UBA: Aktive Mobilität & Freiraum – 10 Beispiele für Planung

The Umweltbundesamt brochure 'Aktive Mobilität und Freiraum zusammen gedacht' integrates active mobility—walking and cycling—with landscape space preservation, presenting ten practical examples from German cities and rural areas. Published to guide planners, it details processes for enhancing pedestrian and bike infrastructure while protecting green corridors, floodplains, and recreational areas. Key principles include 'traffic calming through greening,' using trees and hedges to slow vehicles naturally, and 'green networks' linking urban parks to outskirts via cycle paths along rivers. Case studies span Hamburg's retrofitted streets prioritizing bikes/pedestrians with rain gardens for stormwater, Munich's modal shift via protected lanes increasing cycling 40%, and rural Lower Saxony's shared paths in nature reserves minimizing habitat fragmentation. Planning steps outlined: stakeholder involvement from outset, GIS mapping of green-blue infrastructure, participatory design workshops, and monitoring via usage counters. Benefits quantified: active travel cuts CO2 by 0.5-1 kg/km versus cars, boosts public health reducing obesity costs €10B/year in Germany, and preserves 30% more green space through compact designs. Challenges addressed include retrofitting car-centric suburbs, funding via KfW programs, and balancing recreation with wildlife corridors using wildlife passes. The brochure advocates '15-minute cities' where daily needs are reachable on foot/bike, supported by e-bike subsidies. Examples detail conflict resolution, like Vienna's Danube Island paths separating commuters from leisure users. Metrics show 20-50% mode share gains post-intervention, with economic returns via tourism and property values rising 5-10%. Policy integration with LEH (Landscape Development Plans) ensures ecological connectivity. For smaller municipalities, scalable solutions like pocket parks and tactical urbanism—pop-up bike lanes—are recommended. The document emphasizes co-benefits: noise reduction, air purification via urban forests absorbing 15 kg PM10/ha/year, and social equity by improving access for low-income groups. Future-oriented, it incorporates climate adaptation like heat-resilient shading and flood-safe elevated paths. Via stadtundgruen.de, it disseminates Umweltbundesamt's expertise, urging holistic planning where mobility serves ecology. Implementation toolkits include checklists, best-practice templates, and funding overviews. This resource equips municipalities to meet 2045 climate neutrality targets, fostering livable, resilient spaces.