not enough to be a good example of the European integration process in the future.

Tomasz Stefański and René Wilke referred in their presentation to other plans of the two-year project, such as a joint concept for the design of the Oder promenades and the creation of a cross-border "city center on the water" with an increased quality of stay on the waterfront. A special feature of the project is that all planning processes are flanked by cross-border citizen participation formats.

Dr. Jürgen Neumüller from the Joint Berlin-Brandenburg Regional Planning Office and his colleague Cezary Wysocki from the Lubuskie Marshal's Office emphasized that they see their task as integrating joint urban development decisions by Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice into regional strategies and planning.

Moderator Dr. Maciej Zathey from the Institute for Regional Development Wroclaw also posed the question of whether twin cities such as Frankfurt-Słubice could play a prominent role in the next EU funding period 2028-2034. Dr. Neumüller saw good opportunities for this if they could position themselves as part of the Berlin-Brandenburg capital region. State Secretary Jobst-Hinrich Ubbelohde from the Ministry of Finance and Europe of the State of Brandenburg added: "Boldly continue on your path of integrated, cross-border urban development, which also includes joint services of general interest. Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice are the heart of the development of the German-Polish border region and a driving force for cross-border cooperation."