Stuttgart encourages housing construction with new railway law!

Stuttgart encourages housing construction with new railway law!

On June 27, 2025, the city of Stuttgart welcomed a significant change to the General Railway Act (AEG). This innovation concerns Section 23 AEG and aims to promote urban development in German cities. A central point of the regulation is the use of railway land that is no longer needed to create urgently needed living space.

The retirement of track areas should no longer hinder urban development, which has a concrete impact on the plans for Stuttgart Rosenstein. With the adjustment of the law, projects can now be pushed forward that will enable the realization of up to 5,700 apartments for around 10,000 people. This was seen by the city as a decisive step with regard to the housing situation and urban development. The Bundestag resolution represents important progress, as it cancels the examination of a possible local constitutional complaint by the city and accelerates preparations for the new construction projects.

Political context and discussion

The change in the law was part of an intensive discussion in the Bundestag, which was based on a proposal from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. The aim of this application was to change the exemption requirements of Section 23 AEG. Before the change in the law, the dezoning of railway land was only possible if an “overriding public interest” could be proven, which led to numerous rejections of applications for exemption by the Federal Railway Authority. For example, this affected numerous housing projects, including the Rosenstein project planned for Stuttgart.

German citizens are increasingly faced with the need to create more living space as the population in cities grows. The Senator for Mobility in Berlin, Ute Bonde, points out that around 4 million inhabitants are expected in the capital by 2040. To meet this challenge, it is crucial to rethink and adapt existing regulations to avoid delays in important construction projects.

Local reactions

In Stuttgart itself there are mixed reactions to the change in the law. Mayor Peter Pätzold emphasizes that the previous tightening of the exemption practice prevented important housing construction projects. Trusting in the possibility of exemption, the city acquired land that could now be used for new projects. However, criticism also came from various quarters, including voices from the Action Alliance against Stuttgart 21 and from the German Tenants' Association of Baden-Württemberg, who are calling for the change in the law to be corrected.

In summary, it can be said that the changes in the AEG represent a new opportunity for Stuttgart to create urgently needed living space and actively promote urban development projects. However, it remains to be seen how quickly the planned projects can be implemented and whether further political discussions about legislation are necessary before concrete construction work can begin.

The city of Stuttgart is optimistic that the changes in the AEG will soon come into force with the approval of the Federal Council, which will allow the city to quickly implement the planned construction projects. The developments should not only serve to create living space, but also act as a model for other cities in Germany that have to overcome similar challenges.

Further information on the background to the debate is provided by bundestag.de and stuttgart.de.