Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
A P P R O A C H E S T O S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y
FREIBURGGREENCITY
www.freiburg.de/greencity
fficient climate protection and environmental policy is built on many pillars: an energy policy based on renewable ener-gy sources such as solar, wind and water energy, or biomass; an attractive range of public transport options, building heat-insulation programmes, low-energy and zero-energy housing in domestic construction being but few examples.
The “Green City” label of Freiburg represents a combination of many ideals which compliment each other, and form a solid and unified communal environmental and climate protection policy. In a “Green City”, science and industry must work hand-in-hand for technical innovations, qualified growth and strong employ-ment. The environment became an important factor in the economy long ago.
Importantly in Freiburg, this policy is supported by the citizens. Their commitment to climate, water and soil protection provides the basis for sustainable urban development.
As a “Green City”, Freiburg has become a model for cities and communities across the globe. This recognition honours us, but also motivates us to develop new ideas and work harder towards achieving our goals.
Dr. Dieter Salomon Mayor of the City of Freiburg
reiburg not only ranks high in Germany when it comes to the utilisation and funding of alternative energy sources or encouraging local public transport and bicycle infrastructure. The city also holds leading positions in job creation, economic growth and in the number of overnight accommodations, which exceeded one million in 2007.
Focusing early on environmental sustainability, photovoltaics and various biotechnologies has given the city decisive advan-tages as a business location in an international competitive environment. Today, about 10,000 people are employed in the environmental and solar industries alone. Freiburg is the host city and organiser of numerous international industrial trade fairs and symposia, such as the Intersolar, now held in Munich and San Francisco, as well as the Local Renewables, the Solar Summits and the Gebäude–Energie–Technik (GET)/Buildings-Power-Technology fair.
Apart from science and technology, factors such as culture, climate, landscape, as well as the excellent quality of life in Frei-burg complete the profile of the “Green City” and consequent-ly, attracts creative minds, investors and tourists from all over the world. In Freiburg, sustainability and economic dynamics, future viability, scientific excellence and the peaceful lifestyle all contribute to the same goal.
Dr. Bernd DallmannChief ExecutiveFreiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG
FREIBURGGREENCITY
GREENCITY2
Welcome
E F
Freiburg, the
GREEN CITY
Freiburg may justly refer to itself as a birthplace of the green movement. The successful campaign against the proposed nuclear power plant in nearby Whyl over thirty years ago, became one of the founding legends of the Green Alternative Movement. With Freiburg now a rallying point, a colourful coalition of student and anti-nuclear activists, as well as proponents of a new social movement began to mobilise. Initially, there were only individual visionaries and artists, groups and associations searching for alternatives to nuclear power. However, as early 1986, the year of the Chernobyl disaster, the municipal council decided to abandon nuclear power. Solar energy was to become the new principle source of energy. That same year, Freiburg became one of the first cities in Germany to establish an EnvironmentalProtection Office.
Prizes and awardsIn 1992, Freiburg was chosen as Germany’s “Environ-
mental Capital” for its pioneering achievements, such as the installation of an early-warning system for smog and ozone pollution, pesticide bans, recycling measures, for its transport policy and perhaps even, for its enga-ging ‘green’ image. Ever since, new innovations in the field of environmental protection and solar engineering have been achieved, which have, in turn, been accom-panied by a series of awards: the European Public Trans-port Award, the German Solar Award, Federal Awards for Sustainability in Urban Development, the “Sustainab-le Community” award of the Deutsche Umwelthilfee.V. [German Environmental Aid Association]. Indeed,three citizens of Freiburg have received the renowned German Environment Award: Georg Savamoser, founder of the Solar Factory; the environmental and hygiene physician Prof. Dr. Franz Daschner; and, most recently, Prof. Joachim Luther, former Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE). For his solar-architectural concepts and projects, Freiburg’s architect Rolf Disch was honoured with the EuropeanEnvironment Award.
Freiburg is one of the “greenest” cities in Germany, not just from the political perspective, but also in terms of nature. No other city of comparable size has more forests and vineyards and such a diversity of lands-capes, which range from the rough heights of the BlackForest down to the alluvial forests by the River Rhine. The geographical location, the mild sunny climate and the relaxed way of life all contribute to Freiburg’s image as a truly green city.
Freiburg should not, nor does it want to, rest on its laurels of being a charming, cosy “city of comfort”, where the local second-division football club temporarily attracts more attention because of the solar panels stationed on its stadium roof and for environmental awards, rather than achieving goals and victories. Today, the city stands for a unity of “soft” ecology and “hard” economy. Environment policy, solar engineering, sustainability and climate protection concepts have become the mainstays of economic, political and urban development. More important than the awards or congratulatory backslapping is this: the citizens of Freiburg really do identify themselves with this policy.
Climate protection and
environmental policy
3 GREENCITY
Sustainable Economy 4-11
Sustainable Mobility 12-13
The City’s Resource Capital: Nature 14-17
Sustainable Urban Development 18-19
Citizen Commitment 20-21
Green Markets:
Environmental Economics and Research
GREENCITY4
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
“The markets of the future are green”, was prophesied by the Club of Rome. In 2005, 43 billion Euro was inves-ted worldwide in the renewable energy sector. By 2006, the figure was already at 73 billion Euro. And more than 540 billion is expected to be spent on the sector by 2015.
Environment as an Economic Factor
In Freiburg, the environmental economy and science play an extraordinary role. With nearly 10,000 people employed, by 1,500 companies, this sector contributes approximately 500 million Euro to the economy – as well as to the positive image of the region. In the solar sector alone, employment figures reflect approximately 700 people employed, which is four to five times above national average, according to a 2004 study.
