Case Study Freiburg

City of Freiburg
Germany’s Green Capital

City of Freiburg
Location
City of Freiburg
History
u Founded in 1120
u Strategically located at a junction of trade routes
u Heavily bombed during WW2
u Reconstruction based on the city’s medieval plan
u Density
u Walkability
u Connectivity
u Accessibility
City of Freiburg
History
City of Freiburg
Today
u Population of 230.000, 60 square miles (40% is forest area)

u One of the oldest universities in Germany (est. 1457)
u No heavy industry
u Hub of regional tourism, academia, and research
City of Freiburg
Thomas Dresel – Freiburg’s Environmental Protection Agency
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK713EYYdLo
Freiburg’s Green Roots
u With its large academic community, Freiburg was an

Rolf Disch
early stronghold of the Green Movement in Germany
Architect
during the 1970s
u Successful protest against a nearby nuclear power
plant in 1975
u Leaders joined the political arena, the administration,
found a job in educational or research activities, or
founded green-spirited companies
u In the last few decades, Freiburg has been pushing
Dieter Salomon
the eco-theme rather successfully
Mayor 2002 - 2018 Protest march against nuclear power plant Wyhl (August 1974)
Transportation
Global Transport Concept
u ‘Global Transport Concept’ was approved in 1969 as an integral part of the

development of the city
u Traffic management and cycle path network plan that is updated every 10 years
u Reduce traffic in the city and give priority to local transport, bicyclists, and
pedestrians
u Create a rational balance between all modes of transport
u Create global traffic calming and concentrate private vehicles onto well constructed
main arteries
u Control parking in public spaces
Transportation
Global Transport Concept
Today
u Bicycle path network since 1969
u In 1972, the decision was made to retain
and expand the Light Rail network
u In 1973 , the city center was converted to
a pedestrian zone
u Public transit network has been steadily
expanded and modernized
Downtown Freiburg - 1970 Downtown Freiburg - Today

Transportation
Bicycle
u 300 miles of bike paths and bike

friendly streets
u Over 8000 bike parking spaces
u Cycling is promoted with free maps and
other information
Transportation
Bicycle
u Major multistory parking facility
u Adjacent to the main train station
u Excess to all modes of transportation
u Green rooftop and powered partially by

photovoltaic panels
Transportation
Public Transit
u Light Rail Network comprises 30 km

u Backbone of public transport in the city
u 70% of the population lives within 500 meters of a tram stop
u Light Rail every 7.5 minutes during rush hours
Transportation
Public Transit
u Renewable energy is utilized to power the

Light Rail (80% hydro/ 20% solar & wind)
u Connected to the 168 km of city bus routes

as well as to the regional railway system
u Regional train service every 30 min.
u Public transit is convenient, fast reliable,

and comfortable
Transportation
Other Policies
u Another policy is traffic calming

u City center is pedestrian zone
u Speed limit of 19 miles per hour
for most streets
u In some streets, cars can travel
no faster than walking
u Residents can apply for changing
the status of their street
Transportation
Other Policies
u Car sharing is also supported by the city
u Controlling parking another key feature
u No free, uncontrolled parking in the city

center
u Parking is on a sliding scale of charges and

regulations from the city outwards
u Encourage commuters to use public transit

Transportation
Results and Impacts
u Nearly 90 % of the 30,000 university

students take public transportation or bike
u From 1967 to 1997, the percentage of
people using cars on a regular basis fell
from 63% to 40%
u 4,000 fewer cars enter the city center each
day
u 70% of local journeys are made using the
Light Rail
u GHG emissions declined by 13.8% between
1992 and 2007
Energy
u Progressive energy policy

u Model of sustainable energy development
in Germany
u Three events strengthened the
determination to find alternatives to
nuclear and fossil fuel
u Energy policy has three basic pillars:
u energy saving
u efficient technologies
u renewable energy sources
Energy Policy
Energy Saving
u Since 1992: strict building design standards for new houses

u No more than 65 kilowatt-hours of heating energy per square
meter per year
u Adds about 3% to the cost of the house
u Reduced heating oil consumption from 12-15 liters to 6.5 liters per
square meter
Energy Policy
Energy Saving
u Support program to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings

u Insulation and energy retrofits
u City provided 1.2 million Euros subsidies from 2002-2008
u 14 million Euros of investment
u 38% energy reduction per building
Energy Policy
Efficient Technologies
u Freiburg relies heavily on combined heat and power plants

