Triple I: Drei Integrationsherausforderungen auf dem Weg zur klimaneutralen Stadt von morgen
Gedanken zu vertikaler, horizontaler und sektoraler Integration für nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung
Many cities have set sustainability goals, such as ambitious targets for climate neu-trality by 2030 or 2035. To this end, they have sought advice, developed strategies, drawn up concepts and passed political resolutions. Yet it is striking that the im-plementation of sustainable urban development in concrete projects is not really progressing. It is also noticeable that different sustainability goals conflict with each other: a lack of access to affordable housing and the call for new construction conflicts with land, climate and resource protection, to name just one example. Through our work at various political levels and many interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary projects for and with local authorities, we see three reasons for this:
Local authorities' scope for action is embedded in overarching framework condi-tions at regional, national, EU and international level. Regulatory, strategic and financial decisions have an impact at local level. We see a need for better vertical integration to facilitate sustainable development at local authority level.
At the local authority level itself, we see the challenge of a horizontal integration of sustainability into the various areas of responsibility and decision-making processes, which are being delayed or even prevented by existing processes and potential conflicts, including budgetary issues.
Finally, we see the need for sectoral integration as complementary to this, in order to exploit existing synergies between different dimensions of sustainability and transform potential conflicts of interest into acceptable compromises.
As part of the Triple I project, we have compiled our experiences and findings from various project contexts and would like to make them available in this Wuppertal Report as inspiration for addressing optimised processes and the necessary struc-tures within the framework of sustainable urban development.
Anja Bierwirth, Fiona Bunge, Tim Dünnwald, Jan Wortmann:
Triple I: Drei Integrationsherausforderungen auf dem Weg zur klimaneutralen Stadt von morgen
Gedanken zu vertikaler, horizontaler und sektoraler Integration für nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung
Wuppertal, 2025
(Wuppertal Report no. 29)