Integrating the Value of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services into Urban Policy in China and Germany
The Current Development of Bicycle Systems in Chinese Cities
This document is part of ten Keystone Papers looking at current emerging topics in the building and city sector, focusing on energy efficiency and resilience. The Keystone Papers were developed within the framework of the Sino-German Urbanisation Partnership as a basis for its working topics.
Transformative City
Cities are shaped by continuous urbanisation, increasing or shrinking population numbers, as well as other demographic changes. Cities are important economic drivers, and also responsible for a large proportion of ecological impacts and emissions. Physical transformation in urban environments mainly occurs in form of renewal, rehabilitation and upgrading. Germany’s Federal government offers a number of subsidy programmes, with many of them targeting inner city neighbourhoods, the improvement of existing structures, renovation of existing buildings and blocks, as well as the enhancement of green infrastructure and public spaces.
A study under the Sino-German Urbanisation Partnership: Cycling (systems) in Germany and Europe
While motorized transport has been the dominant consignee of transport planning for decades, the understanding of planning and the public interest have changed increasingly in recent years. “Fewer people accept […] that the car has such prominence in the cityscape.” In Europe, the bike is increasingly establishing itself as a climate-friendly means of transport, also on the ways of daily traffic.
CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT IN CITIES
Globally, cities account for about 70 % of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Also in Germany, cities are emitting a large proportion of the country’s carbon footprint, while being especially prone to be affected by the impacts of climate change. In urban environments, increased frequency of extreme weather events, including storms, flooding or heat waves, can have severe physical, economic and social impacts. To create climate resilient cities, therefore, municipalities need to follow a two-legged approach, taking both mitigation and adaptation measures into account.
Urban Renewal in Districts
This document is part of ten Keystone Papers looking at current emerging topics in the building and city sector, focusing on energy efficiency and resilience. The Keystone Papers were developed within the framework of the Sino-German Urbanisation Partnership as a basis for its working topics.
