With every new building, soil is sealed and land for nature is thus consumed. Now the German government wants to more than halve land consumption in the next few years. Nicola Brockmüller explains that this is also a good way to cool the earth's climate and prevent flooding [...]
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WIESBADEN: In 2014, businesses in Germany generated 3.7 billion euros in turnover with goods and services in the solar industry. Compared to the last economically strong year 2011, this corresponds to an overall decline in turnover of 74.2% or 10.6 billion euros. The crisis in the solar industry in Germany was already apparent in previous years: [...]
What makes a sustainable university? Sustainability Council and 50 university administrations, employees and students are developing a sustainability code for universities. The test phase of the beta version of the university code will start in autumn. In autumn 2014, the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) held a stakeholder conference on the topic "From Pilot to Standard: Sustainability in Research, Teaching [...]
The Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) is looking for municipalities that enable new solutions for climate-, environmentally- and socially-compatible mobility in their urban districts, as well as a pleasant stay in public spaces. This includes, above all, the development and optimisation of infrastructure for walking and cycling, the linking of different mobility offers, [...]
Recycling companies are not getting rid of their goods because they might be polluted. About conflicts between resource and environmental protection. Source: taz article from 15. 7. 2016
Since 1 August, the internet portal for sustainable settlements and neighbourhoods has been offered under the domain www.siedlungen.eu and as a WordPress version with extended functions.
Today, the Federal Government is presenting the first German report on the implementation of the global sustainability goals. The report will be presented to the United Nations Forum on Sustainable Development in New York by Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, and Thomas Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Development Ministry. Germany is thus one of the first countries [...]
The world is still a long way from achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, according to a new study. Sweden is the best performer, according to the report published by the Bertelsmann Stiftung and others. The study compared 149 countries. Sweden is closest to the goals, followed by Denmark [...]
"Our struggle for global sustainability will be lost or won in cities. With these words Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, opened the High-Level Delegation of Mayors and Regional Authorities in New York City on 23 April 2012. A little more than three years later, at the United Nations [...]
Freiburg: the Berndt Koberstein Prize for Living Together and Solidarity in Freiburg, endowed with 10,000€, was awarded for the fifth time in Freiburg's "Weinschlösschen". The Mietshäusersyndikat, which began in the early 80s as a small cooperative on the Grether site, has grown into an association of 111 house projects with more than 2,000 residents in [...]
Housing is expensive, especially in cities there is a lack of affordable housing. Build, build, build - politicians are relying on private investors here. They are supposed to solve the housing crisis. However, research by the ARD magazine Panorama shows that new private apartments are often unaffordable.
The renovation project "Efficiency House Plus in Old Buildings" shows how two ramshackle rows of houses from the 1930s can be brought up to plus energy levels - and in some cases that good architecture can be created in the process. Location: Pfuhler Strasse 4-8 and 10-14, D-89231 Neu-Ulm Architects: Werner Sobek Stuttgart and o5 architekten bda - raab hafke lang Client: NUWOG [...]
"With all kinds of regulations, cities want to ensure sufficient and cheap parking spaces. But economically this is nonsense. It is higher earners who are subsidised. Parking thus becomes a question of justice."
The master thesis "Living without a car - niche concept or future model for sustainable urban development? Planning and implementation of car-free and car-reduced urban development projects in comparison" by Andreas Blechschmidt (2016; 104 pages) is now available online.
A broad alliance of chambers, the housing industry, trade unions, environmental and nature conservation associations as well as consumer and social associations joined forces in June 2016 to form a "NRW Building Alliance for Climate Protection". The aim of the alliance is to promote climate protection in the areas of housing and construction and to introduce jointly developed priorities into the political arena. The [...]
In Brütten near Zurich in Switzerland, an apartment building with nine rental apartments that is not connected to the energy grid has now been inaugurated. "The rental costs are no higher than elsewhere. The most important energy source is photovoltaic modules. Schmid has had an electrolyser installed in the basement as a long-term storage facility for the solar power. The device uses [...]
Accessible as an interactive world map, the "New World Atlas of Artificial Sky Brighness" is now publicly available, marking the first global measurement of light pollution since 2001. Further information: New atlas of light pollution: a third of humanity can no longer see the Milky Way | WIRED Germany
The planning practice and planning culture of German cities are the focus of a comprehensive handout produced with the cooperation of the German Association of Cities and Towns and the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development. The brochure brings together 55 projects from 34 cities that show how multifaceted municipal planning practice is implemented in Germany. The documentation of successful [...]
Lecture by Richard Sennett and Saskia Sassen on 9 June 2016 at the Oskar von Miller Forum (International Meeting Centre of the Bavarian Construction Industry) in Munich.
As the news agency Reuters reported last week, key targets in the draft Climate Action Plan 2050 drawn up by Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendriks have been cancelled by Federal Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel. According to Reuters, all greenhouse gas targets up to 2030 in the areas of energy, industry, transport and agriculture have also been cancelled [...]
