Mike Josef’s long-serving advisor and office manager, Marcus Gwechenberger, is to become the new head of the planning department in Frankfurt am Main. The SPD has decided this unanimously. Especially the cooperation in the city planning office and Gwechenberger’s knowledge are decisive for the decision. Mike Josef emphasized that the studied geographer and sociologist knows the city and all projects, so that a familiarization period is not necessary and he can “get started right away”.

Marcus Gwechenberger studied geography, politics and sociology in Darmstadt, among other places. He earned a doctorate in geography and worked as a registered urban planner in various planning offices. One focus was modular construction and refugee housing. He has also taught for over 10 years at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, where he recently became a professor of urban transformation.

Gwechenberger sees the continuation of the district of neighborhoods in northwest Frankfurt and the preservation of tenant protection as the goals of his new office. He also wants to continuously improve the living conditions in the existing neighborhoods by adding more greenery to enhance the quality of life. He wants to launch a competition for Gutleuthafen, as the Mainuferweg is to be extended from Westhafen toward Gutleutviertel: “We want to develop a new residential neighborhood on the waterfront.”