Centres of private and public research investigating renewable energy sources, such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, function as a centre of gravity, around which hundreds of spin-off compa-nies, service providers and organisations are based. These include: from the Solar Factory to the Regio Freiburg Energy Agency, from consultancies to solar architects, from a zero-emission hotel to the Future Workshop of the Chamber of Crafts. Also the farmers, foresters and organic vintners profit from the research done in the region by institutions such as the Viticulture Institute, the Forest Research Institute or the Albert Ludwigs University.
In the field of environmental education alone, 700 new jobs were created, among which was a university chair of environmental economics. In the scope of the Solar University, which obtained the status of an elite university in 2007, an Interdisciplinary Centre for Renew-able Energies and an international masters study course “Renewable Energy Management (M.sc.)” have been established.
Industry sectors such as classic plant and machinery construction are also benefiting from the continued upsurge in the solar economy. This is shown by the example of the following three companies: W+S, machine builder for solar module manufacturers; Thieme, manufacturer of screen printing machines for the precision printing of silicon wafers; and Somont, the subsidiary set up jointly by W+S and Knoll Feinmechanik to produce string soldering machines. The electrotech-nology sector is also capitalising on the boom. In the manufacture of solar and thin-film cells, plasma processes make it possible to apply and remove material layers only nanometres thick. HÜTTINGERElektronik generators deliver the necessary power for the manufacturing process.
Thus, more and more new value chains are being created in Freiburg - from basic research to technology transfer and global marketing. The environment and the economy are not antagonists here. On the contrary, the environmental economy is the leading business sector in both town and region.
www.ise.fraunhofer.de
www.solar-fabrik.com
www.energieagentur-regio-freiburg.de
www.hwk-freiburg.de
www.wbi-freiburg.de
www.fva-bw.de
www.uni-freiburg.de
www.zee-uni-freiburg.de
www.solar.uni-freiburg.de
www.somont.com
www.rena.com
www.huettinger-electronics.com
Germany’s first energy self-sustaining solar building
Sustainable
ECONOMY
Solar power plant on the roof of the Badenova Stadium
5GREENCITY
In terms of both economy and ecology, Freiburg has been most successful in the fields of renewable energy research and marketing. A mere glance at the cityscape makes this clear. Solar panels can be found on the roofs of the Badenova Stadium and the City Hall, on schools, churches and private houses, on facades and towers. Looking further afield, wind turbines rise from the BlackForest. With more than 1,800 hours of sunshine each year and an annual radiation intensity of 1,117 kilowatts (kW) per square-meter, Freiburg is one of the sunniest cities in Germany.
Favourable Conditions
All this is not due only to Freiburg’s natural conditions. Primarily factors such as the citizens’ high levels of environmental awareness, political priorities and targe-ted economic development, have allowed Freiburg to become a Solar Capital. Here, the opportunities offered by solar energy, in terms of climate protection, the eco-nomy and urban development were recognised earlier than anywhere else. This pioneering action has been reinforced by countless awards and high visitor numbers to unique projects, such as the world’s first energy self-sustaining solar building, the Heliotrope, the solar village created by Rolf Disch, or the zero-energy houses of the Vauban neighbourhood. Even the local football stadium has become an attraction as the first stadium worldwide to have its own solar plant.
The Solar Economic Factor
SolarRegion Freiburg
The Solar Factory
The Heliotrope – a rotating solar ‘tree-house’ which follows the movement of the sun
GREENCITY6
www.badenova.de
www.ises.org
www.ise.fraunhofer.de
www.solar-fabrik.com
www.solarmarkt.com
www.solarstromag.de
www.solar-info-center.de
Manufacturing of modules at the Solar Factory
Solar Info Center
Sustainable
ECONOMY
www.freiburg.de/umwelt
www.solarregion.freiburg.de
www.solarregion.net
www.isicenter.it
www.intersolar.de
www.concentrix-solar.de
The Freiburg Mix
What makes Freiburg so special is its so-called “typical mix”, a unique interaction of political, economic, geo-graphical and historic factors. Since 1986, the city has supported the development of solar energy by means of its own projects, funding programmes and spaces. Thebadenova power company supports the development of renewable energy resources with programmes, such as innovation funds for water and climate protection.
Unparalleled Network
A number of prestigious research institutions belong to Freiburg’s solar economics and research network, among them the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar EnergySystems (Fraunhofer ISE), which is the largest solar research institute in Europe and the International Solar Energy Society (ISES), the international umbrella organi-sation of solar institutions. Private enterprise is also re-presented through companies, such as the Solar Factory, Concentrix Solar GmbH, SolarMarket AG or Solarstrom AG, which are served by a wide web of suppliers and service providers. Altogether, solar technology in Freiburg has created over 1.000 jobs in 80 business operations, many of which are settled under the roof of the Techno-logy Park Solar Info Center.
Solar Competence and Application Centre
Interested parties from across the globe come to Freiburg to avail themselves of consultancy expertise and basic and advanced professional training. Know-how, resources, infrastructure, associations and environmental organisations of the region merge at the SolarRegion Freiburg. Freiburg’s co-operation with the Italian Solar Info-Center is one of the most successful examples of international science transfers and similar projects with other partners and like-minded cities are
in preparation. Freiburg’s knowledge base in the research and utilisation of solar
energy contributed to the transforma-tion of the Freiburg-based Intersolar
into the leading international solar technology fair.
7GREENCITY
Climate protection depends to a large extent on inter-national and national agreements and goals, but cities and regions can also take the lead in this regard and set examples. Freiburg took climate protection seriously long before the issue was on the general political and economical agenda and as a result, in matters related to climate protection, Freiburg is nowadays considered a role model far beyond Europe.
Climate Protection Concept 1997
In 1996, the municipal council decided to reduce CO2
emissions by 25 percent before the year of 2010. Thesuccesses achieved were remarkable. By applying a well-designed package of actions, emissions could be markedly reduced, particularly in the traffic and energy sectors. The share of nuclear power electricity was reduced by over half, from 60 to less than 30 percent. Almost 50 percent of the city’s electricity is generated by combined heating and power plants.
