Curbing Soil Sealing in Thuringia to Fostering Green Spaces Over Construction Sites
Thuringia to minimize land alteration during infrastructure developments - Thuringia will minimize soil excavation despite ongoing construction works
In the heart of Germany, Thuringia is making strides to combat the escalating issue of soil sealing caused by construction projects, roads, and industrial areas. The state's environmental minister, Tilo Kummer (BSW), has announced ambitious plans to offset new sealed surfaces by unsealing an equal area, setting up an unsealing fund as the first step. This improvement mission has found a solid ally in the Thuringian State Development Corporation (ThLG).
Alarmingly, over 790 square kilometers of land in Thuringia currently lies sealed, with an additional square kilometer added annually. Surrounded by verdant forests that cover around 16,000 square kilometers, Thuringia is one of the forested states in Germany.
Ten million euros, stemming from a successful legal dispute over an old tea processing plant in Rositz, East Thuringia, will fund the initiative of revitalizing affected lands and minimizing expansion. The money will be administered by the ThLG for this purpose.
"We aim to restore the landscape's natural beauty," said Kummer, committing to working towards a net-zero soil sealing goal. Infrastructure growth, housing construction, and industrial development are essential for Thuringia, but they come with ecological consequences.
In an effort to harmonize development with environmental concerns, previously unused sealed areas will be converted back to their natural state or turned into agricultural land. Additionally, agricultural land use for compensation and replacement measures in construction projects will be minimized.
The ThLG, owing to its expertise in area management under nature conservation law, will carry out this undertaking. After a pilot project, a compensation area pool will be established. With the financial foundation in place, the selection of areas for the pilot project, planning, and implementation could begin in 2025.
For companies looking to construct production facilities and thus contribute to soil sealing, the ThLG offers pre-emptively unsealed areas as alternatives.
Thuringia's commitment to sustainable development highlights the importance of strategic urban planning, focusing on green spaces and eco-friendly infrastructure, and efficient land use practices. By encouraging compact urban development, incorporating more green spaces, promoting sustainable land use, and strengthening environmental regulations, Thuringia can strike a balance between development and preserving its lush environment.
- Thuringia
- Environmental Sustainability
- Development Projects
- Tilo Kummer
- Erfurt
Additional Insights
- Urban Planning: Focusing on compact urban development can reduce the demand for new land while fostering sustainable growth.
- Green Infrastructure: Prioritizing green spaces and parks in urban areas can maintain ecological balance and limit over-construction.
- Sustainable Land Use: Encouraging eco-friendly practices like renovations rather than new constructions, and choosing construction locations with minimal ecological impact, supported by regulatory measures, can promote sustainable development.
- Development Corporations: Organizations like the ThLG can effectively drive sustainable projects by prioritizing green infrastructure, offering financial incentives to environmentally friendly initiatives, and managing land use efficienly to minimize unnecessary development on natural areas.
- In an effort to maintain environmental sustainability, Tilo Kummer, the environmental minister of Thuringia, has announced plans to offset new soil sealing caused by development projects by unsealing an equal area and setting up an unsealing fund as the first step.
- As part of Thuringia's commitment to combating soil sealing, the Thuringian State Development Corporation (ThLG) will oversee the conversion of previously sealed areas back to their natural state or for use as agricultural land.
- The ThLG, with its expertise in area management under nature conservation law, will manage a compensation area pool funded by a successful legal dispute, with the aim of fostering green spaces over construction sites and promoting sustainable development projects in Thuringia.
