In the context of municipal planning, cities and municipalities have central instruments for resource and climate protection at their disposal. A new guide from the German Institute of Urban Affairs presents possible uses for an effective toolbox and uses practical examples to show viable resource-saving potential. Find out more here.
Urban systems consume a large proportion of resources and are responsible for emissions. The climate crisis is no longer an industrial issue. The role of planning and building in our cities is slowly becoming clear. This prompted the German Institute of Urban Affairs to draw up the “Sustainable urban planning and building guidelines” for local authorities.
The planning and development of cities and the climate crisis have long been linked. But the extent to which urban systems contribute to the consumption of building materials, food, land, water and energy has hardly been a topic of discussion until now. Now the German Institute of Urban Affairshas published a guide. It shows important instruments for resource and climate protection that are available to local authorities. The brochure also explains how this toolbox can be used. Practical examples illustrate where potential for saving resources lies dormant.
A look at the increasing climate change makes it clear that there is pressure to act in all areas. The consumption of resources must also be reduced in urban systems, i.e. in our cities, municipalities and metropolitan areas. This is not just about rainwater infiltration or green roofs. Rather, we need to focus on various fields of action, including demographics, growth, housing shortages, mobility and digitalization. Only if we consider these areas together with the development of our cities can we succeed in maintaining a high quality of life and environment.
The challenge is therefore to plan cities in such a way that they go hand in hand with the economical use of natural resources. This is currently particularly relevant in the construction of housing. As housing construction is a top priority in many cities, it is important to take active action here; to build differently than before. After all, when around 375,000 new homes are built every year, a lot of material is produced. This is therefore a key area for action with great savings potential. By optimizing material cycles in residential construction, the consumption of resources can be significantly reduced. It is therefore particularly important to act more sustainably in this area.
Problem area buildings
The construction sector has a high consumption of raw materials and energy. In fact, the largest quantities of materials in Germany are required for the structural development of cities and municipalities, meaning that the construction sector plays a significant role in energy consumption and waste generation in Germany. In 2015 alone, we used 517 million tons of mineral raw materials. In the European Union as a whole, almost 50 percent of all mined materials are used in the construction and use of buildings. Buildings consume around 35 percent of final energy in Germany and are responsible for around 30 percent of all CO2 emissions.
While industry and transportation have long been seen as drivers of climate change, the focus is now shifting to buildings and infrastructure. Many energy-intensive raw materials continue to be used here. Materials such as cement, steel and aluminum in particular create a lot of CO2. According to the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), they create so much CO2 that they completely absorb the remaining budget for themselves. In other words, the construction sector is responsible for around 40 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, most waste is produced during construction. There is an urgent need for resource and climate-friendly planning. This means that local authorities must also use all levers in urban planning and development. This is precisely where the German Institute of Urban Affairs comes in with its new guide to planning cities.
Project “Controllable urban material flows”
The current guideline from the German Institute of Urban Affairs has the long title: “Urban planning and urban development as a lever for resource and climate protection: municipal instruments, case studies and potential for reducing resource consumption“. The content for this guide to planning cities was compiled as part of a research project by the Federal Environment Agency. This was entitled “Controllable urban material flows” and examined instruments in urban planning and development that help to control material flows. The researchers also collected and described application examples from various municipalities. They also outlined solutions for reducing the consumption of resources.
The now published guide to planning cities is intended to inform planners, specialist offices and local politicians. It is intended to generate knowledge and raise awareness. After all, there are many ways to be economical in the planning and development of cities. The guide to planning cities aims to offer municipalities practical help.
The guide clearly shows that targeted urban planning can make major savings in natural resources. The case studies described alone confirm that various instruments and measures can have a major impact. For example, reducing the number of parking spaces or increasing building density can make a big difference. Overall, many municipalities are already making contributions to reducing resources. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement. The debate will increasingly take place at international, European and national level. And as attention for the topic grows, the local discourse will also get underway. As a result, awareness of the issue is growing and innovative and exemplary solutions are attracting attention. This is important, perhaps more important than a rather dry-looking guideline with endless word creations.
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