2.1.5 Urban sustainability requires management of resources and transport: Freiburg

Question 1

What impacts do cities have on the environment

Answer 1

• Cities put pressure on the environment by using inputs like food, water and shelter and outputs like waste and pollution

Question 2

How could cities become more sustainable?(6p)

Answer 2

• Recycling more waste
• Lower energy consumption
• Improved public transport
• More green space
• Build using recyclable materials
• Better cycling routes

Question 3

Where is Freiburg?

Answer 3

• A city in the south of Germany

Question 4

Why did Freiburg want to adopt a sustainable lifestyle?(3p)

Answer 4

• Freiburg has the youngest population in Germany (10% of the population are between the ages 18-24)
• Freiburg’s old town is cobbled which reduces car traffic
• The city is surrounded by Black Forest

Question 5

Economic planning (3p)

Answer 5

Freiburg’s ‘solar valley’:
- More than 10,000 people are employed in 1500 environmental businesses in the city
- More than 1,000 people are employed in the solar technology industry producing solar cells and the machinery to make them

Question 6

Freiburg social planning (3p)

Answer 6

• In Freiburg, local people are involved in urban planning at both local and city level
• Local people can invest in renewable energy recourses (eg.one district have invested over £5 million in 9 windmills, 8 solar energy system, a hydroelectric plant and an energy conservation scheme at the local school

Question 7

Waste recycling (environmental planning)(5p)

Answer 7

• More than 1 million corks recycled each year
• More than 80% of packaging waste recycled
• Reduced annual waste disposal from 140,000 tonnes to 50,000 tonnes in 12 years
• 350 community collection points for recycling
• 90kg per head of non-recyclable waste (Germany’s average is 122kg)

Question 8

Water conservation (6p)

Answer 8

• Freiburg’s waste water system allows rainwater to be retained, reused ir seep back into the ground
  The Vauban district:
• greenroofs
• drainage wetlands
• unpaved tramways
• collecting water to use indoors

Question 9

Energy conservation

Answer 9

• Freiburg is one of the sunniest cities in Germany and has 400 solar panels
• Freiburg produces 10 million KW of electricity per year from solar energy
• The largest amount of Freiburg’s renewable energy comes from biomass using waste water and rapeseed oil

Question 10

Creating green spaces (6p)

Answer 10

• The largest amount of Freiburg’s renewable energy comes from biomass using waste water and rapeseed oil
• 40% of the city is forested
• 44,000 trees have been planted in parks and streets
• 56% of forests are nature conservation areas
• In the Riselfeld District, only 78 hectares are built on, leaving 250 hectares of open spaces

Question 11

Why is there a need to reduce traffic congestion? (2p)

Answer 11

• Can lead to air pollution
• Can have negative economic affects of increased journey times, higher fuel consumption and greater risk of accidents

Question 12

How urban transport strategies are used to
reduce traffic congestion (5p)

Answer 12

• Compared with other German cities, Freiburg has a lower car density with less than 500 cars per 100 residents
• There are 400km of cycle paths with 9,000 parking spaces for bikes
• As a result of Freiburg’s transport plan, tram journeys have increased by over 25,000 in one year whilst car journeys reduced by nearly 30,000
• 70% of the population live within 500m of a tram stop
• The tram network covers 30km and is connected to the 168km of city bus routes