Land Use Plan - Update (Status: “Adoption”)

Obligation to Prepare and Update the Land Use Plan

Pursuant to Section 5 in conjunction with Section 1(3) of the German Building Code (BauGB), the preparation and updating of the Land Use Plan are among the municipality’s mandatory tasks. The Land Use Plan (FNP-2006), which has been in effect since 2006, is being updated because the framework conditions for urban development and the planning objectives are constantly evolving. The goal and purpose of the planning is to ensure long-term and sustainable community development in light of demographic change, Jena’s housing supply, the city’s status as a business location, and the consequences of climate change.

Changes Since the 2006 FNP Drafting

At the time the FNP-2006 was drafted, the 2003 budget and population forecast still anticipated a decline in the population. Since then, Jena has continued to develop. Both the 2014 household and population projections and the current 2019 projections forecast positive development trends for Jena. In updating the FNP, the designation of new development areas will also need to be taken into account due to the dynamic growth in the regional center of Jena. Given the limited availability of land in Jena, a strategically sound approach to land use is necessary. Priorities must be set here to ensure sustainable economic and social development while taking ecological impacts into account.

Consolidation of Sector-Specific Development Plans

The basis for the update of the General Development Plan (FNP) is the city’s various sector-specific development plans. These have been updated in recent years based on current population and budget projections, and most have been endorsed by City Council resolutions.

In addition, the “Integrated Urban Development Concept Jena.2030+” (ISEK)—which was developed through a broad-based consultation process and adopted by the City Council—provides cross-departmental guidelines for future urban development. Corresponding recommendations for amending the land-use plan were compiled in the ISEK and serve as a basis for its update.

A selection of key documents and sector-specific plans can be found here:

• Population Forecast 2035
• Integrated Urban Development Concept (ISEK) Jena 2030
• Residential Land Use Plan 2035
• Employment and Commercial Land Use Plan 2035
• Jena Public Transportation Plan 2030+
• Landscape Plan
• Retail Development
• Development Plan for Rural Communities
• Garden Development Plan
• Urban Climate Plan

Opportunities for Public Participation Under the German Building Code (BauGB)

The public is involved in the planning process as part of the formal procedural steps outlined in the German Building Code (BauGB). In accordance with a procedure standardized at the federal level, the public and relevant authorities have the opportunity to comment during the planning process in (at least) two distinct procedural steps:

• Stage 1: Early public participation at the “preliminary draft” planning stage [§ 3(1) BauGB] or [§ 4(1) BauGB]
• Stage 2: Public review of the “draft” [§ 3(2) BauGB] or [§ 4(2) BauGB]

Stage 1

During the early public participation phase, citizens are informed about the planning intentions. The “preliminary draft” outlines the goals and objectives of the planning with regard to the city’s spatial development. To this end, the preliminary draft is made available for public review. The method of early notification is announced in the official gazette. Additional information is also available online. During the public review period, citizens have the opportunity to submit comments on the preliminary draft. The participating authorities and public interest groups are given the opportunity to submit their comments.

All comments received are reviewed by experts to determine in what form and to what extent they can be incorporated into the further development of the plan. The result of this review process is the “draft” (Stage 2). The law does not require notification of the review results or how comments were taken into account during the early public participation phase (Stage 1). We therefore recommend that you follow the further planning process*. In particular, please review the “draft” plan (Stage 2) made available for public review in accordance with Section 3(2) of the German Building Code (BauGB). This gives you another opportunity to comment if necessary.

Stage 2

In the second stage of public and administrative participation, the“draft”land-use plan is made available for public review. The location and duration of this public review will be announced at least one week in advance in the official gazette in accordance with local custom. Further information is also available online. During the public review period, anyone may submit comments on the draft. The participating authorities and public interest groups are given the opportunity to submit their comments. All comments on the “draft” (Stage 2) are then subjected to a comprehensive and complex review process to determine, from a technical standpoint, in what form or to what extent they can be incorporated into the further development of the plan.

The result of this review is submitted to the City Council for a decision; the City Council weighs public and private interests against one another and among themselves, and in doing so also decides how to address the comments you have submitted. This is done through the balancing decision*.

The outcome of this balancing process is communicated in accordance with Section 3(2), Sentence 4 of the BauGB. Depending on the scope and complexity of the planning process, this may take some time. Taking the outcome of the balancing into account, the final version of the plan is prepared and submitted to the City Council for a decision.

* Notes:

Information regarding public comment periods is published in the Official Gazette of the City of Jena. Likewise, the city council’s agendas are regularly published in the Official Gazette. The Official Gazette can be accessed on the city’s website. The city council’s meeting schedule, including all agendas, can be found here.

Information on how your data is handled can be found in this document: Information Obligation pursuant to Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (PDF).

Stage 1: “Preliminary Draft” of the Land Use Plan (Nov. 2022)

After the City Council approved the update of the land-use plan on November 15, 2017, with its resolution to initiate the process (see Official Gazette 50/17 [PDF]), the “preliminary draft” version of the plan was made available for early public review from February 20, 2023, through March 31, 2023. You can view the notice of early public review in the Official Gazette 06/23 (PDF).

During this period, the public was given the opportunity to submit comments (Participation Phase 1).

The public participation period for the “preliminary draft” has expired. The participation platform is closed; it is no longer possible to provide input on the “preliminary draft.”

The Jena City Council approved the handling of the comments received on the FNP “preliminary draft” on June 25, 2025 (see Official Gazette 27/25 [PDF]). The corresponding table is availablehere as Appendix 1a to Resolution 25/0366-BV “Resolution on Approval and Public Review of the Draft Plan”under item Ö 22.

Stage 2:“Draft” Land Use Plan (March 2025)

After the draft Land Use Plan was approved by the City Council via Resolution 25/0366-BV, “Resolution on Approval and Public Disclosure of the Draft,” on June 25, 2025 (see Official Gazette 27/25 [PDF]), the “draft” was made available for public comment from August 22, 2025, through October 22, 2025.

The “draft” was thus made available to a broad segment of the public over a period of two months, giving them the opportunity to submit comments (Public Participation Phase 2), thereby significantly extending the one-month deadline stipulated in the Building Code.

The public comment period for the “draft” has expired. The public comment platform is closed, and it is no longer possible to submit comments on the “draft.”

The Jena City Council addressed the comments received on the FNP “draft” and the FNP “preliminary draft” on July 1, 2026, through deliberative resolution 26/0862-BV. The corresponding table is available here as Appendix 1.

With Resolution 26/0863-BV of the Jena City Council dated July 1, 2026, the municipal planning process was formally concluded, and the conditions were established for submitting the land-use plan to the higher administrative authority for approval.