1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Hamburg
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Hamburger Deckel, A7
Short description of the intervention
The aim of the project was to extend and cover one of Germany’s busiest highways, the south-north highway (A7). The highway had divided neighborhoods from each other and had had negative environmental effects like noise and air pollution. The new green roof will have three parts that connect the existing green surfaces to each other, these parts constitute the three phases of the construction. The urban areas in the vicinity of the noise-reduced motorway will be developed for residential construction. The project also includes the reconstruction of the Langenfelder Brücke in a way which makes the bridge wider, and also provides better noise protection for locals. (Reference 10) In September 2020, only the first phase has been completed, and the final completion is planned for 2028. (Reference 1, 3, 12).
Address

22761 Hamburg
Germany

Location
The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city
NBS area
250000.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Other
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
one of Germany’s busiest highways, the south-north highway (A7) (Reference 10)
Website of the intervention
http://www.hamburg.de/fernstrassen/tunnel-altona/
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2012
End date of the intervention
2028
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Please specify "other" stage of the intervention
The first two parts of the project (Schnelsen tunnel and Stellingen tunnel) are currently under construction and planned to be finished in 2018 and 2025. The Altona tunnel is planned to be started in 2020 and finished in 2025 (Reference 2).
Goals of the intervention
- noise protection
- better air quality
- implementing a green recreational area
- creating new allotment gardens along the new tunnel
- implementation of meadows and pathways
- connecting the currently divided neighbourhoods to each other (Reference 1, 2, 3)
Quantitative targets
- covering the highway with green roofs in three sections (Schnelsen: 5,3 km long, Stellingen 3,2 km long, Altona 3,5 km long)
- Creating 893 meters of wooded parkland and garden plots for Hamburg residents in the Stellingen section (Reference 3)
- expanding the Langenfeld Bridge to be 8 lanes wide. (Reference 10)
Monitoring indicators defined
- noise protection db(A)
- air quality (amount of NO2 in the air, PM10, PM2.5)
- length of the covered sections (equal to the length of interconnectedness of neighborhoods) (Reference 2)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Noise reduction
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Regulation of built environment
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Real estate development
Please specify "other Type of NBS project"
Transformation of grey infrastructure (Reference 3, 10)
Implementation activities
- The first section, which includes the Schnelsen tunnel, was completed and in 2018.
- The Langenfeld Bridge was also handed over in 2018. The eight-lane bridge has noise protection elements over seven meters high, which improve the quality of life of residents regarding traffic noise. (Reference 10)
- The second section is still under construction.
- Construction of the third phase was started in March 2020 (Reference 9)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Other
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Green roofs
Parks and urban forests
Green corridors and green belts
Community gardens and allotments
Allotments
Please specify other type of green roof
Unknown
Type of Green Roof
Other
Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens
320 (Reference 5)
Vegetation Type
Grass
Trees
Garden beds
Other
Please specify how many trees were planted
unknown
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Air quality regulation
Noise reduction
Mediation of smell / noise / visual impacts
Cultural services
Recreation
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
National-level government
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Government-led
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The federal government is the building contractor for the intervention. The large-scale project is to be carried out by the Hamburg Ministry of Urban Development and Environment (Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt, BSU) and the Hamburg Ministry of Economy, Transport and Innovation (Behörde für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Innovation, BWVI) together with the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Bau und Stadtentwicklung) and other partners, including the DEGES. (German Unity motorway planning and construction company), which is responsible for planning. Most of the work is financed by the federal government. The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is contributing to the construction cost of the additional cover sections and their design" (Reference 6, 11).
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved
State-owned company (DEGES) (Reference 6, 11)
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
National government
Regional government
Local government/municipality
Public sector institution
Other
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Dissemination of information and education
Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Yes
Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"
In 2011, Hamburg was chosen to be the Green Capital of the EU (Reference 4). This programme aims to promote and award commitment and innovation to resolve environmental challenges in cities (Reference 5). The covering of the highway is in line with the green strategy that the Green Capital Award projected and it is mentioned in the selective report of the city ("Hamburg: European Green Capital: Five years on") being published in 2016 (Reference 4).