Continuing into the Future
Despite best efforts, Freiburg will presumably fail to reach its original goal of 25 percent less greenhouse gases by 2010. However, this is regarded as an incen-tive by the city to redouble climate protection efforts. Inthe summer of 2007, resulting from a climate protection report by the Eco-Institute in Freiburg, the municipal council decided to proceed with its climate protection concept and raised the benchmark even higher for the next phase: 40 percent less CO2 by 2030. This goal is ambitious, but not unrealistic, since the national and international conditions for climate protection have improved considerably last year.
Targeted Investments
A strong local climate protection policy must by no means be limited to mere gestures or lofty declarations of intent. Realistic political and financial commitments are of huge importance. In the coming years, ten percent (1.2 million Euro) of the concessions that the regional power supply corporation badenova AG pays to the city will be invested in climate protection projects, especially in the transport and building sectors.
Addressing the Greenhouse Effect:
Climate Protection and Freiburg’s CO2-Diet
Concentrated PV module manufactured by Concentrix Solar Co.
Solar facade of the residential complex at Wilmersdorfer Street
Motivation and Cooperation
However, the climate protection programme can only be a success if the city goes beyond its role model function and gets as many other actors as possible on board — companies, power suppliers, private households, the university, the media. Climate protection affects groups across society. Everyone who fails to do something today, will have to pay dearly to make up for mistakes tomorrow.
Freiburg’s CO2 Diet
Targeted information and public awareness campaigns have been launched to mobilise the inhabitants. The pro-ject “Freiburg’s CO2 Diet” is but one example. It gives interested citizens an easy tool to calculate their own climate balance - so that they can determine their own share in CO2 emissions, through the interactive website, and compare their values with those of others, receiving CO2 “diet” suggestions in return.
With campaigns like CO2LIBRI Freiburg‘s citizens are encouraged to reduce CO2 emissions.
Main Focus of the City’s
Climate Protection Policy
Our main focus continues to be energy savings, energy efficiency (through combined heat and power) and use of renewable energy resources. Apart from making progress in these sectors, co-operation, especially with industry, commerce and trade, will be promoted. Examples derived from the municipal council’s 12-Point Program are:
• Taking into consideration climate protection, energy efficiency, and solar optimisation at an early stage of all urban developments, urban land use plans and real estate sales contracts;
• Energy counselling for building contractors and support programmes for heat insulation in existing buildings;
• Energy savings through the consolidation of administration offices;
• Using the zero-energy housing standard when buil-ding new houses and renovating buildings in the city;
• Priority use of natural-gas vehicles in the municipality’s fleet of vehicles and refraining from the purchase of diesel powered vehicles.
In addition, two million Euro are being spent on the energy efficient renovation of the city’s old and historical buildings and for new city architecture.
Solar City Hall
Facade of the Solar Factory
Sustainable
ECONOMY
Gerda Stuchlik Deputy Mayor, Department of the Environment, Schools, Education and Facility Management
GREENCITY8
Waste not, want not
The Waste Management Concept
“Z’Freiburg in de Stadt/sufer isch’s un glatt” [A German rhyme saying: In Freiburg’s city, it’s clean and pretty], rhymed Johann Peter Hebel over two-hundred years ago. Nowadays, Freiburg’s citizens are doing their best to keep it that way. Recycling of paper, plastics, organic material has been wholeheartedly taken onboard by those living here to the extent that the volume of garbage per capita is markedly below state and national average.
Refundable Container Concept and Financial
Incentives
The city itself sets a good example by using paper, of which approximately 80 percent has been recycled. A recycling concept was introduced in 1991, which was supported across all sectors, with even the SC Freiburg soccer team agreeing to support the initiative. Waste avoidance is rewarded by a system of incentives: bene-fits for the use of textile diapers, discounts for collective waste disposal pooling and for people who compost their own green wastes.
Treatment of Non-Recyclable Wastes
Since 2005, non-recyclable waste from the region is incinerated at a plant in the Industrial Park Breisgau,located 20km south of Freiburg. The plant practices waste disposal safety by maintaining high environmental standards. It supplies electricity to 25,000 households. Energy generated from the fermentation of bio-orga-nic wastes covers two percent of Freiburg’s energy demand.
Waste Consulting and Teaching
The waste disposal management concept of 2008 defines “avoidance before recycling before depositing” as the future strategy. Avoidance and waste separation show us the way out of the “throwaway” society, towards more informed and sustainable consumer behaviour. Since 1994, Freiburg’s partially privatised waste disposal and sanitation company (ASF) has been organising, in co-operation with schools and Freiburg’s Eco-Station, courses and guided tours, a “Garbage Theatre” for elementary school children, competitions and teaching units, such as “Ideas, not Waste” or “Children and the Agenda 21”.
www.tbe-waerme.de
www.abfallwirtschaft-freiburg.de
Thermal waste treatment plant generating energy from non-recyclable waste, Industrial Park Breisgau
Vehicle collecting hazardous substances Fleet of modern vehicles Centralised recycling station
9GREENCITY
GREENCITY10
Group of Japanese visitors inspecting solar plants
Future Workshop Freiburg:
Tourism, Conferences, and Trade Fairs
Image is important to the economic and tourist attractiveness of a city. Freiburg has gained a world-wide reputation in such fields as solar engineering, traffic policy, environmental and climate protection. Increasingly, members of the media and delegations representing environmental politics, science and industry come to Freiburg to learn how the city has managed to achieve its astounding success in uniting the administration of a municipality with environmental concerns and make this a financially viable proposition.
Upon visiting the Intersolar, India’s Minister for Renew-able Energy Resources, Shri Vilas Mutternwar, said that India would like to benefit from experiences had in Freiburg. He is not an exception. Freiburg is perceived as a “model green city” by numerous Asian countries, especially China, South Korea, and Japan. Eco-touristswho, equipped with the solar city map and bicycles, set off on a “solar tour” are often pioneers opening doors for “regular” tourism and business that later settle down in the area.
