Introduction
Scales of Investigation and Study Area
Materials and Methods
Definition of Set of Instruments and Its Steering Competences and Addressees
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Efficiency | Criterion of assessment which describes to which degree a response is suitable to achieve an objective in a certain way. The definition of an ecologically efficient soil sealing management approach is provided in Table 2
|
Response | Specific instrument which aims to steer soil sealing (e.g., a specific law such as the building code). This paper assesses the efficiency of ecological sustainable responses |
Strategy | Strategy is understood as the sum of responses addressing the same types of steering. Within this study legal-planning, informal-planning, economic-fiscal, co-operative and informational strategies are investigated. The efficiency assessment of strategies is based on the assessment of responses which are assigned to strategies (see Fig. 1) |
Sub-targets | Sub-targets define what has to be steered spatially in the course of a holistic soil sealing management approach. These targets relate to steering urban green (open land such as forests and agricultural land, recreational areas), gray (built-up areas and artificial material) and soil (land and substrate). Urban green and gray can be steered quantitatively (reduction of new sealing and land take, protection of green areas), qualitatively (promotion of internal development and space efficient building forms, protection of green areas with high ecological performance). Moreover, existing sealed areas can be compensated by de-sealing or greening roofs (see also Fig. 1). The efficiency assessment of sub-targets is based on the assessment of responses which are assigned to the sub-targets |
Actors | Actors of soil sealing management refer to administrative units and communities responsible for developing and implementing strategies in the course of a holistic soil sealing management. The responses selected are assigned to groups of actors of different management scales to prove who is responsible for soil sealing management and to which degree (see Fig. 1) |
Indicators to Assess Strategies Toward an Ecologically Sustainable Soil Sealing Management
Indicators on Impacts by Soil Sealing on Ecosystem Service Supply
Indicators on Framework Conditions for a Sustainable Ecological Development
The Assessment Process
Indicator | Indicator assessment score IS (between 1 and 9) | Weighting factor W
I
Munich (N = 13) | Weighting factor W
I
Leipzig (N = 13) |
---|---|---|---|
Securing, improvement and development of habitats for flora and fauna | 9: Protection of ES by securing green areas or soils/by reducing sealing is clearly stated as target interlinked with benefits derived by protection/reduction (e.g., reducing further sealing to protect habitats for flora and fauna and to improve contact to nature for residents) 7: Importance of ES/function is mentioned but not directly linked to targets such as reduction of further sealing/protection of green/soils (e.g., green areas are important for flora and fauna; sealed surface increase urban heating) 4: Protection/importance of aspects related to ES/functions are mentioned but they are not directly linked to benefits/harm by green areas/soils or sealing (e.g., measures for climate adaptation have to implemented, such measures could also integrate technical solutions) 1: ES not mentioned | 6.85 | 7.00 |
Improving surface water run-off | 7.08 | 8.13 | |
Improving climate adaptation (decrease heat emission, increase carbon binding) | 7.23 | 7.75 | |
Improving private recreational areas (gardens, courtyards) | 6.69 | 7.19 | |
Improving public green areas (more managed areas such as parks) | 6.69 | 6.44 | |
Improving recreational areas (less managed, e.g., forests, landscape parks) | 6.62 | 6.44 | |
Protection of agricultural areas for food production | 5.54 | 7.00 | |
Protection of ecologically valuable fertile soils and their functions | 7.00 | 7.44 | |
Reducing motorized private transport | 9: Demand for reduction of private motorized transport/development of public transport is mentioned related to the reduction of sealing/protection of green/soils (e.g., the development of public transport is crucial to promote urban internal development) 7: Demand for reduction of motorized private transport/development of public transport is mentioned but not interlinked to targets for reducing sealing/protection of green/soils (e.g., further transport areas increase sealing) 4: Demand for reduction of impacts by motorized private transport/development of public transport are mentioned but not linked to reducing sealing/protecting green areas (e.g., a decrease in motorized traffic reduces the air and noise pollution) 1: Demand for reduction of motorized private transport/development of public transport is not mentioned | 6.54 | 7.50 |
Spatial strategic overview | 9: supra-regional view; 7: regional view; 4: city view; 1: less than city view/no spatial view | 6.85 | 6.19 |
Temporal hypermetropia | 9: >20 years; 7: 20–11 years; 5: 10–6 years; 3: 5–1 year; 1: no temporal course mentioned; 9: Integration ecological aspects before project implementation; 5: Integration ecological aspects during project implementation; 1: Integration ecological aspects after project implementation | 6.46 | 7.31 |
Priority setting: Obligation for considering ecological aspects/reducing sealing or possibility of consideration | 9: Reduction of further sealing/integration of ecological aspects is obligatory; 5: Reduction of further sealing/integration of ecological aspects is demanded but not binding as part of a weighing-up process with other aspects; 1: Ecological aspects are not mentioned at all | 6.62 | 7.50 |
Results
Discussion
Efficiency of Soil Sealing Management to Secure Ecosystem Services
Rank | Legal-planning | Informal-planning | Economic-fiscal | Informational | Co-operative | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M | L | M | L | M | L | M | L | M | L | |
(1) | Climate | Climate | Climate | Climate | Water | Water | Climate | Climate | Climate | Less managed |
(2) | Water | Water | Water | Less managed | Climate | Habitat | More managed | Water | Habitat | More managed |
(3) | Habitat | Habitat | Less managed | More managed | More managed | Climate | Less managed | Less managed | Less managed | Habitat |
Framework Conditions of Ecologically Sustainable Soil Sealing Management
Rank | Legal-planning | Informal planning | Economic-fiscal | Informational | Co-operative | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M | L | M | L | M | L | M | L | M | L | |
(1) | Temp. | Temp. | Temp. | Temp. | Temp. | Temp. | Spat. | Spat. | Oblig. | Oblig. |
(2) | Oblig. | Oblig. | Spat. | Oblig. | Oblig. | Spat. | Temp. | Temp. | Temp. | Spat. |
(3) | Spat. | Spat. | Oblig. | Spat. | Spat. | Red. | Oblig. | Oblig. | Spat. | Red. |