Fiscal and socioeconomic effects of sustainable urban development measures
Climate change and adaptation pose major challenges for sustainable urban development. Cities are expected to contribute to climate protection. At the same time, dealing with heavy rainfall and heat is becoming increasingly relevant to urban life. Requirements for sustainable urban development also arise from national and international development goals and frameworks. In this light, cities must address other environmental health risks – such as noise and air pollution – as well as issues of social inclusion and justice in order to ensure and promote quality of life.
The project “Fiscal and socioeconomic effects of sustainable urban development measures” supports policymakers in addressing these challenges. To this end, the IÖW, in collaboration with the medical faculty of Bielefeld University, quantifies and evaluates the diverse effects that sustainable urban development can have on the well-being and health of urban populations. Sustainable urban development measures include, among others:
- additional greening and the preservation of existing green spaces,
- land recycling and unsealing,
- strengthening sustainable and inclusive mobility,
- as well as the sustainable construction of housing and urban infrastructure.
The project team is compiling the effects of these various measures with the help of comprehensive literature research and is systematizing and evaluating them using appropriate economic methods. The key objective is to facilitate the practical application of the information on the positive effects and their evaluation is usable for municipal actors. The project ensures this by preparing concrete case studies and collaborating with four municipalities. In this way, the project aims to contribute to greater consideration being given not only to the costs of sustainable urban development measures, but also to their benefits for the common good and the well-being of the population– both in public discourse and in concrete decision-making processes.
