Concrete curse or city green? Thuringian municipalities are fighting against sealing!

Concrete curse or city green? Thuringian municipalities are fighting against sealing!

Surface sealing, a pressing issue in cities such as Erfurt, Jena and Weimar, not only has an impact on the cityscape, but also on the climate and the quality of life of the residents. Several Thuringian municipalities are working to counteract the problem through unsealing measures. World reports that there is consensus among cities that there is a need for action. The goals of unsealing are varied and range from retaining water to prevent flooding to recharging groundwater and maintaining the attractiveness of inner cities.

An example of this is Gera, where the redesign of the Steinweg has shown how challenging such projects can be. The city's building department had to take special measures to preserve trees, which increased the costs to around 45,000 euros. In Jena in particular, the idea is that all residents can reach an “urban climate oasis” within five minutes. The redesign of Ernst-Abbe-Platz is estimated to cost around 6.3 million euros and will be realized thanks to 85% funding from the federal government.

Challenges of unsealing measures

Despite the encouraging approaches, the challenges must not be ignored. The municipalities are faced with the difficult task of calculating the costs for the unsealing measures and are therefore demanding improvements to the legal requirements. Simplified funding procedures and adjustments to urban development law are being discussed in order to support private initiatives and construction projects. In Weimar, for example, funds are regularly available to purchase land that is suitable for unsealing.

The first successes have already been achieved in Eisenach: areas were unsealed during a school renovation and a rainwater cistern was installed. In addition, over 300 new trees have been planted since 2021. This shows how well thought-out measures can directly improve the urban climate.

The importance of urban greenery

The “Green in the City” initiative actively supports this development and is committed to creating natural green spaces. Green in the city has clear goals: Reducing surface sealing and promoting parks, roofs and facade greening offer important approaches to improving the quality of life in urban areas.

An important point that is often overlooked is the loss of natural habitats due to sealing. Many of the previously mentioned measures help promote biodiversity in cities and create healthy habitats. After all, such initiatives not only reduce the temperature, but also significantly increase the population's feel-good factor.

Overall, land desealing is a key to adapting to climate change and to the future quality of life in urban areas. Residents are asked to actively participate in these developments and help shape their living environment, because a healthy mix of nature and urban life is not only in the interest of the cities, but also of the citizens themselves.