Fast and sustainable construction, extension and renovation with wood
As part of Expo Real 2019, experts from the timber construction industry came together for the kick-off event of the Holzbau München network. Organiser Andreas Lerge, Managing Director of Wood Real Estate, opened the evening and welcomed his guests with the topics of digitalisation and professionalisation in timber construction. Larger timber construction projects are currently still underrepresented in German cities, but the general demand for living space in Munich will increase by around 250,000 flats by 2025. Reason enough to make urban timber construction the standard through serial construction and industrial prefabrication. The advantages are obvious: systemised construction reduces construction costs, only a few skilled workers are needed on site to assemble prefabricated modules, construction time and noise and traffic pollution are reduced.
Wood is so stable that it can be used to build high-rise buildings and at the same time unrivalled in its lightness that it can be used to add storeys to existing buildings. Another contribution to active climate protection is refurbishment and modernisation with wood, a renewable resource that is more than sufficient. In total, 18 million tonnes of CO2 can be bound in Bavaria alone. Alexander Gumpp, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of proHolz Bayern, believes it is imperative that a life cycle assessment and compliance with emissions limits are a mandatory component of construction projects. An ecological model housing estate is currently being built in Munich: the Prince Eugene Park. An exemplary urban timber construction that creates plenty of living space for many generations. We are committed to a sustainable forestry and timber industry in Bavaria in order to realise more timber construction projects so that we can call Munich a "timber construction city" by 2030.
Photo: Peter und der Wolf Communications GmbH / LHM
At a press conference today, Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter, together with City Planning Councillor Professor Dr. (l) Elisabeth Merk, presented an overall plan for Munich's mobility in the coming decades.
Where could new underground and tram lines be built, where could the new cycling expressways run, and where can people switch from their cars to environmentally conscious means of transport? The mobility of tomorrow will be characterised by an optimal interlocking of different forms of mobility - first and foremost an optimised and broadly developed public transport system, a wide network of cycle paths, new offers for commuters in so-called HOV lanes ("High-occupancy vehicle lanes"), dedicated bus lanes and clever mobility concepts in settlement development with innovative means of transport.
Not only population and economic growth pose major challenges for transport infrastructure and settlement development, but at the same time the urban goals for traffic safety ("Vision Zero"), the political and legal requirements for environmental and climate protection (air pollution control, CO2 neutrality) and technological progress (digitalisation and networking) must always be taken into account.
Mayor Dieter Reiter: "Only with a well-developed and, above all, cleverly networked mobility will we be able to master the great challenges. The overall concept published today contains many good ideas for the further expansion of our transport infrastructure. The backbone is, of course, local public transport, which we not only want to greatly expand, but also create further tangential and ring connections in its network. I see this look into the future as a good basis and impulse for further debates. However, the mobility of the future can only be successfully developed in cooperation with the Munich region. In recent years, the city council has passed several groundbreaking resolutions for well-connected, environmentally friendly and space-saving mobility. We want to continue this".
City Planning Councillor Professor Dr. (l) Elisabeth Merk. "In the overall concept, we want to bundle all important measures for sustainable transport planning. It is important to us that we tackle it together. In dialogue with citizens and stakeholders from the region".
Expansion of local public transport (ÖPNV)
Public transport is the backbone of sustainable mobility. To encourage even more people to switch from their cars to public transport, the service will be significantly improved - through the new main station, the second main line, new bus lanes, underground and tram lines, increased frequency, more reliability and comfort. The existing network will be decentralised by tangents and, where sensible, supplemented by innovative means of transport such as cable cars or on-demand services. The result is less congestion and freed-up space that can be used, for example, for lanes for express buses, cycle paths or as amenity spaces.
Improving the cycling infrastructure
Cycling in the city is becoming much safer and more attractive. The continuous and safe "Altstadt-Radlring" (Old Town Cycle Ring) demanded by the citizens' petition is being implemented step by step; every quarter, the city council also decides on a bundle of further measures to make the road network significantly more cycle-friendly. This means that the demands of the second citizens' petition "Radentscheid" will be largely realised by 2025. Munich's first cycle path from the Stachus in the direction of Garching and Unterschleißheim as well as five further star-shaped routes will connect the city centre with the surrounding area; a cycle ring connects several city districts.
New offers for the city-countryside commuter traffic
Work-related commuting between the city and the region is made easier: modern Park & Ride facilities are being built on the motorways and main access roads at the gates of the city. From there, express buses continue on to the city centre on separate lanes without traffic jams and loss of time. The occupancy rate of commuting cars is increased by allowing the bus lanes to be shared by vehicles with several occupants. These "high-occupancy vehicle lanes" are already successfully helping to reduce car traffic abroad. For the "first" and "last mile" to and from public transport stops, more sharing and on-demand services will be provided, for example call buses.
Car-reduced city centre
New parking regulations, fewer parking spaces, traffic-calmed zones and sustainable logistics concepts will reduce car traffic in the old town and city centre. The space thus freed up will benefit cycling, walking and public transport as well as the quality of stay and the green and open spaces that are so important for the urban climate. Necessary, unavoidable car journeys into the city centre will still be possible. However, it is primarily emission-free, innovative means of transport that will shape mobility here. Efficient city logistics concepts make delivery and loading traffic compatible.
Mobility concepts
When planning new neighbourhoods and urban renewal projects, mobility concepts are considered from the very beginning. The focus is on a lively, balanced structure of uses in which as many everyday needs as possible can be found in the immediate residential environment. Short distances, good internal and external access to the neighbourhood by public transport, car and bike sharing services enable people to live without their own cars and increase the quality of life.
