Sustainable settlement development in the Alzey-Worms district: A look into the future

Freiburg, September 11, 2024

study emphasizes the challenges of settlement development in the Alzey-Worms district

The search for a balance between ecological goals and urban development becomes increasingly challenging for many regions. A new future study, conducted by the ÖKO-Institut and Empirica AG, deals intensively with the settlement development in the Alzey-Worms district and evaluates different development opportunities by 2040.

The study is particularly relevant because it is funded by the Ministry of the Interior and for Sport Rhineland-Palatinate in order to create well-founded foundations for political-strategic decisions. In view of a forecast population growth, a differentiated view of the effects of land use and climate protection measures is necessary.

growth vs. consolidation: two ways for the district

The focus of the investigation is the contrast between two development scenarios: the growth scenario and the consolidation scenario. These scenarios offer different future prospects. While the growth scenario expires from an extensive designation of new construction areas, which could bring an increase in the population by around 15,100 people and 11,100 new jobs, the consolidation scenario relies on a reduction in area consumption to only 166 hectares and a more moderate population growth of 6,500 people.

Area consumption is a central conflict: In the growth scenario, up to 95 percent of the currently available construction areas would have to be used, which would have significant consequences for existing green spaces. On the other hand, the compromise of the consolidation scenario could be drastically reduced.

The role of the transport infrastructure in sustainable development

An important challenge that results from both scenarios is the increase in traffic. Since many new residents commute to surrounding metropolitan regions, the existing transport infrastructure will continue to be burdened. In order to address this problem, the expansion of local public transport and the promotion of sustainable means of transport are considered essential. Measures such as the expansion of the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles are also important to reduce CO2 emissions in the long term. According to the calculations, traffic -related emissions in consolidation scenario could be reduced by 86 percent compared to 2019 by 2040

sustainable building development as another key

The building sector also deserves special attention. The differences between the two scenarios are remarkable: While an annual creation of 457 new residential units is sought in the growth scenario, the consolidation scenario aims at 313 units. These measures affect the housing market not only, but also on the overall emissions of the building stock. In the consolidation scenario, these could be significantly reduced by ambitious climate protection measures, which would not be possible to the same extent in the growth scenario.

conclusions and outlook

The study illustrates the need to strategically edit various conflicts of goals. Dr. Tilman Hesse, project manager at the Öko-Institut, underlines that forward-looking measures must promote both economic growth and climate protection. As an example, the progress that has already been made is mentioned in the expansion of renewable energies, which serves as the basis for a sustainable future.

In view of the challenges such as the shortage of skilled workers and inequalities in the room, a holistic view of the development of the Alzey-Worm district will be essential. The results of this study can offer a valuable basis for future political discussion and concrete measures.