Creating high-quality, equitable streets in Hamburg for all users

Connecting Alter Elbpark across the Millerntordamm

At the heart of Hamburg, a ribbon of green parks form a lively green corridor; the lungs of the city beloved by residents and visitors alike. Toward the southern end of the parks lies one of the city’s busiest throughways, the Millerntordamm, where eight car lanes create a significant barrier between the two parks. To improve the connections, the city aims to introduce more pedestrian and cycling crossings over the Millerntordamm, without obstructing the road’s car capacity and flow. The Gehl team analyzed the area, assessed existing conceptual designs, and formulated new design concepts to improve the crossing of the Millerntordamm. 

In May and June 2018, Gehl analyzed walking, cycling, and car flows on Millerntordamm, focusing on its role as a key corridor. Over three days, counts at 10 locations confirmed sustained high car traffic, significant pedestrian activity — peaking on weekends and weekday afternoons — and strong cycling flows, with 6,000–7,000 cyclists on weekdays. Many cyclists rode on sidewalks or against traffic due to unclear signage and missing links in the infrastructure. Observations also suggested a higher-than-expected demand for cycling in the area and confirmed that the road was a barrier between the parks. 

Addressing these findings, Gehl developed three options for improving the crossing of the street for people walking and cycling without or with very limited consequences for the motor vehicle capacity on Millerntorndamm.