Lessons from Freiburg

 

June 2006

Andrew Mellor for Planning

In the 1970’s, local opposition to a planning proposal close to the German city of Freiburg started a chain of events that changed the face and the fortunes of this Black Forest city for ever. The proposal, to build a nuclear power plant 30km away, galvanised the population into widespread protest and civil disobedience. In 1975 the plans were defeated.

The story might have ended there but the combination of raised environmental awareness and a large hole in the region’s future energy plans started a process that’s driven Freiburg’s status as an ecological exemplar and popular tourist destination for the environmentally-minded ever since.

After the nuclear power plant proposal was defeated, newly politicised residents started to campaign for environmental solutions to the city’s energy needs and a wide network of environmental organisations, businesses and research institutes was founded. The council responded by passing a series of increasingly ambitious environmental energy policies (see panel).

It was to learn from the results of these policies that a delegation of PRP architects, urban designers and clients recently visited Freiburg. It was a fascinating trip from the start – our hotel proudly announced in its literature that it was a zero emissions building, heated entirely by a combination of solar energy and a wood pellet-burning boiler. Our rooms even boasted low energy mini-bars!

Freiburg now styles itself as a ‘solar city’ and the impact of the council’s vision is clear to see. Whole neighbourhoods have been planned and built to exacting environmental standards. Public transport is extensive and widely used (a third of residents choose not to own a car and another third of all journeys are conducted by bike). And the amount of energy produced by photovoltaics at the top of Germany’s solar production league. We particularly liked the ‘solar garage’ – powered by solar energy, it is one of several communal car parks which are mostly located underground or on the periphery to ensure that vehicles don’t dominate the landscape.

The city is visually very green too; widespread planting is a feature of buildings and public landscaping. Even the tramlines for the citywide tram network are interplanted with grass – a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) that also reduces tram running noise by 50%. But it is the abundance and the ingenuity of the environmentally-oriented buildings that really stands out.

In the Solarsiedlung (solar community) area of Schlierberg, 58 timber-framed houses have been off-site constructed to formidable thermal standards and imaginative design. East-west aligned, with 400mm insulation exterior walls and a woodchip-fired Combined Heat & Power plant, heating requirements are a tenth of a traditional house. Many of the homes also have photovoltaics and as a result actually produce more energy than they use. Residents are able to sell the surplus energy to the national grid at a profit. An imaginative five-storey mixed office, residential and retail block with multiple passive heating and cooling systems forms part of the development and provides hot water for the houses from its solar vacuum collectors.

One of Freiburg’s most ambitious projects is the new mixed-tenure, sustainable urban district of Vauban. It is home to 5,000 inhabitants who participated closely in the development and planning process. Resident co-building projects, strict environmental housing standards, an ecological transport concept and a socially-oriented policy towards public space characterise this new quarter – the masterplan for which was produced by the city’s planning department.

In fact, the city’s involvement in masterplanning is central to the development of Freiburg as an environmental exemplar. The city owns a lot of the available land and when this is sold (typically to developers, RSLs or self-build co-operatives), it lays down rules about its development using design codes. It often retains the masterplanning role for its own in-house team, who work closely with external architects to ensure the city’s vision is applied. We were particularly encouraged to see how planners and designers worked together, each contributing to the other’s work, rather than the compartmentalisation of roles so often experienced in the UK.

Design of landscape and civic space are also often carried out in-house. This, together with the fact that landscape design is viewed as integral in planning applications rather than a Reserved Matter or part of contingency costings, has resulted in the high standard of landscaping throughout the city. Furthermore, bio-diversity is considered to add value rather than being an add-on – all part of the city’s approach to environmental matters.

Design codes are a strong feature of planning policy, stipulating tough environmental standards but leaving freedom for architectural diversity and flair. This freedom has had a noticeable impact on the range and quality of house design – indeed, we saw the sort of architectural variety and modernity that we’re still only striving for in the UK. Again, consultation with residents on house design very early on was key – even at masterplan stage.

However, it must be said that Freiburg’s population is very different from that of Britain’s. The environmental awareness and politicisation that arose in the 1970’s meant the city became a magnet for those interested in an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. Significantly, 70% of the population votes Green. And a high proportion of the city’s inhabitants are also happy to pay the 5% extra it might cost to build a new home, for the payback in terms of lower energy bills, social and health benefits.

Central to the creation of the Freiburg of today is the energy and vision of the city’s Head Planner, Wulf Daseking. An inspiring leader, he has, over the last twenty years been involved in many of the initiatives that have resulted in Freiburg’s current status as Germany’s ecological capital. Another visionary figure in Freiburg is eco-architect Rolf Disch, who has designed several buildings in the city, including his own futuristic home, The Heliotrop, which revolves to track the path of the sun.

We came back from our trip with a firm belief that there were things the UK could learn from Freiburg. Early consultation with residents and close partnership between planners and architects has kept the community on-side and delivered some very exciting buildings. The city’s approach to design codes has ensured architectural variety with uncompromising environmental standards. And visionary leadership from the city’s planners has delivered remarkable results and a tangible sense of excitement.

Clearly some of the pivotal factors in the ecological development of Freiburg can’t be replicated here. Local authorities in the UK don’t own as much land as in Freiburg, and the city’s history is, of course, unique. But at PRP we are trying to engage with local authorities and developers by holding a series of events, building on what we learned from our trip, and have invited Wulf Daseking over to speak.

Right now, the environment has never been higher on the political agenda. Ken Livingstone has recently announced the creation of an eco-district east of London, which will include 1,000 low or zero energy dwellings. And politicians from all parties are currently trying hard to outdo each other over who is the most environmentally aware. Our experience in Freiburg showed us very clearly the central role that planners can have in creating an environmentally sustainable future. We would be delighted if the readers of Planning agree.