Freiburg maintains nine city partnerships, among which, through its twinning with Isfahan is the only German-Iranian partnership. Freiburg owes much of its attractive-ness as a partner city to its experience in the field of environmental policies and renewable energy resources. An initial co-operation with Isfahan has already begun with a focus on solar energy, while together with its partner city Padua, Freiburg is building the biggest photovoltaic power generation plant in Italy by means of a joint subsidiary company.
Sustainable
ECONOMY
Solar roof of the Freiburg Trade Fair Centre
11GREENCITY
Visitors at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems3rd Photovoltaics Industry Forum 2007 at the Congress Centre Concert Hall Freiburg
Meeting-Point of the International Solar Scene
The mutual transfer of science and technology across borders has been booming for years, particularly in the field of solar power technology. Since its inception in the year 2000, Intersolar has developed into an industrial trade fair that sets the pace in the sector of Europeansolar engineering. After eight successful years in Frei-burg the Intersolar moved to Munich in 2008, closing its doors with the new record attendance of 53.000 visitors and more than 1.000 exhibitors. The Gebäude-Energie-Technik (GET) [Buildings-Power-Technologyfair] takes its place in Freiburg, a new fair that deals with the energy-efficient modernisation, renovation and construction of buildings. In collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE),the city also hosts the Freiburg Solar Summits, an annual meeting-place for the international solar scene, including the cutting edge of science, industry, and politics. In 2008 the inaugural Intersolar North Americain San Francisco was a rousing success. Both visitors and exhibitors reported strong and positive feedback, leading organizers to plan an even larger event for 2009. Considering the current pioneering spirit, this transatlan-tic step is one that is necessary and reasonable in order to benefit on site from a growing market in the medium term. The choice of California as a location is particularly apt, as here climate protection and renewable energy resources are real concerns.
The huge numbers of visitors to Freiburg’s international trade fairs are not lured here because of any one project or giant solar factory, rather by the fact that no other city has brought together so much “green” competence, sensibility and political experience, factors which also make the Freiburg a very attractive venture partner. Theuniversity city has developed into a modern future work-shop, where new innovative and undogmatic concepts that reconcile the art of living with sustainability, ecology with economy are in evidence at every turn.
www.intersolar.de
www.intersolar.us
www.get-freiburg.de
www.solar-summits.com
www.fwtm.freiburg.de
Making international business contacts at the Intersolar
Visitors to the Intersolar
In 1969, the City of Freiburg undertook to develop an urban transport policy that sought to ensure a good level of mobility that did not encroach upon positive urban development, nature and the environment. Freiburg’s traffic and transport policy, which drew attention nation-wide, gives preference to environment-friendly modes of movement (pedestrian traffic, cycling, local public transport). The city was rewarded for its efforts with the “European Local Public Transport Award”.
Successes of Transportation Policy
Between 1982 and 1999, the contribution of cycling to the city’s volume of traffic increased from 15 to 28 percent. At the same time, public transport increased from 11 to 18 percent, whereas the distances driven by motor vehicles decreased from 38 to 30 percent. Compared with other major cities in Germany today, Freiburg has the lowest motor vehicle density, with 423 motor vehicles per 1,000 people.
Preventive Traffic Avoidance
The most important objective of Freiburg’s traffic and transportation policy is traffic avoidance. This is achieved by designing a compact city that can be crossed quickly and includes strong neighbourhood centres. Urban de-velopment should take place along main public transport arteries and priority is given to centralised development over peripheral growth.
All major urban development decisions follow the concept of preventive traffic avoidance. The new city districts of Rieselfeld and Vauban are both easily acces-sible by public transport, as are the inner-city university locations. Local markets and neighbourhood centres give priority to those people catering for their daily needs in their localities over the construction of supermarkets on greenfield sites.
Environmentally Compatible
Traffic Means
The strategy of traffic avoidance is supplemented by strengthening those means of traffic that are compatible with the city and the environment. Pedestrian traffic, cycling, and local public transport have all benefited from the extension of the corresponding infrastructure over the last three decades. So are bicycles andbike-taxis, often used by tourists, part of the image of the town
Freiburg’s Traffic Concepts
The main station – a traffic nodal point
The Breisgau S-Bahn Cycling paths in the Dreisam Valley
GREENCITY12
Sustainable
MOBILITY
Bicycle station “Mobile” at the main station
Parking Space Management and
Further Development of the Road Network
Managing motorised road traffic in a way that is compatible with the city is Freiburg’s third
transport policy objective. There is continuous management of the parking spaces in many
parts of the city. A system of financial incentives and fees, multi-storey car
parks and parking guidance systems relieves residential areas near the
city centre from motorised traffic and parking-space searches. The road network is being developed further in order to eliminate bottlenecks and spare residential areas.
Elements of the Traffic and Transportation
Policy
Since the establishment of the first pedestrian zone in 1973, Freiburg’s traffic and transportation is distinguished by the subtle but continuous development of the following co-ordinated elements:• By way of adding new routes, frequencies and travel
comfort, the former tram system was converted into a modern city-rail system that connects almost all major city districts. 65 percent of people live in the catchment area of a tram stop;
• The Breisgau-S-Bahn, which was designed in co- operation with the adjoining counties, allows for good and fast rail transport connections between the city and the region. At the main station, it links regional traffic to intercity railway transport;
• In 1970, Freiburg had almost no bike paths. Today, there is a 500km-long network of bike lanes and markedly improved opportunities for cyclists: 9,000 parking sites in the city, links to the local public transport network (“Bike and Ride”), the bicycle city map etc.;
• Large parts of the city centre are designated as pedestrian zones and have been entirely recon- structed. This upgrading of urban spaces shall continue in the coming years;
• Pedestrians and cyclists also benefit from the expansive traffic calming measures in residential areas. Currently, 90 percent of residents live in 30km/h-zones.
