Hannover: Kronsberg, a new sustainable development as part of EXPO 2000

Abstract:

On the Kronsberg hill, adjacent to the EXPO 2000 site in south-east Hannover, is the Kronsberg demonstration of a new "sustainable district." More than 2,500 dwellings have been completed as part of this model project of the EXPO 2000, and eventually about 6,000 housing units are to be constructed for 15,000 people, making up five relatively compact neighborhoods on 140 hectares. The following aspects are found to be of significance:

• Demonstration of a broad range of social and ecological urban development concepts;
• co-operative project development and integrated planning process;
• Innovative communications structure accompanying the development process;
• Education and training programs related to sustainable development;
• Participatory planning process involving residents and others.

Concept and aims

Kronsberg is a showcase for a range of exemplary initiatives concerning sustainable urban development, and is planned as a completely new city district with the objective of giving physical expression to the EXPO 2000 themes (Humankind-Nature-Technology). The design of Kronsberg is characterized by its urban, structured grid with boulevards, parks, squares and courtyards that define the neighborhoods.

The Kronsberg Environmental Liaison Agency (Kronsberg-Kommunikations-Agentur GmbH / KUKA), commissioned with coordinating public information and participation efforts related to Kronsberg, outlines the range of projects in the following diagram.

Kronsberg Urban Development and Landscape Concept for Sustainable Community Development

The various Kronsberg projects are further described by the City of Hannover as "local actions in a global context," and as manifestations of a commitment to a Local Agenda 21 as ratified by the City Council. Kronsberg projects are related to the following categories:

• Ecological Optimisation at Kronsberg;
• Kronsberg Landscape;
• City as Social Habitat.

Ecological Optimisation at Kronsberg

Ecological-optimisation at Kronsberg is understood to mean an application of state-of-the-art sustainable building technologies, such as those mentioned in the previous diagram. Along with this, Hannover set a goal of a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions for Kronsberg as compared to current standard construction practices, to be reached through conservation measures for heating, hot water and electricity use. Kronsberg standards call for heating energy requirements in all living spaces not to exceed 55 kWh/m2, as compared to the current German standard of 70 kWh/m2. Such "Low Energy House" building practices have meant a careful supervision of construction at Kronsberg and an offering of information and training for all concerned architects, builders, craftspeople and new residents. Such training and advice has been provided through the KUKA Agency.

Kronsberg heating and power needs are provided either through cogeneration and district heating, or through renewable energy sources such as solar or wind.

Solar energy is taken advantage of both through 32 passive solar, low-energy houses and through an active solar system that stores heat in a 2,750 m3 underground tank, supplying heat to about 100 dwellings. Photovoltaic panels have been installed on some buildings for the transformation of solar into electrical energy.

Two large wind turbines and a smaller one have been constructed in the vicinity that provide enough energy for about 3,000 dwellings - more than three Megawatts of power.

Rainwater is collected from the entire Kronsberg site and carefully sent above-ground through various systems designed to retain the water and allow it to drain into the ground. Kronsberg ponds, basins, ditches and channels are at times designed, sculptural elements and at other more natural and organic in form.

Other advanced technologies have been applied at Kronsberg such as apartment buildings with 'micro-climate-zones.' These four story buildings have internal courtyards enclosed above with a very light-weight system of plastic panels. The layered panels enclose air chambers that seasonally adjust to allow more or less sunlight into the atrium spaces.

Another project is the 'Agenda Houses,' that demonstrate Baubiologie (biological architecture), built by a cooperative association of small builders that emphasize crafts and trades. These houses present a range of concepts regarding sustainable architecture and living. The motto here is: "Houses for people, built by local craftspeople with local materials in appropriate prefabrication."

Kronsberg is connected to Hannover through a new tram line which takes about 20 minutes to reach the city center. A variety of traffic-calming measures have been implemented to reduce the speed of vehicles within Kronsberg, and pedestrian and bicycle paths have been given special attention. To create more public spaces, the number of parking spaces per dwelling required by the City was reduced. In addition, a Car-Sharing program is being organized for Kronsberg.

