Affordable living

Sustainable building and housing

As the coordinating and managing unit that deals with housing, the Department for Affordable Housing partnered with the relevant municipal bureaus to develop a master plan for Freiburg called “Affordable Housing 2030.” This plan includes the creation of desperately needed affordable housing and factors in ecological and sustainability concerns, among other things. The density of the development in particular—taking into account an appropriate amount of quality open space—is a key factor for using the scarce land efficiently and sustainably.

In order to promote renewable raw materials, the City of Freiburg has launched an incentive program for the use of timber construction called “Förderprogramm Holzbau.” Citizens can obtain information and advice on this from the building authority’s advisory center.

Freiburg already boasts a wide variety of sustainable buildings, having made a bold statement on climate protection with the town hall in Stühlinger, for example, which meets the highest environmental and energy standards. This net-energy-plus building produces more energy through renewable sources than it needs for heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting; as a result, it meets its own energy needs. The current construction of the Staudinger School—which is the largest building construction project in the City of Freiburg at the moment—is similarly demanding. Building plans call for the new Staudinger School to be built to the Passive House Plus standard—a first in Germany. If successful, it would be a unique feat to date for a building of this size.

The Freiburger Stadtbau (FSB) municipal housing association also embraces ecological, energy-efficient construction with regard to new buildings as well as modernization projects, having made a mark in the process that has garnered attention from beyond the city limits (the world’s first high-rise that meets the Passive House standard). It is participating in the expansion of electric mobility in public and private parking facilities, and it is establishing mobility concepts that feature car-sharing services. When developing heating supply concepts, FSB always pays attention to low primary energy values and creates holistic, cross-district solutions with the involvement of the neighborhoods.