Vauban’s Tram route
www.vag-freiburg.de
www.breisgau-s-bahn.de
www.rvf.de
www.freiburg.de/verkehr
Tariff zones of the Regional Transport Association Freiburg
13 GREENCITY
‘Green Lungs’:
The Forest
The Freiburg communal forest covers an area of 6,400 hectares (43 percent of the territory). This is the largest communal forest in Germany, and is regarded as the municipal “green lungs” of Freiburg and the most important recreational area near the city, with approxi-mately 4 million visitors annually.
Its location in the foothills of the Black Forest, its natural abundance (with 90% of the area covered as a natural conservation area and 15% is designated as biotope area) and its excellent infrastructure (with 450 kilometres of forest paths, sports, adventure and instructional trails, barbecue and playground areas, look-out towers, and lakes) – all of this makes the forest a key element in the Freiburg tourism experience.
Recreation, Forestry and Ecosystems
It is not by accident that the term “sustainability” comes from the forestry sector. The forest is a natural habitat for fauna and flora and a leisure and recreation area for people. In the forest wood is grown and produced as renewable raw material, groundwater is retained and the forest itself is critical for climate protection.
In times of rising fuel prices the communal forest also gains significance from an economic perspective. Felling 35,000 m³ of timber annually makes a profit of two million Euro. However, as an ecosystem, the forest can only be preserved and further developed if economic and ecological management work hand in hand. When wood from the local Mooswald can be used to build kindergartens (crèche buildings) and multi-family housing, this not only uses local resources efficiently and saves money, as there is no need to import material, but also helps to safeguard jobs in the region.
Learning from Nature
The Municipal Forestry Office supports private and public institutions committed to nature and environmen-tal education, organises its own pedagogical forestry events, guided tours, excursions and also manages the Mundenhof deer park. To illustrate the success of its approach - in 2005 7,500 people visited the Municipal Forest Biosphere Reserve. The Forestry Research Institute and the University Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences enjoy an excellent reputation worldwide in matters of forestry and climate ecology.
Sustainable Forest Management
The forest is, after the ocean, the most important carbon sink to capture CO2, and thus of central significance in climate protection. For this reason, Freiburg has engaged in sustainable forestry over a long period, on the local, national and international arena. Since 1999, the Forestry Office has been certified as the first forestry operation in Baden-Württemberg that complied with the guidelines of the Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC), and is there-fore permitted to market timber using this eco-label. As such, high standards apply to the management of the forest, such as refraining from clear-cutting or the use of pesticides and insecticides.
In 2001 the “Freiburg Forest Convention” was adopted – the first action of its kind at municipal level. Through this convention Freiburg recognised its ecological, econo-mical and social responsibilities for sustainable forest management as an ongoing programme.
The Mooswald
The City‘s Resource Capital
NATURE
www.freiburg.de/forstamt
Germany‘s highest tree, a 63,33 m measuringdouglas fir in the Freiburg forest
GREENCITY14
The Green Grass of Home
Parks and Nature Conservation Areas
Freiburg has acquired recognition for being a ‘green city of well-being’ also because of its numerous green spaces. The city is located in a green belt, with 500 hectares of green space stretching from the periphery right into the heart of the city. Between Mundenhof, Seepark and the natural conservation area “Freiburger Rieselfeld” in the west and Möselpark and the Dreisam meadow in the east, there are numerous green areas: parks, landscape conservation reserves, nature reser-ves, garden plots, playgrounds for children, also ceme-teries and even the tram rails ‘rest’ in a grassy bed.
Design Elements, Local Recreation,
and Playgrounds
For more than 20 years, the city has been maintaining its public parks according to principles that are close to nature. For example, pesticides are not used and only indigenous trees and shrubs are planted. Changing the times of lawn mowing from up to twelve times to merely twice per year has markedly revived the biodiversity in the meadows. Around 22,000 trees have been planted along streets, with just as many in parks, helping to improve the urban microclimate. You will see typical small garden allotments on the outskirts – about 3,800 of these plots not only help families enrich their menu with fresh vegetables, but are also oases of retreat – allowing close contact with nature. Of the 160 playgrounds in Freiburg, 46 have by now been returned to a more natural state in cooperation with the children and their parents.
Conservation Areas and Biotopes
Landscape conservation areas comprise 7,016 hectares, i.e. about 46 percent of Freiburg’s territory. 662 hectares are environmentally protected and 3,502 hectares are protected according to the guidelines of the Europeanbiological reserve network NATURA 2000. In addition to this, there are more than 200 hectares of specially protected biotopes outside of the conservation areas. Freiburg plays host to a great diversity of landscape and biotope types in a confined space - from alluvial forests to the mountain meadows and forests of the Schau-insland mountain, with its rare species of fauna and flora (such as wood grouse or arnica), all the way to the dry-warm biotopes of the Tuniberg, which is populated by many Mediterranean species, such as the emerald lizard. The designation of new natural reserves and land-scape conservation areas on the Tuniberg’s southern slo-pes and in wetlands near Waltershofen are also now on the agenda. Freiburg’s Schauinsland area forms part of the Southern Black Forest Natural Reserve, covering a total area of 370,000 ha. It is the second largest area of its kind in Germany. As a member of the Southern BlackForest Natural Reserve Association, the City of Freiburg pursues the objective of further developing the Southern Black Forest with regard to nature conservation, tourism, agri-culture, forestry and urban planning.
The city has, through its preventative area protection policy, extensively contributed to the development of new recreational and adventure spaces for people and, at the same time, safeguarded the natural heritage for future generations.
The City GardensThe Black Forest
www.freiburg.de/gruenanlagen
At Seepark
15 GREENCITY
GREENCITY16
Is the air clean?