Kronsberg Landscape

The Kronsberg (Krons Mountain) is the highest point in Hannover's landscape. Traditionally used for growing grain, Kronsberg was identified as the City's largest remaining land area that was suitable for major development.

The vision for the Kronsberg landscape has been influenced by the EXPO initiative 'City as Garden.' As part of this, more than 60 hectares have been reforested, and the district has been designed with an extensive system of small and large parks, ranging from semi-public to public, a network of playgrounds and foot and bicycle paths, and a creative system for capturing and retaining rainwater.

A comprehensive soil management plan has included an extensive local re-use of excavated soil. Instead of hauling the earth to distant fill sites, it has been used to construct, or re-construct, a wide range of local ecosystems. With this 'waste soil' two large hills that are 10-15 meters in height have been created as has a sound barrier along the nearby Autobahn, old dumpsites in the area have been covered and the EXPO 2000 site has been landscaped.

An Agri-Expo project, 'Environmentally Friendly Agriculture and Regional Marketing at Kronsberg' has been developed to demonstrate more sustainable agricultural methods and new possibilities for relationships between urban and agricultural processes.

The 'Herrmannsforfer Landwerkstätten am Kronsberg' (Country Workshops) is an ecological model farm of about 100 hectares in size. The farm's produce is processed and marketed locally, either direct at the farm in its own eco-market or through other area markets. Dairy products, meat, bread, and beer are all processed here. Seminars are also offered here and the farm has its own inn.

 City as Social Habitat

With the objective of bringing together a "socially-balanced population," much of the Kronsberg housing is subsidized and considered to be public housing. While there has been a wide range of subsidies available to the builders, there is an exceptionally high income ceiling for the rental apartments, meaning that about 90% of Hannover's population is eligible for this "social housing." Thus, 90% of the housing is planned to be rental with the other 10% owner-occupied. A number of projects have been organized at Kronsberg to work with and accommodate various population groups.

District Arts and Community Centre (KroKuS)

A new Kronsberg center for culture and the environment (KroKuS) has been built and is managed by the City of Hannover. This multi-purpose center includes a library with an emphasis on ecological topics, an office for senior citizens, an Agency for youth work, community rooms, an arts studio, and a large events room for abut 250 people. The Kronsberg Center is a place for coordinating neighborhood projects and has provided a home for the KUKA Agency and its exhibitions and seminars between 1998 and 2000.

'FOKUS' Housing Project and Decentralised care for the elderly

The FOKUS Project is providing housing in Kronsberg for about 30 disabled people. The apartments are not all in one place but instead are grouped around what is called the FOKUS base, where care workers are available 24 hours a day to provide assistance when needed.

Working with a similar decentralized concept, the 'Henriettenstiftung' is developing as many as 100 apartments for senior citizens in the Kronsberg District. These dwellings are also spread around the neighborhood but the residents can call for help when they need it.

'Habitat' International Housing Project

This 'Habitat' project is run by the Gundlach association, basing its concept on the results of the 1996 'Habitat II' conference in Istanbul. At Kronsberg a 93 apartment complex, including 44 different apartment layouts, has been built that brings together German and immigrant families. Special considerations are given to different ethnic groups, as one tenth of the units are designed for example according to Moslem belief and customs, and the apartment designs include flexible combinations of rooms, for example to accommodate large and changing family structures. Community garden and recreation spaces are available, as are meeting rooms, a tea room and sauna, restaurants, and other kinds of local services.

Implementation

The Kronsberg District is on former agricultural land that was designated for urban development in the 1970s. The City of Hannover was able to buy most of the land and then in turn sell it to the various property developers within the binding framework of the overall design concept. Planning was begun for Kronsberg, just as for the adjacent EXPO 2000 site, in 1990 after Hannover was successful in its bid for the World Exposition. Kronsberg was given its basic form in 1993 through H. Welp's winning entry in the Kronsberg District urban design competition. Whereas in the 1970s planners wanted to build a 'city of the future' at Kronsberg with high-rise structures, the Kronsberg of the year 2000 has structures that are typically four stories in height and not more than five.

