"Living in new urban quarters" Wohnbund information 12/2020 published
Published
In the current publication, the wohnbund takes a look at the development of new urban quarters. Backwards - with the question of what became of the goals that were set for individual projects. To the present day - to the concepts that are being implemented in response to current challenges. It writes in more detail about at least ten new housing estates and neighbourhoods, five of which (Freiburg Vauban, which French Quarter, Hanover Kronsberg, Ackermannbogen Munich and the Heidelberg Railway City) are listed in the sdg21.web database.
June 20 is the beginning of summer and in many places drought and low water levels in the rivers are already the order of the day, the waters in Germany are not equipped against the effects of climate change. In view of the devastating conditions of many waters in Germany, BUND demands a paradigm shift in the way we deal with our waters: The overriding principle in times of climate change must be to keep water in the landscape and return streams and rivers to their natural dynamics within their floodplains. Only just under eight percent of rivers and streams in Germany achieve the good ecological status required by the European Water Framework Directive. Almost 40 percent of surface waters across Europe are polluted by a variety of stressors such as climate change, nutrient inputs from agriculture or straightening. "We continue to heat up the earth, at the same time we drain the landscape. That's why it's no surprise that our local waters are doing so badly," stresses Olaf Bandt, Chairman of BUND, referring to a recent evaluation by BUND on the effects of climate change on water bodies.
If moors and floodplains are drained, not only does the landscape increasingly dry out, but huge quantities of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and methane are released, which in turn fuel global warming. If the air temperature rises and with it the water temperature, more and more naturally occurring methane escapes from bodies of water. Bandt: "Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more effective than CO2 and further exacerbates climate change."
The temperature trend in recent years has been dramatic for nature. The years 2014, 2018 and 2019 were the three warmest years since weather records began, affecting water bodies as well as forests, animals and agriculture. Bandt: "Falling groundwater levels and rising water temperatures have fatal consequences for people and the environment. Last year's fish kill will not be the last. It is therefore crucial that we take decisive action to tackle the climate crisis. The German government must do everything it can to achieve the goal it has set itself of limiting global warming to a maximum of 1.5 degrees." In times of climate crisis and species extinction, rivers, streams, ponds and lakes must be able to cope well with the heat and drought, and landscapes that can temporarily store water are needed. The nature conservation organisation believes that this can only be achieved if water protection is taken into account in all policy areas. With regard to the impact of industrial agriculture on water bodies and the Agriculture Commission, Bandt adds: "I expect Federal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner to shape the future of food production and not prevent another environmentally friendly reorganisation of German agriculture. The same applies to Federal Minister Andreas Scheuer, who must finally stop seeing rivers as wet motorways and actively support their role in securing groundwater for us all."
It is long overdue for the German government to fulfil its obligations under the European Water Framework Directive. This includes improved water management, demands Lilian Neuer, BUND water expert and co-author of the paper: "The landscape must not be drained further and further with drainage systems, even sealed surfaces in the city only drain rainwater into the sewerage system. However, water must remain in the area in order to be available where it is needed in dry and hot times. There are still water reserves, but we are in the middle of a climate crisis - and we need to act now."
Over the past centuries, numerous rivers have been straightened and floodplains, swamps and bogs have been drained. What remains is a dried-up landscape that is unable to retain rainwater, further favouring falling groundwater levels. "Healthy bodies of water are more resilient and can cope better with the negative consequences of the climate crisis," explains Neuer. "Where possible, floodplains must be renaturalised, because only near-natural, living floodplains absorb water like a sponge during periods of flooding and slowly return it to the river when water levels are lower. In this way, the water flow can be improved at times when there is less water available."
BUND is calling for the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive and a sustainable solution to the water crisis:
Give rivers more space instead of damming them, as this is the only way to reconnect floodplains and rivers and strengthen biodiversity. Floodplains must be renaturalised.
Keep water in the landscape instead of draining it directly so that the groundwater reservoirs can be replenished.
Stop surface sealing, because especially in cities, water is drained away as quickly as possible and cannot seep away.
Dismantling of transverse structures, as damming rivers heats up the water, worsens the water quality and blocks the path of fish so that they can no longer reach their spawning grounds.
To protect groundwater and drinking water, the precautionary and polluter-pays principles must be implemented, as water quality can only be improved if proactive action is taken. Water bodies must be protected from the input of nutrients and pollutants.
Water utilisation conflicts must be resolved fairly and sustainably.
Instead of further widening and deepening rivers for ever larger ships, the ships must be adapted to the rivers. It must be reviewed on which rivers shipping still makes sense at all under changing climatic conditions.
