Last updated: October 2021
Kronsberg was built as a model district of sustainable urban development for the EXPO 2000, which motto was 'Humankind-Nature-Technology'. In the previously intensively farmed area, 3200 new dwelling unit was built. Among other sustainable technologies, the planners of the district developed a quasi-natural drainage system that aimed to provide the municipalities a sustainable alternative for traditional drainage (Reference 1, 2). 20 years after planning started in 1992, EXPO district of Kronsberg has proven its viability in terms of sustainable urban development and provided important foundations for advanced urban planning of new buildings in Hannover and elsewhere. The project was showcased in the ‘Crystal’ exhibition pavilion in London as a global standard for integrated construction. The ‘World Cities Summit 2012’ in Singapore also paid tribute to the residential area as one of the world’s hundred most innovative infrastructure projects (Reference 1, 2013).
Rainwater retention on the Kronsberg in Hannover
Source: Ref. 3
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Green playgrounds and school grounds
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
- Green corridors and green belts
- Blue infrastructure
- Lakes/ponds
- Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
- Green areas for water management
- Rain gardens
- Swales and filter strips
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Key challenges
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
The goals of the project include:
- providing a model district for sustainable urban development;
- creating a quasi-natural drainage system;
- ensuring the supply of ground-water;
- improve flood protection;
-provide social infrastructure (community center, church center, kindergarten school, etc)(Reference 1).
- environmental education to achieve changes of perceptions, attitudes and behaviour in terms of energy, waste, water, ground, countryside and agriculture, etc (Reference 2).
Implementation activities
The following elements were implemented: gully-and-trench system, sluiced channels, retention areas, rainwater reservoirs, outfall ditches. "Water is channelled into green-planted gullies and held there. It filters through a layer of humus into the ground store (the trench) which is filled with gravel, being cleaned in the process. It soaks away from the trench. Excess water is fed, much delayed, via a sluiced shaft into the sluiced channel and thence fed to the retention areas and the greenery. [...] The numerous water surfaces in the gullies encourage evaporation, influence the climate in a positive fashion and reduce the formation of dust. The retention areas, laid out like parks, and measuring up to 35m wide, along with the rainwater reservoirs, help protect against flooding, as high rainfall will be fed gradually into the drainage ditches". The newly built elementary school is equipped with a green roof and a pond for collecting rainwater and supporting biodiversity (Reference 2).
Lease-plots and allotments, parks in the various sectors and planted public areas for recreation and sports are provided for from the start. In addition to this, there are to be numerous nature areas and open spaces, including an ecological and extensive agricultural establishment, including a farm with educational facilities.
Use of a district heating grid with two combined heat and power plants set up to cover the remaining demand for heat and operated by two power utilities (CHP). In addition, two large wind turbines were erected to meet some of the electricity requirements for the new development.
During the construction phase, the quality-assurance teams checked that construction firms implemented the measures in the building plans properly.
(Reference 2)
The open public spaces are located close to the apartments and the private green inner courtyards and offer a variety of usages.
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Create new habitats
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
- Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The description of the project writes: "The original intention was to develop the whole project including services and connections through investors and building sponsors. However, in view of the situation in the housing market in late 1996/early 1997 and ecological considerations, the city of Hanover and the State of Lower Saxony felt obliged to relax the occupancy conditions for the apartments and to offer suitable sponsorship. Only in this way was it going to be possible to get the project on its way by the start of the World Exhibition EXPO 2000. For development, there remained within the projected building area only one fairly large area, covering about nine clusters, to be developed by the Immobilien Development and Holding Company, Lower Saxony (IDB Kronsberg) – hereinafter designated “IDB”. A development contract was concluded accordingly" (Reference 2).
KUKA’s foremost aim to achieve high levels of awareness of the environmental demands of the Kronsberg with all operators and users. At the core, this means achieving changes of perceptions, attitudes and behaviour. KUKA organised training the planners and fast-track courses for the craftsmen on the building site during the construction period and
liaised with the new residents when they moved into their new homes (Reference 1, 2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(Lower Saxony Water regulations of 25.03.1999 (Reference 2))
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(- Drainage Regulations for the Regional Capital Hanover of 16.05.1991.
- Building Plans of the area of 1997 that allows 200 l/s water to flow into the water reservoirs (Reference 2))
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- EU funds
- Public national budget
- Public regional budget
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Equity funding (investment in shares)
- Asset-backed funding (e.g., leasing)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Landeshauptstadt Hannover. (2013). Hannover-Kronsberg: 15 years experience with a sustainable model project. Hannover: Landeshauptstadt Hannover.
2. Stadtwässerung Hannover. (2002). Water Concept Kronsberg, Part of the EXPO project: Ecological Optimisation Kronsberg. Hannover: Stadtwässerung Hannover.
3. Source link. (2017). Rainwater retention on the Kronsberg in Hanover. Available at: Source link. [Accessed: 16.08.2020].
4. Hannover Economic and Environmental Affairs. (no date). Hannover-Kronsberg - a Model for Sustainable Urban Development.
2. Stadtwässerung Hannover. (2002). Water Concept Kronsberg, Part of the EXPO project: Ecological Optimisation Kronsberg. Hannover: Stadtwässerung Hannover.
3. Source link. (2017). Rainwater retention on the Kronsberg in Hanover. Available at: Source link. [Accessed: 16.08.2020].
4. Hannover Economic and Environmental Affairs. (no date). Hannover-Kronsberg - a Model for Sustainable Urban Development.