The German Habitat Forum ended today with the "Berlin Recommendations". Thomas Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Gunther Adler, State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, handed over the recommendations to the Secretary General of the Habitat III Conference, Joan Clos. The "Berlin Recommendations" are intended as a contribution to the new [...]
The German Habitat Forum came to an end today with the "Berlin Recommendations". Thomas Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and Gunther Adler, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, handed over the "Berlin Recommendations".
This website of the "Affordable Housing Initiative" provides an overview of funding and programmes in the building sector.
On 30.6. the field test started in Herten, North Rhine-Westphalia. For one year, scientists coordinate the operation of three combined heat and power plants with the use of three heat pumps, a PV system, a large lithium-ion storage unit and a private electric storage heating system to balance the PV and wind feed-in.
Project outlines, especially for public buildings, municipal properties and urban districts, can be submitted until 29 July as part of the new funding initiative "Solar Building & Energy Efficient City".
Billions from pensions will be invested more sustainably and no longer used for fossil energies Today, Thursday, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU officially announced their agreement on new EU rules for occupational pensions. Thanks to the persistence of Green shadow rapporteur Bas Eickhout, we were able to make important demands in the [...]
In the interview Migration and Urban Planning: "Wir können Einwanderung" in the taz of 14.6.2016, which is well worth reading, Leggewie refers to the urban Chilean designer Alejandro Aravena, who builds half a house for a few thousand US dollars so that the other half can be designed by the residents themselves. Aravena has most recently won the Pritzker Prize, the Nobel Prize [...]
The SOLAR.shell research project clarifies how the yields of photovoltaic components on building facades can be increased by up to 50 percent compared to vertically installed PV elements by tilting and turning the elements. Read more here at Detail: Article
Billions seek eco-projects The UN's "Green Climate Fund" in the South Korean city of Songdo has a luxury problem: there is enough money. What is missing are good ideas to spend it www.taz.de/!5315954 Link www.greenclimate.fund
In the new brochure "Finishing and Designing with Renewable Raw Materials" published by the Agency for Renewable Resources (Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V.). (FNR) provides a compact overview of bio-based building and furnishing products for interior designers, renovators and builders. The topics range from floor coverings, paints and wood protection systems to wooden windows and furniture for interior [...]
4,996 single- and multi-family houses in timber construction were approved in Bavaria in 2015. This early indicator from the State Statistical Office sets a new record in the readiness for timber construction. In terms of building permits, the timber construction rate is thus already at 19.6 percent. In the last 30 years, never before have so many residential buildings been [...]
The New Energy Outlook 2016 (NEO) from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) assumes significantly lower prices for coal and gas than the forecast from the previous year. However, BNEF now also expects stronger cost reductions for solar and wind energy. According to NEO 2016, the LCOE of [...]
Roof extensions offer enormous housing potential A great opportunity for more housing in Germany lies on the roofs: More than 1.5 million additional flats could be created by adding storeys to roofs. And this could happen in places where living space is already scarce and housing is expensive: in large cities, conurbations and university towns.
Five prize winners can look forward to the Lower Austrian Timber Construction Prize 2016, which was awarded for the 15th time on 6.6.2016. Winery Högl, Wachau Prize winner utility building (Copyright Elmar Ludescher) "Planning is becoming more and more creative and every year there are new technical solutions. As a result, wood as a building material is gaining in importance for builders and planners every year [...]
Method for the holistic analysis of planning concepts by Stephan Anders 39,- Euro | ISBN 978-3-946319-02-3, 310 pages with numerous color illustrations, 19 x 25,5 cm, Softcover - May 2016 Melting glaciers, floods and the smog in cities are just a few visible signs of the need for sustainable development. Sustainable neighborhoods can [...]
Another piece of good news for Bonn: The Federal Government will set up one of four regional "Sustainability Strategies Network Offices" in the federal city. This was announced by Chancellor Merkel and the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) on Tuesday, 31 May, at the RNE annual conference in Berlin.
on 6 July 2016 in Oberhausen More housing! This is the message of the hour, because we urgently need housing. Especially for people who cannot participate in social life because of their income, their social status or their education: e.g. for transfer recipients, for the homeless and of course for the refugees, [...]
It is estimated that the care and integration of refugees will cost 20 billion euros in 2016. In the program Frontal21 from 24.5.2016 (from (minute 25 to 33) figures are mentioned, how some providers of refugee accommodations charge horrendous prices. According to their research, the cost of accommodation per refugee is 87 to [...]
Several federal ministries launched new funding programmes and research initiatives in April. The common goal is to promote affordable and climate-friendly construction in order to advance the energy transition through energy-efficient and climate-friendly buildings. The building sector accounts for around 40 percent of Germany's final energy consumption and about one third of CO2 emissions. At the same time, the potential for energy and CO2 savings [...]