Innovative means of transport
Mobility is strongly influenced by digitalisation and innovations. The City of Munich takes these up, plans ahead and is open to trends. Automated and connected driving is currently being researched together with partners from business, science and research; a cable car over the Frankfurter Ring is being studied for the north of Munich, which has heavy traffic. With all new technologies, the focus is on user needs.
On Wednesday, 12 February, the City Council will deal with other important resolutions on mobility in Munich in the Committee for Urban Planning and Building Regulations in addition to the draft resolution "Mobility Plan for Munich".
"Cars have no place in cities"
Hermann Knoflacher with Vladimir Balzer and Axel Rahmlow
Hermann Knoflacher wants roads and car parks to be built on. Car-free cities are feasible, says the transport expert. This would allow local authorities to create masses of affordable living space. But will they go for it?
Affordable housing in cities is becoming increasingly hard to find. Many feel pushed to the margins. Politicians want to take countermeasures, but have very different mechanisms depending on the country and the municipality.
Berlin/ Hamburg: According to the newly founded Global Foundation Platform (F20), "the G7 Summit in Italy paved the way for the G20 Summit in Hamburg". "Six of the seven heads of state and government have shown their determination to implement the Paris Climate Agreement - despite the reluctance of the US government. The largest economies now face the task of implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement," said a joint press release.
The F20, a unique alliance of more than 35 foundations from nine countries, was founded on the occasion of the G20 Summit, which will take place in Hamburg on 7 and 8 July. Together, they want to make a contribution to global climate protection and a global energy transition.
"On climate change, the German G20 Presidency can build on the backing of businesses, think tanks, civil society, representatives of all faith communities and progressive countries. It is they who are driving global climate action, investing in sustainable infrastructure and creating the jobs of the future in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and America. The goals of the Paris Agreement are gaining global support and solidifying every day that the shift towards a climate-resilient global economy gains momentum," said Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation.
Michael Northrop, Rockefeller Brothers Fund: "The transition to a climate-resilient global economy offers business opportunities, jobs and economic development, as well as additional benefits such as cleaner air and a healthier environment. But to unlock this potential, the necessary investments must be unleashed now. More and more foundations, pension funds, cities and insurance companies are stepping forward by withdrawing their capital from fossil assets and supporting clean solutions."
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund had already announced in 2014 that it would disinvest the over 800 million US dollar fund, i.e. withdraw the capital from climate-damaging assets, and invest in clean solutions. Since 2014, more than US$5 trillion in assets under management have been withdrawn from coal and other fossil fuels.
Ramiro Fernández, Director Climate Change at the Avina Foundation, Argentina, underlines the important role of civil society in the global energy transition. "Civil society has been and continues to be a driving force for transformative change. The importance of their commitment to the preservation of natural livelihoods and to social justice - whether at the international, national or local level - cannot be overstated. The voices of civil society organisations from around the world must therefore be involved in the G20 process," he said.
The Avina Foundation is a Latin American organisation that implements democracy promotion, environmental protection and sustainable development projects in Argentina. Among the participating foundations are Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Wallace Global Fund (both USA), Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, Tata Trusts (both India), Avina Foundation (Latin America), FARN (Argentina), SEE Foundation, C Team (both China), Instituto Arapyaú (Brazil), European Climate Foundation (Netherlands), Stiftung Zukunftsfähigkeit, Stiftung Mercator, Stiftung 2° - German Entrepreneurs for Climate Protection, Michael Otto Foundation for Environmental Protection, WWF, Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU), the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius and the World Future Council (all Germany). Altogether, these foundations represent a total capital in the tens of billions of US dollars.
On 4 July - three days before the actual G20 summit - the Foundation Platform invites representatives from civil society, business, science and politics to Hamburg City Hall. The aim is to express their support for the global climate protection agenda and to discuss how the potential offered by global climate protection can be raised.
Speakers include British economist Sir Nicholas Stern, sociologist Auma Obama, author and former US government advisor Amory B. Lovins, Chinese entrepreneur Wang Shi and Kurt Bock, Chairman of the Business 20 Group (B20) Energy, Climate and Resource Efficiency and Chairman of the Board of BASF.
We use cookies to optimize our website and services.
Functional
Always active
Technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a particular service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that have not been requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access, which is solely for statistical purposes.Technical storage or access used solely for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary consent from your Internet service provider, or additional records from third parties, information stored or accessed for this purpose cannot generally be used alone to identify you.
Marketing
Technical storage or access is necessary to create user profiles, to send advertising or to track the user on a website or across multiple websites for similar marketing purposes.
As part of Expo Real 2019, experts from the timber construction industry came together for the kick-off event of the Holzbau München network. Organiser Andreas Lerge, Managing Director of Wood Real Estate, opened the evening and welcomed his guests with the topics of digitalisation and professionalisation in timber construction. Larger timber construction projects are currently still underrepresented in German cities, but the general demand for living space in Munich will increase by around 250,000 flats by 2025. Reason enough to make urban timber construction the standard through serial construction and industrial prefabrication. The advantages are obvious: systemised construction reduces construction costs, only a few skilled workers are needed on site to assemble prefabricated modules, construction time and noise and traffic pollution are reduced.
Berlin/ Hamburg: According to the newly founded Global Foundation Platform (F20), "the G7 Summit in Italy paved the way for the G20 Summit in Hamburg". "Six of the seven heads of state and government have shown their determination to implement the Paris Climate Agreement - despite the reluctance of the US government. The largest economies now face the task of implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement," said a joint press release.
