Karlsruhe, Germany
City population: 287412
Duration: 2015 – 2021
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Central Business District / City Centre
Last updated: October 2021

The Kriegsstraße is a large street in the centre of Karlsruhe which experienced traffic problems for a long time. Since 2005 there have been plans to redevelop the area into a multifunctional public space area to be used by cars, trams bicycles and pedestrians. Due to financing problems, the solution has been put on hold for a long time but in 2015 construction work of the so-called “combined solution” project has finally started. The plan is to renovate the Kriegsstraße, including the tram tracks above the surface and to create an underground tunnel for cars. The surface above the tunnel will be greened through the implementation of an alley of trees, green bicycle lanes and pedestrian paths as well as greened tram routes (Ref. 1). In August 2020, the implementation of the project is nearing completion and is expected to be finished in 2021 (Ref. 9, 10)

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
  • Railroad bank and track greens

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Environmental quality
  • Air quality improvement
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Regulation of built environment
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development

Focus

Creation of new green areas

Project objectives

-Improving urban mobility, solving traffic jams while widening cycling and pedestrian paths in the city centre (Ref. 1) -Increasing urban green spaces and improving quality of life for citizens, including the improvement of air quality. (Ref. 1, 10) -Improving local ecosystems by planting new trees, uncovering sealed surfaces and greening the uncovered surfaces (Ref. 4). -Improved connection of the Southern part of the city to the city centre with sustainable modes of transport (Ref. 2)

Implementation activities

Development of a 1,6 km long car tunnel to relieve pressure from the Kriegsstraße. Creating safe, wide bicycle and pedestrian paths surrounded by a 4-row-tree alley. Renewal of the tram tracks and greening the whole tram route (Ref. 1). During widening the bicycle and pedestrian paths, special attention will be paid to conserving adjacent vegetation and tree roots by laying them open manually and fencing them; 65 lime trees and 5 plane trees will be moved, and new trees will be planted. Furthermore, sealed surface areas will be uncovered and greened with grassland or trees wherever possible (Ref. 4)

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality
  • Citizens or community group

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 company "Karlsruher Schieneninfrastrukturgesellschaft" which is responsible for planning, construction and administration of financial issues belongs 100 percent to the city of Karlsruhe, therefore acts in its interest - defined here as a public sector institution (Ref. 5). Other parties involved are the commissioned construction company which was determined by a competition, the city department for urban green and the citizens that voted for the intervention in 2002 and participated in workshops and information events (Ref. 1, 4 and 6).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? No
... a national policy or strategy? No
... a local policy or strategy? No

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public national budget
  • Public regional budget
  • Public local authority budget
  • Corporate investment

Type of funding

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

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Unknown

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Unknown

Type of reported impacts

No impacts reported

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. Karlsruher Schieneninfrastruktur- Gesellschaft mbH (2017b) Oben gut drauf. Die neue Kriegsstraße. Available at: Source link 4 July 2017). [Accessed: 4 Oct. 2020]

2. Karlsruher Schieneninfrastruktur- Gesellschaft mbH (2017a) Kombilösung Karlsruhe. Der Umbau der Kriegsstraße. Karlsruhe. Available at: Source link 4 Oct. 2020]

3. Holdenried, R. (2016) ‘Baustart für Tunnel unter Kriegsstraße: Das kommt 2017 auf uns zu’, Source link, 28 November. [online]. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 4 Oct. 2020]

4. Stadt Karlsruhe Stadtplanungsamt (2005) ‘Begrünungsplan Kriegsstraße Mitte’. Karlsruhe. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 4 Oct. 2020]

5. Karlsruher Schieneninfrastruktur- Gesellschaft mbH (2017) Mit diesen Zahlen können Sie rechnen. Available at: Source link 4 Oct. 2020].

6. Bildungsverein Region Karlsruhe e.V. (no date) Kombilösung. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 4 Oct. 2020].

7. Fulda, C. and Miles, S. (2012) Karlsruhe 2020 : Integriertes Stadtentwicklungskonzept. Karlsruhe. Available at: Source link 4 Oct. 2020].

8. Karlsruher Schieneninfrastruktur- Gesellschaft mbH (2015) Kombilösung Karlsruhe. Ein Infrastrukturprojekt, das Karlsruhe bewegt. Available at: Source link 4 Oct. 2020].

9. Source link. (2020). Neues von der Kombilösung: Haltestellen nehmen Gestalt an - im November beginnt Gleisbau in Kriegsstraße. [online]. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 7 Nov. 2020].

10. Unternehmensgruppe BUNG: (nd.) Tunnel Kriegsstraße, Kombi-Lösung Karlsruhe im Zuge der B 10. [online]. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 7 Nov. 2020].