ZSK

CENTRE OF URBAN ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION

SP1: Mitigation and Urban Green Infrastructure

Underlying Questions and Goals of the Project

Climate change, shortage of natural resources and changing environmental conditions pose an enormous challenge, which needs to be addressed urgently and systematically. In Bavaria, sensitive ecosystems are already being impacted significantly. Cities are especially vulnerable due to their density of built environment and activities, surface sealing and suppressed vegetation. It is therefore important for urban areas to develop integrated strategies for climate protection and adaptation. In order to investigate this issue, the Centre for Urban Ecology and Climate Adaptation (ZSK) was founded in 2013 at the Technical University of Munich.

Project overview

In order to systematically develop integrated strategies for climate protection and climate adaptation, the first subproject (TP1) of the ZSK "Climate Protection and Green Infrastructure in the City" builds on the state of research in the following topics:

• Climate change impacts, vulnerability and resilience
• Climate adaptation through ecosystem services of green infrastructure, including biodiversity
• Climate protection through energy efficiency and renewable energies
• Integrated urban development climate protection and adaptation strategies

Detailed case studies of urban neighbourhoods in three Bavarian cities aim at an interaction of ecosystem services, energy savings at the building and neighbourhood level and renewable energies. The resulting synergies will be researched in close cooperation with the partner cities. The aim is to counteract climate change and improve the resilience of Bavarian cities to climate change.

Products

TP1 extends approaches to integrated urban development concepts and develops guidelines for future development in urban areas and concrete urban development measures. The project intends to generate pioneering projects of integrated planning that can be transferred to other cities in Germany. The project also aims to expand networking with relevant organizations, including the Bayerische Ingenieurkammer-Bau and the Bayerische Architektenkammer, Climate Alliance partners of the Bavarian State Government and local umbrella organizations.

Methods

• Building simulations
• Modelling ecosystem services of green infrastructure
• Scenarios for the adaptation of buildings and open spaces
• Integrated System Modeling
• Socio-economic studies
• Expert interviews
• Workshops and a conference
• City partnerships
• Dissemination

Information on the results and publications of the sub-project can be found here.