New tram route in Charlottenburg: alert ecological risks!

New tram route in Charlottenburg: alert ecological risks!

Mierendorffinsel, Berlin, Deutschland - The district office Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf has taken a decisive step in relation to the planned tram route on the Mierendorffinsel. In a current report published on July 7, 2025, significant weaknesses of previous planning are shown. In particular, a new route is required to avoid the ecological and health consequences of a route via the Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee, Osnabrücker Straße and Tegeler Weg. The present planning provides for numerous street trees to be made that play an important role in the cooling of the surroundings.

District City Councilor Oliver Schruoffeger emphasizes that the applicable regulations for compensating for interventions in nature and trees are inadequate. The effects on the residents are considerable: the elderly, children and people prayed in health, would be affected by the heated roads. According to the expert opinion, the implementation of the original planning would remove the cooling effect of the trees and thus negatively influence the quality of life of the residents.

Alternative route with a lower risk of climate

The report shows that an alternative route via Gaußstraße and Olbersstrasse would affect only a few, young trees and thus brought lower climatic effects. The financial effects of the two route variants are drastically different: The loss of ecosystem services due to the planned route would cost more than 4 million euros for over ten years, while the alternative route would only cause about 300,000 euros in losses.

These findings from the expert opinion are crucial for the long -term planning of the infrastructure on the Mierendorffinsel. The need to compensate for urban heating through climate protection -oriented measures is becoming increasingly pressing. In view of the current flood situation in southern Germany and the already noticeable consequences of climate change, such as rising temperatures and increasing extreme weather events, it can be seen that this region also has to actively act. In cooperation with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the district office has already commissioned several offices to create a climate adaptation concept for the southern part of the Mierendorffinsel. An integrated concept is sought to meet the challenges of climate change.

climate adaptation measures and urban planning

The Federal Environment Agency emphasizes that the urban heat isolated in cities like Berlin can be felt, especially on summer nights, when the temperatures rise significantly above that of the surrounding area. The causes are complex, whereby soil seals and the lack of greening contribute significantly to the problem. These findings underline the need to implement measures to green and cool in urban areas to improve the quality of life of the residents.

It remains to be hoped that the recommendations from the report and the climate adaptation concept will be seriously incorporated into the planning in the future in order to sustainably improve the living and climate conditions on the Mierendorffinsel. Urban planning must be based on the current challenges of climate change in order to secure the quality of life for all residents.

For more information and details on the topic, click on the following links: berlin.de , menterorffinsel.org , Environmental Bundesamt.de .