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
The project appears in the city's urban development strategy being published in 2014 (Hamburg 2030) for a green, inclusive and growing city (Reference 7).
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
In 2011, Hamburg was chosen to be the Green Capital of the EU (Reference 4). This programme aims to promote and award commitment and innovation to resolve environmental challenges in cities (Reference 5). The covering of the highway is in line with the green strategy that the Green Capital Award projected and it is mentioned in the selective report of the city ("Hamburg: European Green Capital: Five years on") being published in 2016 (Reference 4). The report writes: "Hamburg’s cover over the A7 motorway was merely a concept when the city submitted its application for the title of European Green Capital. Since 2009, the city has been feverishly working the project’s completion." (Reference 4).
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
General municipal plan
Please specify other vegetation type
wooded parkland, green recreational area, meadows and pathways (Reference 3) green roof; green surfaces (Reference 10)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
"The A7 cover is expected to cost €600 – €700 million, and it will mostly be financed by the federal government, but some of the funding will also come from selling city-owned land adjacent to the autobahn that is currently being used by gardeners to private real estate developers" (Reference 3).
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
1,000,000,000
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
unknown
Please specify cost savings
unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
The whole expansion and covering of the highway in Hamburg will cost around 1 billion EUR, financed by the public national budget, the public local authority's budget, and to a much smaller scale, corporate investment. The national budget takes about 83 % of the costs, the city Hamburg pays 17 % of the costs for the additional covering of the highway. The expansion and construction of federal trunk roads is financed by the federal government while Hamburg contributes to the costs for additional cover sections. (Reference 3, 12)
Source(s) of funding
Public national budget
Public local authority budget
Corporate investment
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Other
Please specify other type of fund used
"The A7 cover will mostly be financed by the federal government, but some of the funding will also come from selling city-owned land adjacent to the autobahn that is currently being used by gardeners to private real estate developers" (Reference 3).
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Green densification model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Type of innovation
Technological
Infrastructural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
An article about the project writes: "The A7 cover in Hamburg won’t be the first roadway to be covered in Germany; other canopies can be found in Düsseldorf and Munich, but the A7 cover in Hamburg will be the largest in Germany. The first of the three sections to be built will be the Stellingen section, which will include 893 meters of wooded parkland and garden plots for Hamburg residents. Future sections will include meadows, pathways and more garden allotments" (Reference 3).
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The brochure of the project mentions the example of Petuelpark in Munich (Reference 6).
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Reduced noise exposure
Description of environmental benefits
As the other phases of the project have not yet been completed, there are no impacts reported. However, the project is expected to improve air quality in the areas surrounding the highway. (Reference 9)
- noise protection db(A) (Reference 2) ;The special noise protection elements of the already completed Langenfeld Bridge substantially improve the quality of life of residents regarding traffic noise. (Reference 10)
Economic impacts
Stimulate development in deprived areas
Attraction of business and investment
Description of economic benefits
The green covers will bridge the division in the settlement structure caused by the motorway, which is expected to stimulate development in the area. New residential areas will also be created in the vicinity of the noise-reduced highway, which will become liveable due to the project. This way, urban development can take place in the city over a large area of land that is deprived of anything economically valuable, by attracting corporate investment (Reference 5, 9)
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved liveability
Improved access to urban green space
Increased access to healthy/affordable food
Health and wellbeing
Improved physical health
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Description of social and cultural benefits
The special noise protection elements of the already completed Langenfeld Bridge substantially improve the quality of life of residents regarding traffic noise. (Reference 10) The other sections of the project are also expected to improve noise protection, while the new green areas and the interconnectedness of districts will make green recreational areas more accessible. Allotment gardens will provide a greater opportunity for locals to engage in gardening and thus access affordable, healthy food. (Reference 1, 2, 3)
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
- noise protection db(A)
- air quality (amount of NO2 in the air, PM10, PM2.5)
- length of the covered sections (equal to the length of interconnectedness of neighborhoods) (Reference 2)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Environmental quality
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown (in September 6, 2020)
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Reference 1: Description of the third section of the project
Reference 2: Presentation of the project in German
Reference 3: Article about the project
Reference 4: European Green Capital
Reference 5: Hamburg – European Green Capital: 5 Years On: The city takes furth…
Reference 6: English brochure of the project
Reference 7: Strategy for urban development
Reference 9: Die A 7 in Hamburg: Eine der höchsten Verkehrsbelastungen in Deuts…
Reference 10: A7/Langenfeld Bridge, Hamburg, Germany
Ausbau der A 7
Die Finanzierung: Hamburg beteiligt sich
List of references
1. Hamburg.de. (2017). Tunnel - Deckel drauf: A 7-Tunnelbau in Altona. [online] Available at: http://www.hamburg.de/fernstrassen/tunnel-altona/ [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020].
2. Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen. (2017). Ausbau der BAB A 7 Abschnitt Altona: Informationsveranstaltung Kollegiensaal Rathaus Altona, 18. Januar 2017. Hamburg: Hamburg, Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen.
3. Boyer, M. (2011). Hamburg is Building a Giant Green Roof Cover Over Sections of the A7 Motorway. Inhabitat. [online] Available at: http://inhabitat.com/hamburg-is-building-a-giant-green-roof-cover-over-sections-of-the-a7-motorway/ [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020].
4. ec.europe.eu. (2017). European Green Capital. [online] Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/index_en.htm [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020].
5. Ministry of Environment and Energy. (2016). Hamburg – European Green Capital: 5 Years On: The city takes further. Hamburg: Ministry of Environment and Energy. Avilable at: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Hamburg-EGC-5-Years-On_web.pdf [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020]
6. Ministry of Urban Development and Environment and Ministry of Economy, Transport and Innovation. (2012) Open space and tranquillity: Improvement scheme and cover for the A7. Hamburg: Ministry of Urban Development and Environment and Ministry of Economy, Transport and Innovation. Available at: https://www.hamburg.de/contentblob/4018374/cc0787aa162bce5efba0cd3adcf6ec47/data/12-08-broschuere-gesamtprojekt-freiraum-und-ruhe-english.pdf;jsessionid=C29FE7DE6AC2B5B4ACB876D6FF8508E1.liveWorker2 [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020]
7. Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt. (2014). Hamburg 2030 - Green, inclusive, growing city by the water: Perspectives on Urban development in Hamburg. Hamburg: Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt. Available at: https://www.hamburg.de/contentblob/4357518/9ac11792edd8de17e3119e1396474718/data/broschuere-perspektiven-englisch).pdf;jsessionid=5568EF374D6BAFE5A8495884F7EB645F.liveWorker2 [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020]
8. V-kon.media GmbH. (2017). Deckel Altona. Hamburg. [image] Available at: http://www.hamburg.de/fernstrassen/tunnel-altona/ [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020].
9. Behörde für Wirtschaft und Innovation. (nd.) Die A 7 in Hamburg: Eine der höchsten Verkehrsbelastungen in Deutschland. [online]. Available at: https://www.hamburg.de/fernstrassen/vorgeschichte/ [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020]
10. Hochtief.com. (nd.) A7/Langenfeld Bridge, Hamburg, Germany. [online]. Available at: https://www.hochtief.com/activities/highlight-projects/europe/a7/langenfeld-bridge-hamburg-germany [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020]
11. Schleswig-Holstein. (nd.) Ausbau der A 7. [online]. Available at: https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/Fachinhalte/V/verkehrsinfrastruktur/a7_Hauptseite.html [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020]
12. Behörde für Wirtschaft und Innovation. (nd.) Die Finanzierung: Hamburg beteiligt sich. [online]. Available at: https://www.hamburg.de/fernstrassen/finanzierung/ [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020].
Additional comments
2020 comments:
The type of green roof is unknown
Comments and notes
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/visualisierung-altona-20160909.jpg
Public Images
Green Ribbon from Elbe to Volkspark - Hamburg-Altona Highway District Cover (2017)
Green Ribbon from Elbe to Volkspark - Hamburg-Altona Highway District Cover (2017)
LRW Architekten und Stadtplaner/BSW, retrieved 08/22/2018 from Anna Pilatz