The sustainable conversion of existing settlements with their buildings, infrastructure and open spaces is one of the central challenges of the socio-ecological transformation of urban areas. Given the competing land uses and existing structures it is a comprehensive task. The project “Environment in the Neighborhood” analyzed approaches to improving environmental qualities at various levels.

Firstly, at a more fundamental level, the scientists examined strategies for improving municipal sustainability for the two visions “We want green, vibrant and climate-adapted municipalities” and “The circular city – pathways to a resource-light municipality” and highlighted, how the socio-ecological transformation of cities can be supported. Secondly, they developed practical communication approaches for activating stakeholders in neighborhoods and implemented those on a pilot basis in five selected quarters. Thirdly, on an application-oriented level, they analyzed the challenges for improving environmental qualities in existing quarters with their typical settlement structures and derived approaches for action in order to determine the potential of neighborhood development as a starting point and component of sustainable urban development.

The analysis revealed that the neighborhood level offers a variety of advantages and starting points as a level for action and implementation. The potential for cross-departmental action and the thematic integration of different fields of action can be demonstrated particularly well at the neighborhood level. Examples of this are measures have numerous synergies regarding climate protection, climate adaptation and increasing urban greenery, and can also have positive health and social effects. The neighborhood level also proves to be advantageous in the involvement of citizens and civil society actors in the planning and implementation of measures and in the cooperation between different groups of actors with municipal politics and the various administrations.

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