Oberasbach's 2026 election pits climate action against urban growth plans
Local Elections Loom: Climate, Transport, and Urban Development Take Center Stage in Oberasbach
Just weeks before the municipal elections on March 8, 2026, environmental protection, transportation, and urban development have moved to the forefront of the campaign in Oberasbach. The local chapter of Bund Naturschutz (BN, Germany's Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union) has presented mayoral candidates and the lead candidates for the city council with a set of policy questions. While there is broad consensus on the fundamental need for climate action, the responses reveal sharp divisions over funding and concrete implementation.
By the February 14 deadline, replies were submitted by the Bürgerinitiative (Citizens' Initiative) Oberasbach, the Freie Wähler (Free Voters), Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (Green Party), the CSU (Christian Social Union), and the SPD (Social Democratic Party). No statements were received from Die Linke (The Left), the FDP (Free Democratic Party), or independent mayoral candidate Thomas Diebenbusch. The Greens and the Free Voters have endorsed Diebenbusch, and their responses are included in the survey.
A key question from the BN concerned the future of the city's sustainability, climate protection, and cycling infrastructure office, as well as its neighborhood management team. Stephan Zeilinger (Bürgerinitiative) advocated retaining the positions but called for expanding their scope to develop a comprehensive traffic concept. Felix Kißlinger (Freie Wähler) deemed the coordination office "absolutely essential" in light of the city's climate neutrality goals. Heike Barth (Greens) and Harald Patzelt (SPD) also supported continuing the roles, though Patzelt stressed that this would depend heavily on the city's financial situation. Marco Haas (CSU) emphasized that these were voluntary services that would need careful review given the budget constraints, while the CSU considered neighborhood management indispensable.
With the Fürth-Süd subway station set to open in 2027, candidates debated how to connect Oberasbach to the new transit hub. The Bürgerinitiative proposed a "circular bus route" linking key nodes, along with temporary bus lanes on Rothenburger Straße during peak hours. The Greens likewise backed a circular route, while the CSU and Free Voters supported a direct connection to Fürth—provided it proved feasible and cost-effective. The issue of a dedicated bike highway highlighted the city's strained finances. Though the Greens and CSU endorsed the project, nearly all factions noted that Oberasbach could not shoulder the investment and maintenance costs alone. Stephan Zeilinger (Bürgerinitiative) stated his group would only support the bike path if the state of Bavaria covered all expenses. Harald Patzelt (SPD) echoed financial concerns, prioritizing roads, schools, and daycare centers instead.
The proposed tree protection ordinance sparked controversy. The Bürgerinitiative dismissed it as "regulation for regulation's sake" and favored incentives for property owners instead. Marco Haas (CSU) cited legal limits on private land but supported protection for trees on public property. Heike Barth (Greens), however, pledged to push for the ordinance's reinstatement.
There was near-unanimous opposition to reviving the commercial zone in the northwest—a project rejected by a 2005 citizen referendum. Candidates instead favored developing areas near the district public works depot or repurposing vacant properties. Only Harald Patzelt (SPD) left the door open to reconsideration, arguing that the city urgently needed revenue.
The concept of a "sponge city" (local water retention) won broad support, though funding again emerged as a hurdle. The CSU noted that previously assessed sponge city measures—such as those near the town hall—had proven unaffordable due to high costs.
On the energy transition, all parties voiced support for expanding solar power. Regarding wind energy, the Free Voters (FW) and the Greens emphasized the importance of citizen participation and energy cooperatives. The local initiative (BI) urged caution with district heating plans, calling for transparent full-cost accounting, while the CSU proposed exploring river-water heat pumps as an option.
The candidates' detailed responses have been published on the website of the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (BUND). *https://fuerth-land.bund-naturschutz.de/ortsgruppen/oberasbach*
