EDG STUDY TOUR: Freiburg 10 May 13 May 2011

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1 EDG STUDY TOUR: Freiburg 10 May 13 May 2011 Why go to Freiburg? Freiburg, with its new green settlements/eco-suburbs of Vauban and Rieselfeld, has been leading the way in Europe through building new communities that are truly sustainable and showcasing how to involve communities in the process. Vauban is styled as Europe s Solar Capital, while Rieselfeld was promoted as a space for big ideas. The region is recognised for its unique solar technology cluster - and for the pioneers who have been advancing the solar cause with great dedication for many years. Both places have impressed visitors with their scale, quality and relevance to urban extensions in European towns and cities. Inhabitants: 214,716 (2005). A University City with a pedestrian centre 30,000 students. Green City - 6,420 hectares of forests, 586km of forest trails, 408 hectares parks, green areas and playgrounds & over 700 hectares of Vineyards. GDP per capita ( ) 22,393 Euros. Floor area of new homes - Germany 187 sq metres compared with 86 sq metres in the UK. Freiburg generates nearly as much solar power as the whole of Britain. June 1992, a resolution was adopted allowing only low-energy buildings to be constructed. New Homes must waste less than 65kWh of energy a year /m2. The rest of Germany is catching up as there is a new law which states new built houses must waste no more than 75kWh/m2 per year (roughly ¼ of energy lost from a typical Victorian house in Britain). Average German homes use 220 kwh/m2. Vauban District Residents were closely engaged in the development process at every level and continue to be involved in running the district. Baugruppen Building Group worked with architects on housing design. Vauban took over the old French barracks and started by reusing the old barracks buildings, with planning underway in Location of first passive-house as a multi-family residence in Car-free district / very good treatment of public space. The municipality is committed to zero carbon development on land it owns. Vauban covers some 38 hectares/two thousand hectares, and houses 5,000 people, and provides work for six hundred (2007). Rieselfeld District Successful in developing a former sewage works next to the poorest housing in the city (and industrial estates) into a highly desirable location. Covers some 70 hectares, with a planned population of , plus a further 200 hectares given over to a nature reservation. The population is growing and demand is very strong. Rieselfeld started in 1992 with a competition to draw up a masterplan. Building of the first units started in 1996, over twelve years ago. 1

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3 Outline Itinerary (subject to change) Tuesday 10 May 2011: London to Freiburg Group meets to travel to Freiburg (details TBC) Check in to hotel in Freiburg Best Western Premier Hotel Victoria Eisenbahnstrasse 54, Freiburg, 79098, Germany Phone: +49 (0) Fax: +49 (0) This is considered to be one of the most ecological hotels in the world, with solar collectors, solar modules, and four small wind power installations in the roof garden. The hotel also has energy and water saving measures, a heating plant fuelled by wood pellets, a ground water cooling system and an excellent breakfast buffet of local food! Introduction to sustainable development in Freiburg, Mr Schwander (Director of the Freiburg Innovation Academy) Freiburg is renowned for its ecological and environmental achievements, and is a model for sustainable development. This presentation will teach delegates about the use of renewable energy, the sustainable mobility concept and citizen participation in town planning. Coffee break Historical and new development of the old town The historical town centre of Freiburg was largely destroyed in World War II. Due to the complex reconstruction and the establishment of the pedestrian zone, the heart of Freiburg is now an attractive and vibrant centre. Current projects, such as a new tramway line and the enlargement of the pedestrian zone, have set the course for the continuing sustainable development in the town. Oberlinden: visit of the medieval city centre Konviktstraße: refurbishment of the old town 3

4 during the 1970s Organisation and enlargement of the pedestrian area Tram network in Freiburg since 1901 Parking management Dinner at a restaurant in central Freiburg Wednesday 11 May 2011: Freiburg Rieselfeld: from sewage field to model district, walking tour Rieselfeld literally means sewage farm. This is how the area commenced in 1891 when the land was bought by city leaders from the University of Freiburg. Today s innovative new settlement started life as a city led urban planning competition, entitled "Urban Development Competition Rieselfeld". The site currently has over 10,000 residents, and is 78ha in area. The district of Rieselfeld is a very good example of sustainable development and includes the following features: Tramways since the creation of the district Low-energy housing Citizen involvement Traffic and energy conception Social work Culture (KIOSK) Playgrounds Nature conservancy area Sewage treatment Open water surface management Ecumenical church Integrated development of a district of the 1960s Built as a typical housing estate in the 1960s, Weingarten is inhabited by approximately 11,000 people from over 70 countries. Today the portion of socially underprivileged people is exceptionally high and the district has a bad reputation as being a deprived area in Freiburg. In saying that, there have been many positive attempts to improve 4

