The desire for busy and attractive ground floors is widespread. In reality, the development and management of ground floors with public-oriented uses is proving increasingly difficult due to structural change in the retail trade and the oversupply of ground floor space. Innovative approaches that take into account today's shopping behaviour and the current everyday life of many people are therefore in demand. The present guideline "Living Ground Floors", which was created on the basis of nine practical examples, makes a contribution to this.