Air Quality and Emissions
The City‘s Resource Capital
NATURE
Clear Measures:
Soil Protection
As early as the 1990s, Freiburg recorded emissions in a registry and developed an air-quality plan. It was also the first city in Germany to initiate an ozone phone-in line. However, when addressing local emissions reduction there are many regional and urban factors that impact upon this issue. Despite extensive efforts through traffic and environmental policies, the air in Freiburg remains polluted by fine-particle dust, exhaust emissions and ozone.
The Clean-Air Plan
In March 2006, Freiburg’s Regional District Authority (‘Regierungspräsidium’) drafted a “Clean-Air-Plan” in accordance with national and EU framework directives. This became necessary as the city and the region repea-tedly exceeded allowed threshold values for nitrogen oxides (NO2). Apart from traffic management actions, such as building a city tunnel and improving the local public transportation system, the Clean-Air-Plan also foresees, from 2010, a general ban on motor vehicles that have a particularly negative impact on the environ-ment. Currently, a ”Freiburg Action Plan on Fine Particle Dust” is being drafted.
The Soil Status Report of the Freiburg Region of 2004 documents existing and new environmental pollution in the soil and groundwater. It has helped to address developing threats regarding soil acidification, sealing, erosion and land use in general. Areas with vulner-able and polluted soil were identified, precautionary measures and hazard prevention recommended and land reclamation proposed. Today, five percent of the municipal forest on the steep slope of the Schauinsland Mountain is designated as soil-protected forest area.
Register for Polluted Areas
In 1991, Freiburg started to register suspected unde-clared polluted sites within the city boundary. The most recent search activity for such sites took place in 2006. So far, the Environmental Protection Office has regis-tered, systematically evaluated, safeguarded, where necessary, and reclaimed more than 1,790 abandoned polluted sites. The register data can be used to assist real-estate owners and planners to prevent exposure to pollution risks.
Western view of Freiburg, with the Dreisam River Valley and the Black Forest in the background
17 GREENCITY
Fishing in the Dreisam River.
Go with the flow
Water Protection
Increasing land use, surface sealing (roads, pavements) and the growing potential of extreme storms and heavy rainfall due to climate change make flood protection an ever-increasing priority. According to EU and German legislation, flood hazard maps must be prepared for es-pecially endangered areas by 2012 at the latest; if at all, buildings may be erected in potential flood hazard areas, only if strict conditions have been fulfilled. In Freiburg, hazard areas were already delineated in the scope of the land use plan. New construction, renovations and the expansion of rainwater retention basins help to safeguard potentially threatened settlement areas.
The Natural Design of Watercourses
Changing watercourses back to their natural state is increasingly regaining significance. In this regard, previ-ous ecological ‘mistakes’, such as the correction or the canal-like extension of watercourses are being reversed, for example by establishing bank protection strips or reconstructing the river bed. Older weirs in the Dreisam River were replaced by so-called rough ground ramps, thus resolving two difficulties with a single solution: fish are able to migrate upstream again, while water power is converted into environmentally-friendly energy.
Water of Premium Quality
Groundwater, our most important drinking-water resour-ce, must be protected from agricultural and industrial pollutants, while rainwater is too valuable to be allowed to run off into the sewer system.
Green spaces can be used to filter pollutants from the water as it seeps into the earth, promote new ground-water development and unburden the surface water and combined sewage systems. Ecological rainwater management begins with the prevention of superfluous drainage, for example, by establishing impenetrable covers or green roofs. Either centralised or decentralised seepage of rain water has long since become standard practice in new development areas. Many drinking-water preparation plants lie within the municipal forest area. This close-to-nature and sustainable management also helps protect drinking water.
Wastewater Disposal with Tradition
The “Bächle”, the small water channels in the city centre, have been the pride of the city since the Middle Ages. The first sewers were built in 1880, and today Freiburg has a modern wastewater disposal system that combines effectiveness with ecological princip-les. Wherever possible, rain water is supposed to be captured and used on private properties or at least be allowed to seep into the groundwater. A fee system that distinguishes between contaminated water and rain water gives citizens an added incentive to save resources. The wastewater fees in Freiburg lie far below the national average.
Rowing on the Waldsee
Idyllic old town quarter of Gerberau
Land Use Plan
Nowadays, cities face a challenge. They need to mana-ge the use and development of ever decreasing space with a view to environmental and social compatibility. The Land Use Plan 2020, which was agreed to in 2006, is committed to reducing land use as far as possible and includes about 30 hectares less building space than was previously available.
Landscape Plan
The view that the municipal council and the city administration have for the development of nature and landscape, environment and recreation by 2020 is deter-mined in the Landscape Plan 2020. Valuable living space for humans and animals will be extended and combined into a citywide biotope association by means of targeted nature conservation measures.
Open Spaces Concept
The Land Use and Landscape Plans 2020 also impacted on the open spaces concept, determining the future design of Freiburg’s cityscape. Quality-rich open spaces are important factors for Freiburg’s cultural, historical and aesthetic identity. Where once the development of new district parks such as Seepark or Dietenbach were at the top of Freiburg’s agenda, the focus is now on finding ways to interconnect these open spaces within and with the city. In this case it is clear - the journey is the reward.
Urban Climate Concept
A healthy and balanced urban climate is increasingly becoming a greater challenge in the context of a chan-ging climate. According to the Urban Climate Analysis in 2003, the Land Use Plan 2020 will place great value on retaining cool air flow areas and urban ventilation lines within and outside the city.
Innovative Energy Concept
In Freiburg, the principles of energy savings and solar optimisation merge early on in the planning phase of developments, for example, by defining the orientation and position of buildings or by compulsory low-energy construction requirements. Energy concepts are made for all building areas and the energy-supply variant most compatible with the environment is contractually prescribed - provided it can be realised with the same or a reasonably higher (10% maximum) cost.
