GOOD WAYS – the seventh German MTB-Congress 2022

The Green Trails

A look behind the scenes of the Hessian bike project.

2022_Matthias_Schäfer Kopie 2

Matthias Schäfer // District Waldeck-Frankenberg

„Stakeholder management and open communication: these are the central components of our project plan. Directly addressing and involving the stakeholders concerned is the basis for successful planning and implementation of our Green Trails. The concerns, worries, reservations and, if necessary, fears are taken seriously in the development process. Our goal is to work together with all stakeholders to develop something that will move our Waldeck-Frankenberg region forward.“

The project of the district Waldeck-Frankenberg to create a mountain bike offer for all, which also extends over 14 municipalities, is unparalleled in Germany. Such a large-scale project can only succeed through great cohesion and cooperation. This has been the case from the very beginning. 14 municipalities in the district work closely together for their region. But community is also at the forefront of the project's planning processes: the commissioned project office and the project management address and respond to the concerns and worries of a wide range of interest groups. We ask Matthias:
  • How he managed to get 14 cities and communities on board of this project.
  • What other key stakeholders are affected by the project?
  • What institutions and mechanisms have been created for the management and information of the stakeholders involved?

About Matthias Schäfer

Matthias Schäfer has been head of the sports and youth work department of the Waldeck-Frankenberg district for almost 20 years. As an enthusiastic sportsman, he develops many different projects together with his team in order to activate the employees of the district administration or citizens in sports and to expand the offer on site. Due to his experience with district-wide projects and his affinity for mountain biking, he took over the project management of the unique Green Trails project in 2019.

Sponsoringpartner

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