Environmentalism in Germany: A Case Study
Read in German! 
German citizens constantly strive to promote environmental awareness. From the foundation of the Green party to widespread recycling, Germany has quickly become one of the world’s “greenest” places. In Vauban, Germany, for example, local citizens have banded together to officially “give up” their automobiles.
Vauban is a community located just outside of Freiburg, near the French and Swiss borders. Without cars, the people of Vauban prefer biking and walking as a means of transportation. While cars are not allowed in Vauban, car ownership is permitted. To maintain ownership of an automobile, one has to purchase a parking space at the edge of the town. Parking spaces cost up to $40,000. Few complain about the town’s policy. In fact, over 70 percent of the families do not even own a car. Over half of the families actually sold their car to move into Vauban. Currently 5,500 people have moved into this one square mile community.
Vauban is long and narrow, with the tram going through the middle of the community. This allows all houses easy access to public transportation. To get around town people ride bikes and even attach carts to the back of their bikes to carry more items when shopping. The stores are interspersed among the houses making everything within a short distance. To go on longer trips, families share cars, through the Vauban car-sharing club. The original site was perfect for the developers, having once been a military base already laid out in a grid. Now instead of military barracks, there are four to five story row houses designed to be green, by minimizing heat loss and maximizing energy efficiency.
People have many reasons for moving into Vauban. Some moved to become greener. As a result, more than half of the residents vote for the Green Party. Others moved because the quality of life is better being car-free. Others are happy about the safety the community offers. For example, Henk Schulz does not worry as much about his children’s safety because there are no cars in the street.
Vauban is part of a trend of “smart planning,” where people are transitioning away from cars in suburban life. Vauban, which was finished in 2006, stands in stark contrast to normal city life elsewhere, where twelve percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from passenger cars. The task of transitioning from cars is quite difficult because the car has been the center of development since World War II. So much infrastructure is in place, spreading people out rather than keeping stores close, within walking or biking distance. Malls are a thing of the past; now developers are trying to have stores on a main street.
OTHER SITES
Need more information about German Environmentalism and Vauban? Here's where you can find it:
Vauban District, Freiburg, Germany
Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment: Case Study on Vauban
"German Green Party commited to save biodiversity"
EU: Reducing CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles
Written by Matthew ('09) and Hillary Hurd ('09).
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