About half of the approximately 2,500 apartments completed by the year 2000 were used as temporary housing for EXPO 2000 personnel and exhibitors: these units were vacant as of the end of the year 2,000 and had to be rented out again. As of the year 2000, two of the planned five neighborhoods had been completed, providing housing for about 6,000 people. The approximately 100m x 100m blocks were sold by Hannover to different developers who within agreed-to guidelines (such as concerning energy and water use) were allowed to design and market their own projects. Kronsberg buildings have been designed by more than 40 different architectural offices.

Financing and resources used

Kronsberg projects are funded through a wide range of public and private institutions, including all levels of government, significant assistance from the State of Lower Saxony, and about 30 different investors. Landscaping measures for example have received support from the City of Hannover, the Hannover region local government association, the German federal government and the EXPO 2000 Hannover GmbH company. A great deal of support was leveraged and attention received due to the close relationship with EXPO 2000.

Results and impacts

Due to changes in growth patterns and a dramatically lower demand for new housing units than predicted in 1990, the Kronsberg development is being realized at a much slower pace than originally anticipated. Instead of the project being completed by the year 2000, it is expected that the development could stretch out over 10-15 years. Still, after the completion of the first phase, it can be said that the Kronsberg development is considerably more successful than the EXPO 2000 itself in expressing and communicating concepts of sustainable development.

References

KUKA (2000) Hannover Kronsberg: Realisierung einer nachhaltigen Planung.

KUKA (1999) 1, Kurzinformation; 2; Energie-Einspar-Program, 3; Qualifizierung; 4, Wasser am Kronsberg; 5, Qualitätssicherung am Kronsberg; 6, Abfall am Kronsberg; 7, Bodenmanagement & Landschaftsraum Kronsberg; 8, Energie am Kronsberg.

KUKA (1998) Hannover Kronsberg: model of a sustainable new urban community / Beispiel eines nachhaltigen neuen Stadtteils.

City of Hannover (1999) Weltausstellung und Stadtteil Kronsberg / World Exposition and Kronsberg District. Urban Development Programme for the EXPO 2000 Hannover.

City of Hannover (2000) Modell Kronsberg: Nachhaltiges Bauen für die Zukunft / Sustainable Building for the Future.

City of Hannover (2000) Hannover-Kronsberg: Naturschutz, Naherholung und Landwirtschaft am Stadtrand, ein Modellprojekt.

City of Hannover (2000) Stadt als sozialer Lebensraum.

City of Hannover (2000) City as Garden / Stadt als Garten.

Kronsberg Environmental Liaison Agency (Kronsberg-Kommunikations-Agentur GmbH / KUKA)

www.umwelt-agentur-kuka.de

City of Hannover

www.hannover.de

EXPO 2000 (Hannover World Exposition)

www.expo.hannover.de/english/

Contact:

Cities:

Hannover :

Hannover is the capital of the federal state Land of Lower Saxony. It covers an area of 204 square kilometres. The wider conurbation of Greater Hannover has some 20 municipalities and a total population of 1.1 million. It covers an area of 2,300 square kilometres which is equal to the size of the small German state of the Saarland.

The City of Hannover has a diverse industrial structure which also includes some big companies like Volkswagen, the tyre company Continental, the battery producer Varta, the stationary producers Geha and Pelikan, and the cakes producer Bahlsen. The total conurbation has a total employment of 540,000 and 350,000 workplaces are located in the City of Hannover itself.

Hannover is also well-known as the host of important exhibitions like the world-wide biggest industrial exhibition, the computer fair CeBit, and many other specialised fairs. In the year 2000 the EXPO 2000 took place in the city.

Population:

Project was added at 28.08.2001
Project was changed at 28.08.2001

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