Citizen Engagement
The Land Use Plan 2020 is regarded as a successful example of civic participation in municipal processes. In 2003, civic groups defined some visionary objectives,
which, one year later, were included by the municipal Council as framework conditions of the Land Use
Plan 2020, addressing ecological compatibility, social justice and economic viability.
In 2005, citizens formed 19 working groups to discuss every potential construction area of the Land Use Plan 2020. Upon defining key points of the Plan, the municipal Council re-oriented its decision, based on the outcome of these discussions.
18
Sustainable
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Far-Sighted Planning and Citizen Participation
GREENCITY
City administration in dialogue with the citizens
City architectural master plan for Rieselfeld
19 GREENCITY
Development of Modern Districts and Living Quarters
Rieselfeld – ecological living in the state’s
largest neighbourhood project
In an area of 70 hectares, the largest neighbour-hood project in the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg is under development, with 4,200 apartments for 12,000 people to be developed by 2010.
Early in 2008, more than 8,200 people were living in approximately 3,200 apartments – built by more than 110 private building contractor societies and investors – in the new neighbourhood of Rieselfeld. The positive image, the comprehensive public infrastructure tailored to suit market needs, as well as the intact neighbour-
hood life, makes Rieselfeld a good address for owners and tenants alike. Civic commitment and proactive co-operation are important in this district. It borders directly on a natural reserve area covering 205 hectares that serves the inhabitants of Rieselfeld as a green belt.
All houses are built as low-energy buildings. In many of them, photovoltaics and solar heating utilise the energy of the sun. Additional forms of renewable energy utilisation and district heating from a combined heat and power station complement the far-sighted energy concept of this young district. A consistent water con-cept and consideration of climatic aspects are further components. The urban development concept attaches great importance to green spaces, playgrounds, open areas, as well as bicycle paths and traffic-calmed streets where children are allowed to play.
www.freiburg.de/rieselfeld
Living in the Vauban Quarter
Vauban – Urban development
with ecological awareness
The Vauban Quarter was created on an area of 38 hectares located close to the city centre, on the terrain where the barracks of the French military forces once stood. It is an attractive, family-friendly neighbourhood for 5,000 people, in which civic commitment, collective building, and living with ecological awareness has great importance. Low-energy building is obligatory in this district; zero-energy and energy-plus building and the application of solar technology are standard for most.
The rows of old trees were preserved as much as possible. The green spaces between the housing rows account for good climatic conditions and provide play areas for children. Parallel to private development, infrastructure was created that encompassed schools, kindergartens, youth facilities, civic meeting places,
a market place, as well as spaces for recreation and play. Vegetation-covered flat roofs store rain-water, which is col-lected and re-used.
The neighbourhood area is traffic-calmed, with the majority of households not owning a car. Private motor vehicles are parked in either of the two garages of the Quarter. Since 2006, the residential area has been linked to the city tram system, enabling many people to do without a car, using local public transport or riding their bikes instead.
www.freiburg.de/vauban
Vauban Tram line
“Sun Ship” in the Schlierberg’s solar settlement area
In 1992 the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro endorsed Local Agenda 21. Freiburg is on board and has been implementing the concept sent out from Rio, “thinking global, acting local” - since 1996. The city signed the Aalborg Charter and thus, committed itself to developing its own LocalAgenda 21. Seven working groups elaborated the principle ideas and objectives of a sustainable urban development.
Freiburg‘s Agenda 21
Under the umbrella of Freiburg’s Local Agenda 21, dozens of projects and initiative groups worked on the application of the global sustainability concept to local practice. For example, the “One World Forum” organised Freiburg’s One World Days together with the city, and markets fair-trade coffee from Nicaragua. With projects such as “Deluge 21”, “Future Lifestyles”, and the “Blue Treasure Chest” Freiburg’s Eco-Station draws attention to our global responsibility.
The Saturday Forum of ecotrinova e.V. and the university organises well-attended lectures and excursions on climate protection and sustainable development. Todate, 21 of Freiburg’s Agenda 21 projects were sup-ported with a total of 200,000 Euro of state funds.
Aalborg Commitments
In 2004, the Aalborg Commitments were adopted at the Aalborg Plus 10 follow-up conference. Freiburg signed the Charter in 2006 and committed itself and its citizens to:• develop models to reduce energy consumption and
increase the proportion of renewable energy resources,
• realise climate protection in the fields of energy, mobility, purchasing, waste management, agriculture and forestry;
• give aspects of sustainability more consideration in urban development planning, and
• promote public awareness on the reasons for and consequences of climate change.
The co-operation between citizens, Agenda 21 groups and the municipal administration received new impulses through the formation of Freiburg’s Sustainability Council and new organisational foundations. This Coun-cil is aimed at bundling innovation potentials, bringing together opinion-leaders and disseminators of sustain-able concepts and advising the municipal council and administration on how to implement the Aalborg Commitments.
GREENCITY20
CITIZEN
COMMITMENT
Thinking global, acting local —
Freiburg participates
www.agenda21-buero-freiburg.de
Joint action: “Freiburg makes a difference”
“One-World Days” at Seepark
21 GREENCITY
Seeing, Listening, Knowing – Environmental Educationin Freiburg
“You see only what you know, and you protect only what you are familiar with.” This motto of Freiburg’s Nature Adventure Trail still holds true: environment and nature protection must be experienced in the shape of concrete objects and offer a tangible and understan-dable experience if it is to be successful. Environmentaleducation commences in kindergarten and elementary school.
School Commitment
Numerous initiative groups, projects and smart ideas, such as the Benefit Run in aid of the extension of the school’s own solar generation plant demonstrate how dedicated Freiburg’s schools are when it comes to protecting the climate. The city supports many of these waste prevention or water and energy saving projects with money and equipment.
