City combats climate change - Integrated strategies for Essen
![](https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/styles/180w110h/public/medien/tags/portals/kompass_logo_blau_runde_ecke-1_0.png?itok=W0HL1KPI)
With more than 570,000 inhabitants, Essen is the largest city in the Urban Climate model project. Since the 1960s, the Ruhr conurbation has recorded a negative population trend, which forecasts suggest will continue in the coming years.
As a densely populated major city, which is also located in the Ruhrgebiet conurbation, Essen is extremely susceptible to climate effects. There is primarily an increasing risk from extreme events. For example, in the densely built-up areas of the city centre and the surrounding residential areas, urban heat islands form and cause heat stress in the summer.
The city of Essen set up an integrated energy and climate concept (IEKK) back in 2009. It comprises 160 ongoing and planned measures over a period of five years, most of which are aimed at climate protection. As part of the model project, existing activities are to be supported and, in particular, supplemented with exemplary adaptation strategies and measures in various fields of action in urban development.
Objectives: With the slogan "City combats climate change", the objective is to develop an integrated concept for climate adapted urban development measures in the conurbation. This will involve developing innovative strategies to strengthen local authority capability to act and use the planning instruments, and putting in place a broad participation process.
The objectives are:
Four different research workshops are scheduled to pool available knowledge, experience and new research results. Specialist working groups will collate and disseminate existing knowledge, identify foreseeable risks of climate change, and draw up the elements of a programme of measures. The detail of the project came from two different model districts, for which realistic visionary future trends were outlined using scenarios and the resulting adaptation requirements identified.
Essen
The German Meteorological Office (DWD, Senior federal authority in the BMVBS) is providing the required climate data for all Urban Climate projects as a basis for climate effect estimates. A climate analysis for the city of Essen was performed, which represents factors including climatic impact and favourable zones; regional climate models: STAR2, WETTREG, REMO10 and CLM);
Including air temperature, ground temperature
Due to the increase in summer days and tropical nights, bioclimatic and health burdens are set to rise; in addition there will be an increase in extreme weather events, e.g. hot periods and heavy rain.
To assist in developing measures, a work sheet was used to identify water sensitive areas that already represent a potential risk, which could intensity due to climate change, in some cases in conjunction with other conditions, e.g. dense canal networks (areas with a risk of flooding and areas close to groundwater).
Adaptation measures focusing on heat islands: A (rough) scenario was developed for an area close to the city centre as part of the model project, highlighting possible response strategies and options for measures.
Adaptation measures from detailed town planning scenario: Reduction in sealed area, use of permeable materials, greening of south-facing facades, narrow streets, planting with deciduous trees, green roofing, water expanses, green axis, air circulation, photovoltaic plants, near-natural watercourse expansion and renovation including flooding zones, opening watercourse areas and making them usable, continuation of rain water management, replacement and modification of canal network, creation of runoff reduction and retention zones.
Objectives:
Use of demographic change, structural change and modernisation requirements to achieve climate adapted town planning and extension of open spaces.
Ministry of Transport, Construction and Urban Development (BMVBS) and Federal Institute of Construction, Urban and Spatial Research (BBSR): KlimaExWoSt - StadtKlima
local research assistance: University Duisburg-Essen with the Urban Planning Institute (lead) and the Department of Applied Climatology and Landscape Ecology
Essen supply and transport company, Emschergenossenschaft, Ruhrverband, Ruhr Regional Association, Stadtwerke Essen and German Weather Service and municipal offices, specialized offices and subsidiaries
Stadt Essen
Umweltamt
Rathaus Porscheplatz 1
D-45121 Essen