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10.3.1 Legal Basis for the Consideration of UHI Related
Aspects Within the Urban Planning
To date in Germany no independent “Urban Climate Protection Act” exists in its
own right. Also planning measures for Urban Heat Island specifi c requirements are
not directly regulated. Instead, these concerns have been integrated into the structure
of existing environmental legislation. This is due to the circumstance that many of
the classical disciplines of environmental protection or rather ecology simultaneously exercises positive repercussions for climate change and that a fi rm foothold
can be provided for climate protection within the framework of existing legislation.
Examples of this include the Federal Building Code (BauGB), the Federal Nature
Conservation Act (BNatSchG) and a variety of regulations issued by the Federal
Immission Control Act (BImSchG). Also rulings given by a series of laws and regulations such as the Energy Saving Act (EEG) and the Energy Saving Ordinance
make a specifi c contribution to global climate protection, as well as the “Greenhouse
Gas Emissions Trading Act” (TEHG).
The German Building Code is the most powerful act in Germany for the municipal administration to arrange measures for urban planning in respect to environmental, nature, urban and global climate protection. The code offers differentiated
possibilities for urban development that is urban and global climatically just.
10.3.2 Development Outline Plan
The development outline plan (DOP) constitutes a non-formalized level of spatial
planning. It is not codifi ed by the Federal Building Code and non-obligatory. In
practice, however, the DOP proved to be a valuable and fl exible tool to steer urban
development within built up areas. It is an essential function of the DOP to defi ne
the municipality’s development and planning goals for those parts of the city that
show tendencies of urban change. In practice, the planning intentions for public
spaces and streets can be described more precisely than those for private building
sites. This is why the DOP often also functions similarly to a local design plan. The
DOP is not subject to legal regulations.
In Stuttgart development outline plans are used to set up the urban planning strategy for the sustainable future development and restructuring of single city districts
weighting all aspects of urban living, economy and nature, environment and climate
protection.
For the pilot action area Stuttgart-West a development outline plan is under progress by the municipal urban planning department. Within the development outline
plan Stuttgart-West the strategy for the future development of the city district is
ascertained. One aspect of this strategy is to improve the climatic situation and to
reduce the negative impacts of the UHI inside the district. Based on the analysis
simulation results, done within the pilot action study, hotspots of high thermal
10 Pilot Actions in European Cities – Stuttgart
10.3.1 Legal Basis for the Consideration of UHI Related
Aspects Within the Urban Planning
To date in Germany no independent “Urban Climate Protection Act” exists in its
own right. Also planning measures for Urban Heat Island specifi c requirements are
not directly regulated. Instead, these concerns have been integrated into the structure
of existing environmental legislation. This is due to the circumstance that many of
the classical disciplines of environmental protection or rather ecology simultaneously exercises positive repercussions for climate change and that a fi rm foothold
can be provided for climate protection within the framework of existing legislation.
Examples of this include the Federal Building Code (BauGB), the Federal Nature
Conservation Act (BNatSchG) and a variety of regulations issued by the Federal
Immission Control Act (BImSchG). Also rulings given by a series of laws and regulations such as the Energy Saving Act (EEG) and the Energy Saving Ordinance
make a specifi c contribution to global climate protection, as well as the “Greenhouse
Gas Emissions Trading Act” (TEHG).
The German Building Code is the most powerful act in Germany for the municipal administration to arrange measures for urban planning in respect to environmental, nature, urban and global climate protection. The code offers differentiated
possibilities for urban development that is urban and global climatically just.
10.3.2 Development Outline Plan
The development outline plan (DOP) constitutes a non-formalized level of spatial
planning. It is not codifi ed by the Federal Building Code and non-obligatory. In
practice, however, the DOP proved to be a valuable and fl exible tool to steer urban
development within built up areas. It is an essential function of the DOP to defi ne
the municipality’s development and planning goals for those parts of the city that
show tendencies of urban change. In practice, the planning intentions for public
spaces and streets can be described more precisely than those for private building
sites. This is why the DOP often also functions similarly to a local design plan. The
DOP is not subject to legal regulations.
In Stuttgart development outline plans are used to set up the urban planning strategy for the sustainable future development and restructuring of single city districts
weighting all aspects of urban living, economy and nature, environment and climate
protection.
For the pilot action area Stuttgart-West a development outline plan is under progress by the municipal urban planning department. Within the development outline
plan Stuttgart-West the strategy for the future development of the city district is
ascertained. One aspect of this strategy is to improve the climatic situation and to
reduce the negative impacts of the UHI inside the district. Based on the analysis
simulation results, done within the pilot action study, hotspots of high thermal
10 Pilot Actions in European Cities – Stuttgart