Halle starts new project for water -sensitive urban development!

Halle starts new project for water -sensitive urban development!

In this weather in Halle (Saale) you might think that the city has a feel for rain. Now an exciting project starts that should not only polish up the precipitation, but also the city climate in the Lutherviertel. The initiative "Climate Search in the Lutherviertel" has the participation of well-known partners such as the Stadtwerke Halle Helmholtz facility aims to increase efficiency in precipitation management.

What do you intend to do with this ambitious project? The focus is on the theory that rainwater should not simply be derived into the sewage system. Rather, you strive to keep it in the city in order not only to promote vegetation, but also to improve the microclimate through evaporation. An innovative goal: to reduce the drainage of rainwater by 20-25 %!

modern technology in use

In order to achieve these goals, modern sensors are installed that measure soil moisture, water levels and rainfall in real time via a Lorawan network from EVH GmbH. This creates an ongoing database that is integrated into a comprehensive potential study. This means that the project can be used not only locally, but also as a model for other cities.

But what is behind this water -sensitive urban development? At a time when extreme heavy rain events are increasingly leading to floods and expensive damage, the importance of new approaches is evident. As the IWR GmbH , the effective heavy rain prevention begins with a thorough risk analysis that determines flooding focuses and develops tailor-made protection concepts.

sponge city approach

Experts at the climate adjustment center like Dr. Simone Podschun advocate fundamental changes in urban design. The idea of the "sponge cities" describes cities whose water management relies on natural storage and evaporation processes. Halle could not only make this approach more secure, but also more livable, because a healthy microclimate is good for the cityscape.

The first steps have already been taken, and the pilot project in the Lutherviertel has shown that reducing the drain by up to 50 % and temperature reduction by up to 2 degrees Celsius is possible. This not only creates an immediate advantage for the residents, but also serves as a pioneering example of future urban developments.