Karlsruhe Neighbourhood Association - Urban development versus climate comfort
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The Karlsruhe Neighbourhood Association is made up of four towns and seven boroughs and covers the majority of the core area of the Karlsruhe urban region. The association's area is home to around 460,000 people. The region is one of the areas with the most stable populations in Germany and, according to current forecasts, should see a population increase of 2-5% by 2025.
The Karlsruhe area is one of the warmest regions in Germany. Thanks to its topographical location in the Upper Rhine Trough, it generally experiences high temperatures and particularly frequent and sustained hot periods, which make overheating of the urban area a key problem. Considering its high population density, the region is therefore one of the conurbations in Germany most severely affected by climate.
On the other hand, increasing settlement pressure on town centre land can be identified in the Neighbourhood Association, particularly as land preservation and urban development are central areas of activity in sustainable urban development against a backdrop of climate protection.
Objectives: The Karlsruhe Neighbourhood Association ran a model project to study the conflict of objectives between redensification in town centres and current and future heat stress in individual districts. The key objective was to create a "future proof" urban planning method that makes sense from a climate and ecological perspective and takes account of climate change issues.
To achieve this, the spatial structure was analysed along with the climatic and ecological burden, taking account of global climate change issues. The aim was to prevent climate changes caused by redensification from creating additional areas with climatic problems and/or an intensification of the problems experienced in the existing districts.
The main project objectives were:
Based on a comprehensive climate analysis, the model project was implemented using a three-stage modular process. Initially, regional climate models for different time periods were aggregated and combined to create a climate function map. Based on this, and taking account of current impacts, local areas of activity were identified. In a subsequent iterative process, areas were selected for more detailed analysis, to develop targeted green and urban planning measures specifically for the districts in that area. Finally, the results were evaluated, in order to draw up strategic recommendations for town and municipal planning.
Karlsruhe
Modelling of the basic meteorological data for climate change using the "ENVELOPE" package method for different time periods (2000-2009, 2046-2055, 2090-2099). Based on the information from regional climate models (CLM model, scenario A1B), the FITNAH-3D model was used to model detailed local temperature, humidity and flow fields.
wind
Overheating of urban area during hot periods.
Targeted green and urban planning measures were developed for specific districts, in order to prevent or at least minimise the negative effects of "overheating" (urban heat problem) due to climate change. This should prevent the combination of climate trends and redensification from creating additional areas with climate problems and/or intensifying existing problems in districts currently experiencing excessive heat burdens (heat islands, hot spots).
Objectives: The objective was to create a "future proof" urban planning method that makes sense from a climate and ecological perspective and takes account of climate change issues.
The conflicts between the objectives of redensification in town centres and current and future heat stress in individual districts were analysed.
Ministry of Transport, Construction and Urban Development (BMVBS) and Federal Institute of Construction, Urban and Spatial Research (BBSR): KlimaExWoSt - StadtKlima
research assistance: GEO-NET Environmental Consulting, Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, University of Hannover, Institute for Design of City and Landscape, University of Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Eleven municipalities (cities: Karlsruhe, Ettlingen, Rheinstetten and Stutensee; communities: Linkenheim Hochstetten, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen Weingarten, Pfinztal Marxzell, Waldbronn and Carlsbad)
Nachbarschaftsverband Karlsruhe (NVK)
Planungsstelle
Lammstraße 7
D-76124 Karlsruhe