Schenefeld, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

The municipality Schenefeld is situated north of Hamburg, between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. It has 2,445 inhabitants. The village, already in a good strategic position in past times, has grown into a central rural locality with future perspectives. In the centre of the village Schenefeld, the Bonifatius Church from the year 826 documents the successful renovation of historic building structure.

Schenefeld can look onto a very sustainable, well thought out development strategy, which is easy to implement. The zoning plan envisions the structural development for the coming 15 years, showing surfaces for residential homes as well as for industrial use. For the heart of the village, a more dense infrastructure is being planned. The execution according to plan requires the re-organization of an area of approximately 33 ha in the neighbouring locality Pöschendorf. This development is supported by the local bank, the Sparkasse, which, as an independent institution of regional value-added feels responsible for the improvement of the quality of life of citizens, for example through the funding of an event area in the centre. The excellent equipment of the many varied leisure facilities also deserves mentioning; these are intensively used, especially from the many clubs.

In accordance with the motto “Our children are our future”, there is a number of educational institutions and day care facilities specially for children and youngsters. The new pre-school was build as an extension of the school centre, its outdoor spaces smoothly blend into the natural surroundings. The school itself is an open full-day model school, linking school and everyday life. The school building is from the 1970s and fits well into the landscape, it also shows high-quality indoor and outdoor spaces.

The communal land is surrounded by a landscape typical for the region and its ecological circumstances. As opposed to the strict development within the locality, the municipality endeavors to maintain the originality of the ecological system with appropriate measures such as indication of areas under protection and create a balance to the “sealed” surfaces inside the village limits.

Schenefeld stands out due to its comprehensive development plan and the impressive dynamics in view its execution, the successful renewal of historic building structure and the maintenance of the landscape, the valuable measures in the ecological area, the provision of excellent leisure activities for children and young people, the promotion and participation of the citizens and its active social life.

Evaluated: 2010