Bremen, Germany
City population: 536227
Duration: 2017 – 2019
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Building
Last updated: October 2021

A private investment project that aimed to create a new building complex in the Findorff district of Bremen and build two large residential buildings "Münchner Bogen" and "Findorffer Tor" with green roofs on top. The green roofing of the buildings was influenced by the local actors - the alliance "Green Bremen" and the advisory board of the Findorff Council. The initiative aimed to contribute to sustainable urban development by the positive impact on biodiversity, rainwater retention, improved local air quality and provision of natural thermoregulation for the buildings (Ref. 1, 2, 3).

An architectural image of a building on a street corner with a green roof
https://www.gruenes-bremen.de/gr%C3%BCnd%C3%A4cher/

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Nature on buildings (external)
  • Green roofs

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Climate change mitigation
  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Environmental quality
  • Air quality improvement
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Real estate development

Focus

Creation of new green areas

Project objectives

Goals of the intervention: 1) Building green roofs in the new building complex that will provide for an additional green space in the area, help with rainwater retention, improve local air quality and provide natural thermoregulation; 2) Contributing to urban biodiversity; 3) Providing new means for municipal climate protection and climate change adaptation; 4) Contributing to sustainable urban development; 5) Improving the quality of life of the and expanding city's green infrastructure. 6) Improvement in local air quality; Improved rain water management (Ref. 1, 2).

Implementation activities

A new building complex was created on the approximately 5,500 square meters with more than 100 apartments in two large residential buildings "Münchner Bogen" and "Findorffer Tor" with green roofs on top (Ref. 3, 5).

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
  • Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation

Climate change mitigation:

  • Install vertical or horizontal artificial surfaces that help with carbon storage and cooling

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Create new habitats

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Led by non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Non-government organisation/civil society
  • Private sector/corporate actor/company

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The project is a part of the investment of the Justus Grosse company and the local actors (alliance "Green Bremen" and the advisory board of the Findorff Council) played a role in the plans for advocating for the inclusion of the green roofs in the architectural plans (Ref. 2, 3). The original plans did not contain a green roof (Ref. 2). Bremen has introduced a green roof funding program, offering grants and subsidies of up to 12 000 Euros based on the construction height and water retention capacity of the roof (Ref. 4).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes ('Support program for roof greening' in Bremen (Förderprogramm Dachbegrünung) (Ref. 4).)

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget
  • Corporate investment

Type of funding

  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Lowered local temperature
  • Reduced emissions
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved air quality
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Increased protection against flooding
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Reduced biodiversity loss

Economic impacts

  • Increased property prices

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved liveability
  • Improved access to urban green space

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts, Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Bdla (2017). 'Green roofs in Bremen' (Grüne Dächer in Bremen). Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 19, 2020).
2. Gruenes Bremen (2017). 'First step for climate-friendly construction', ('Erster Schritt für klimagerechtes Bauen'). Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 19, 2020).
3. Leben in Findorff (2017). 'New construction with green roof for air quality' ('Neubau mit Gründach als Klimaausgleich'). Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 19, 2020).
4. Bremer Umwelt Beratung (2018). 'Support program for roof greening' (Förderprogramm Dachbegrünung). Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 19, 2020).
5. Justus Grosse (2019). "Münchner Bogen in Findorff komplett verkauft - Jetzt letzte Wohnungen zur Miete sichern". Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 19, 2020).