Opportunities of Extracurricular Learning
There is a host of extracurricular environmental education opportunities under city guidance. For example, the Forestry Office maintains Nature Adventure and Instructional Forest Trails, offers guided tours and project days for school classes, or supports privately-organised Forest Kindergartens offering playful access to the forest as an ecosystem by providing locations and forest-educational knowledge.
From 2008 on, WaldHaus Freiburg will initiate a new competence centre, with subjects relating to the forest and to sustainability. WaldHaus is aimed at contributing to bundling and professionalising offers in the field of forest and environmental education and promoting the exchange in the subject spectrum forest and sustaina-bility beyond the boundaries of states and specialising disciplines.
Since its establishment in 1986, Freiburg’s Eco-
Station, the environmental centre of the Environment& Nature Conservation League (BUND) in Seepark, has been covering the entire spectrum of environmental topics, from solar energy to ecological building, with seminars, guided tours and events.
Stadtgut Mundenhof is a deer enclosure, eco-business and nature educational centre all in one. In the KonTiKiproject children and school classes learn how to handle pets from all over the world and thus, playfully expe-rience interesting aspects of keeping animals in a way that is appropriate to the species, as well as of nature and environmental conservation.
Freiburg’s planetarium not only looks out to remote galaxies, but also sets its focus on planet Earth and her biosphere, with subjects such as the hydrological cycle, the greenhouse effect, or the significance of the sun in the supply of power.
ScienceNet Region Freiburg
Since July 2007, teachers, school students and other interested parties can use this internet portal to get an overview of more than 260 curricular and extracurricular environmentaleducation offers from 60 providers.
www.oekostation.de
www.freiburg.de/mundenhof
www.freiburg.de/planetarium
www.sciencenet-region-freiburg.de
School classes visiting the Eco-Station
Freiburg, the
GREEN CITY
Photovoltaic module manufacturing at the Solar Factory
GREENCITY22
Sustainability, future viability and quality of life are the driving forces of a long-term business location policy that have set Freiburg on the road to qualitative growth. For the “Green City”, sustainability is not only an issue of ambitious environmental and climate protection concepts, but also the mainspring for the development of the economy, education, and science.
The targeted promotion of a sustainable environment and solar and biotechnology has given Freiburg decisive advantages in international competition and contributed much to its attractiveness and quality of life. Citizens not only appreciate Freiburg’s attitude towards life, its savoir vivre and culture - it also attracts numerous students, creative minds and investors from all over the world. This ensures a continual growth of the population and creates the basis for the knowledge-based, socially balanced and economically successful development of the city.
Today, Freiburg ranks foremost nation-wide when it comes to increases in employment figures, population, economic growth, or the number of overnight accomo-dations, which, for the first time, surpassed one million in 2007. The above-average employment rate not only in the areas of environmental economics, environmental education and environmental research, but also the growing interest from the rest of Germany and abroad, reflect the immense significance and the high appreciati-on of sustainable urban development, which in Freiburg actually a living experience.
Freiburg’s approach to sustainability is efficient, innova-tive, economically successful, ecologically exemplary, and socially balanced. Sustainability and economic dynamics, scientific excellence, a high quality of life and the serene art of living serve a common goal. As an ideal “Green City”, Freiburg has developed into a successful role model for Germany and Europe.
Sustainability, Future Viability, and the Quality of Life
Driving Forces of Qualitative Growth
Science Days for children Rappenecker Hof – powered by solar energy since 1987
College Building I at Freiburg’s University
Imprint
Published by:Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG
Co-ordination:Dr. Bernd Dallmann
Text and Editorial:Franziska Breyer, Dr. Martin Halter, Nicole Horstkötter, Dr. Michael Richter, Petra Zinthäfner
Contributions:Agenda 21 Bureau, Freiburg, Department II, Public Waste Disposal Management Office, Public Municipal Water Treatment Works, The Forestry Office, FWTM,Gardening and Civil Engineering Office, Planetarium, Project Groups of Rieselfeld and Vauban, City Depart-ment of Urban Development and Construction, UrbanPlanning Office, Environmental Protection Office
Photography:Dr. Rüdiger Buhl, Concentrix Solar GmbH, Michael Eckmann, Support Association Science und Tech-nology e.V., Fraunhofer Institute for Solar EnergySystems, Freiburg Futour, FWTM (Foto Karl-Heinz Raach), Regional Integrated Public Transport System, Freiburg, Solar Factory AG, Solar Info Center GmbH, Solar Promotion GmbH, Solarsiedlung GmbH (Pho-tography: Georg Nemec), triolog GbR, Albert Josef Schmidt, City of Freiburg
Translation:Dr. Bernard Oelkers, Science Translations;Ciara Leonard and Maryke van Staden, ICLEI – LocalGovernments for Sustainability, European Secretariat
Graphics & Design:Berres-Stenzel, Freelance Graphic Artists and Designers, Freiburg, www.berres-stenzel.de
Print:Wuhrmann Druck & Service GmbH, Freiburg
Printed on paper containing 50% recycled and 50% FSC-fibers (SGS-COC-2174)
23 GREENCITY
Freiburg
GERMANY
FRANCE
UK
CH
ITALY
SPAIN
Freiburg in the heart of Europe
FWTM Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik
und Messe GmbH & Co. KG
Rathausgasse 33D-79098 Freiburg
Contact:Nicole Horstkötter [email protected]
Marcella [email protected]
Phone: +49 (0) 761/3881 842Fax: +49 (0) 761/370 03
www.fwtm.freiburg.de
City of Freiburg im Breisgau
Sustainability Office
Rathausplatz 2-4D-79098 Freiburg
Contact:Petra [email protected]
Phone: +49 (0) 761/201 10 25Fax: +49 (0) 761/201 10 98
www.freiburg.de/greencitywww.freiburg.dewww.solarregion.freiburg.de 10
/200
8