(CHP)
u Produce both electricity and heat by capturing the waste
heat from electricity production
u 50% of Freiburg’s electricity produced with CHP
u Only 3% in 1993
u 14 large-scale CHP plants and about 90 small-scale CHP
plants
Energy Policy
Efficient Technologies
u 2 large-scale plants near

landfills using landfill gas
as fuel
u Others use natural gas,
biogas, geothermal, wood
chips, and/or heating oil
u Reduced reliance on
nuclear power from 60%
to 30%
Energy Policy
Renewable Energy Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3N1Lzbv22I
Energy Policy
Renewable Energy Sources - Solar
u Most sunny days in Germany

u Over 1,800 hours each year
u 400 PV installation on both public and private buildings
u Solar is heavily visible in Freiburg
Energy Policy
Energy Policy
u Today, 150,000 square meters

of PV cells
u Produces over 10 million
kwh/year
u 60 ‘plus energy’ homes create
more energy than they
consume
u 6000 Euros per year for their
residents
Energy Policy
Renewable Energy Sources - Wind
u Freiburg is not ideally suited for wind energy

u Five windmills are within the city’s
boundaries
u 14 million kwh/year
u Regional legislation has made it difficult for
private development of wind power
u No projects are planned at the moment
Energy Policy
Renewable Energy Sources - Hydropower
u Only small, eco-friendly facilities are on the

river and on smaller canals and streams
u Generate about 1.9 million kwh/year
u Additional hydropower is also imported
u Slightly more expensive for the consumer
u Extra costs go to funds supporting the
development of more renewable energy
Sustainable Neighborhood Development
Vauban Rieselfeld
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XeMHuO_6-0&list=PL39CF94B977E1C5D1
Parks and Green Zones
u Germany’s largest communal

forest (12350 acres)
u Covering over 40% of the
municipal territory
u 44% are used as an
environmentally appropriate
economic forest
u 56% are conservation areas
u Besides providing wood and jobs in the forestry and woodworking

sector, the forest has a wide variety of beneficial functions
u cleans the air and moderates temperatures
u protects the soil and stores water
u is a natural and free recreational resource
u provides habitat for wildlife
u gives food from deer, wild pigs, and goats
u Over 1500 acres of parks and 160

playgrounds
u Provide greenery, recreation, and
biodiversity
u No pesticides and only indigenous
trees and shrubs are planted
u 44,000 trees were planted in parks
and along streets
Green Economy
u Environmental companies, research,

and education play a big role in
Freiburg
u Nearly 10,000 people employed by
1,500 companies
u Contributes 500 million Euros annually
to the economy
Green Economy
u Renewable energy production is encouraged

with tax credits from the federal government
u Grassroots financing schemes allow citizens to
invest directly in renewable energy sources
u Citizens invested over 6 million Euros in
renewable energy projects
u Positive image attracting eco-tourism
Eco City Freiburg
u Factors for success

u Long-term and strategic approach to urban planning
u Advancing of environmentally friendly businesses
u Strong public participation and support for sustainable policies
u Proactive city government
u 5 big Cs as preconditions for successful sustainable policy

implementation and urban development
u Cost
u Comfort
u Control
u Consensus
u Cooperation
Questions?

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City of Freiburg

Germany’s Green Capital

u Population of 230.000, 60 square miles (40% is forest area)

u With its large academic community, Freiburg was an

u ‘Global Transport Concept’ was approved in 1969 as an integral part of the

Downtown Freiburg - 1970 Downtown Freiburg - Today

u 300 miles of bike paths and bike

u Major multistory parking facility

u Adjacent to the main train station

u Excess to all modes of transportation

u Green rooftop and powered partially by

u Light Rail Network comprises 30 km

u Renewable energy is utilized to power the

u Connected to the 168 km of city bus routes

u Regional train service every 30 min.

u Public transit is convenient, fast reliable,

u Another policy is traffic calming

u Car sharing is also supported by the city

u Controlling parking another key feature

u No free, uncontrolled parking in the city

u Parking is on a sliding scale of charges and

u Encourage commuters to use public transit

u Nearly 90 % of the 30,000 university

u Progressive energy policy

u Since 1992: strict building design standards for new houses

u Support program to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings

u Freiburg relies heavily on combined heat and power plants

u 2 large-scale plants near

u Most sunny days in Germany

u Today, 150,000 square meters

u Freiburg is not ideally suited for wind energy

u Only small, eco-friendly facilities are on the

u Germany’s largest communal

u Besides providing wood and jobs in the forestry and woodworking

u Over 1500 acres of parks and 160

u Environmental companies, research,

u Renewable energy production is encouraged

u Factors for success

u 5 big Cs as preconditions for successful sustainable policy

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