5 the situation in the district and engaged inhabitants have been working side by side with professional social workers and developing neighbourhood projects to improve the area. You can find out more about this through talking to the local inhabitants and social workers on the day. The architectural and energy efficient transformation of old buildings in the district is also of high interest. The passive house modernisation of skyscrapers from the 1970s that has occurred is viewed as a unique case study worldwide. With a guided tour through the district you can discover more about various interesting modernisation projects and social concepts that have been undertaken. Coffee and tea in the neighbourhood meeting room of the district Conversation with inhabitants / social workers. Bus transfer to a Black Forest municipality Lunch break A community with a civil commitment to bioenergy The Black Forest village, with about 2,500 inhabitants, produces more than 100% of its electricity demand and over 50% of its heating demand from renewable energy sources such as the solar, wind, hydropower and biomass. To create the necessary economic structure, a not for profit cooperative was founded on the premise of "Citizens for Citizens", in order to offer all citizens a long term reliable base of energy which is produced in an environmentally friendly and CO2-neutral way. Meeting with the Mayor and one of the initiators of the project depending on availability. Bio wine tasting with original Flammkuchen Dinner at a restaurant in central Freiburg 5

6 Thursday 12 May 2011: Freiburg Collective buildings Collective construction (or co-housing) offers a useful alternative to the traditional single-family house or apartment. New intelligent approaches to urban planning and changing social attitudes have been encouraging for these projects. Over 200 of these building projects have been completed across Freiburg. Coffee break between the lectures Lecture by an architect with experience in collective building projects and a planner from the municipality. Vauban Tour: the Model District Part 1 Lunch in Vauban The model district Vauban Part 2 One of two sustainable model districts on the outskirts of Freiburg, the area originally started life as a French Army barracks until 1992 when it became disused and a group of squatters moved in. However, shortly after that the land was reclaimed and was used to form the basis of Freiburg City Council s sustainable development policy. Since then, the eco-friendly district has grown and there are currently approximately 5,000 residents in the area. It is now an internationally renowned example of a sustainable new settlement and community. Delegates will learn about how the district has become an internationally celebrated example of sustainable residential development through looking at their mobility concept, renewable energy sources, green corridors, evidence of citizen participation, construction of passive and low energy houses, and learning about their building groups. In 2010, the Vauban city district was presented at the EXPO in Shanghai as an example for sustainable city planning. 6

7 New social housing cooperative Founded in 1997, these young housing cooperatives offer space for 200 inhabitants of all generations living in mostly barrier-free buildings. Aspects of ecological construction have been integrated into the design and social interaction has been promoted in the project. Meeting with an inhabitant of Vauban, who also manages a cooperative shop in the district depending on availability. An intergenerational housing project This building was constructed according to the 40 kwh/sqm standard of primary energy consumption, and was built with ecological building materials. The project interestingly combines co-ownership, council housing, a special area for people with Alzheimer s disease, as well as tertiary premises. Meeting with an inhabitant and a project initiator - explanation about the project. The solar housing estate: Visit to the Sonnenschiff Discover the world s first ever service centre with highly efficient energy-saving construction created by solar architect: Rolf Disch. It houses two supermarkets, a bakery, numerous offices and the renowned Eco Institute. State of the art technologies have been installed such as; triple glass panes, vacuum panels, systems for heat recovery and phase change material (PCM). Energie Plus houses The future belongs to low, passive, and Plus- Energy Houses. Over time, they promise to save energy and reduce the burden of rising fossil fuel energy prices on the inhabitants. Living in a Plus- Energy house, with a solar power installation on the roof that feeds energy into the public electricity network (and thus brings in additional money), has been deemed a good way to plan for the future. Dinner at a restaurant in central Freiburg 7

8 Friday 13 May 2011: Freiburg to London The Freiburg transport concept Inaugurated in 1999, new Freiburg Central Station is the central traffic hub of the city. The tramway bridge crossing the station allows for easy transfers from rail to urban public transport. The solar facade of the station s high-rise buildings also symbolises Freiburg's claim as a Solar City. This bike station and mobility center opened at the Freiburg main station in 1999, as a center and hub for sustainable mobility. The bike area on the lower floor has space for 1001 bikes, with a hire/repair shop on the upper floor. On the upper floor there are also car-sharing facilities, and a travel agent which offers environmentally friendly travel. Development and modernisation of a 19th century district The district to the west of the Freiburg central station is known as the first redevelopment area of Freiburg. The former working-class area was initially a mixture of industrial companies and residential buildings. Over the last few decades there has been substantial development in the area. Today the district offers exemplary projects such as: the multifunctional conversion of a former brewery area, student flats on the site of former gas tanks, construction community projects and listed buildings located beside contemporary architecture. The transformation of public spaces and streets within the context of a neighbourhood improvement has been very important to the area. The Freiburg-markets and centres 8

9 concept supports the creation of vibrant community centres through facilitating the notion of a life without a car. Coffee break Modernisation of a social housing neighbourhood This modernisation project of buildings from the 1960 s was planned by the Freiburg house building enterprise. The aim of the project was to house young families in two new buildings and to lower the energy consumption to 60 kwh / m². The wood pellet system provides the 292 households with heat and hot water. Green roofs and reduction of surface sealing all contribute to the creation of a sustainable water management system. Travel back to London (details TBC) 9