Sustainable water management is also necessary in agriculture, which includes, for example, soil-conserving cultivation, the removal of drainage systems and the cultivation of site-adapted crops. EU agricultural policy must be adapted to the challenges posed by climate change.
The number of CarSharing customers in Germany rose to 2.46 million over the course of last year. Above-average percentage growth was recorded by station-based CarSharing services. Station-based CarSharing also remains the backbone of the expansion in terms of area and is now available at 740 locations in Germany.
At the beginning of 2019, 2.46 million customers in Germany are registered with a car-sharing service, 350,000 more than in the previous year. Station-based car sharing providers are experiencing above-average growth with an increase of 21.5 percent. In free-floating CarSharing, customer growth is slowing somewhat and amounts to 14.9 percent. Overall, CarSharing in Germany continues to be on a clear growth path.
Gunnar Nehrke, Managing Director of Bundesverband CarSharing e.V., comments:
"The positive development in the German CarSharing market over the past years shows: More and more people want to deal responsibly with the resource car and practically shape the traffic turnaround."
The association is particularly pleased with the strong growth in the area of station-based CarSharing services, as several scientific studies had shown in 2018 that this variant has a particularly high traffic-relieving effect. Association Managing Director Nehrke explains:
"In station-based CarSharing, 70 to 80 percent of customers no longer own a car. Cities and municipalities should specifically promote this variant by setting up CarSharing stations in public areas.
In connection with CarSharing funding, the association criticises the Federal Ministry of Transport: "Even one and a half years after the Carsharing Act (CsgG) came into force, cities and municipalities cannot practically apply this law in all points because the Ministry does not present the ordinances that are the basis for it.
Christian Hochfeld, Director of Agora Verkehrswende, explains the current development of CarSharing:
"It is important that CarSharing becomes visible and available in public spaces. However, CarSharing should not be seen as an individual measure, but as an integral part of a municipal mobility strategy. After all, the right traffic policy framework conditions - such as comprehensive parking space management and the expansion of environmental zones - can further strengthen the positive effects of CarSharing services."
Strong growth also on the supply side
20,200 CarSharing vehicles will be available in Germany at the beginning of 2019, 2,250 more than in the previous year. Station-based providers account for more than half of the supply with 11,200 vehicles, while 9,000 vehicles will be used in free-floating CarSharing.
In the "free-floating" market segment, 890 vehicles belong to combined station-based/free-floating offerings. This new form of offering is used by some formerly purely station-based providers in order to be able to offer the advantages of both CarSharing variants from a single source. New combined systems were launched in 2018 in Leipzig and Karlsruhe, for example.
Station-based CarSharing remains the backbone of CarSharing expansion
Station-based CarSharing is currently available at 740 locations in Germany. This is 63 locations more than in the previous year. Pure free-floating services are currently available in seven metropolitan areas and a few surrounding communities of these major cities.
E-share stagnates at a high level, more e-vehicles in the fleets of station-based providers
The number of electric vehicles in the German CarSharing fleet remained almost unchanged in 2018. However, there are shifts in the number of electric vehicles in the individual fleet segments: The number of electric vehicles in the free-floating fleets of car manufacturers remained largely unchanged at 1,025 vehicles. The medium-sized CarSharing providers in the station-based sector were able to increase the number of electric vehicles from 321 to 498.
On the other hand, the operators of pure e-car sharing projects recorded declines. Here, the number of vehicles fell from 431 to 304. This is mainly due to the fact that the period of public funding or the leasing contracts for a high number of vehicles expired in 2018. As the vehicles had not reached the threshold for economic viability, they were removed from the fleet. Gunnar Nehrke explains:
"The electric share in CarSharing is 50 times higher than in the national car fleet. This shows: The providers want to switch to emission-free drives. But the framework conditions are not yet right: the vehicles are still too expensive. And there is still no funding concept for the installation of charging infrastructure at car sharing stations."
On the Sustainable Building Rating System (NBB), a new version of fact sheets is to be published shortly. In addition, the new eBNB system for the implementation of the NBB during planning and construction is about to be launched.
Six to ten gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity could be installed on Berlin buildings. More than enough to cover 25 percent of Berlin's electricity supply with solar energy, as envisaged in the plan for Berlin. But the current pace of expansion is decidedly too slow. The Solarcity Berlin master plan envisions producing a quarter of Berlin's electricity consumption with photovoltaics. This goal is to be achieved by 2030. Currently, Berlin's solar systems generate just under half a percent of the energy required in the city. Scientists at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (HTW Berlin) have now conducted a solar potential study to show for the first time which buildings are suitable for solar installations and what restrictions must be expected.
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