September 2, 2024, 4:14 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
In Germany, more than 75 percent of the population lives in large cities. Especially in summer, they are drawn to the great outdoors. However, not every city dweller has the same opportunities to relax in a park or enjoy a break in the shade of a tree. Deutsche Umwelthilfe (German Environmental Aid) has investigated how much green space 190 cities in Germany have in relation to the amount of land they cover. TRAVELBOOK presents the winners.
In the summer, as temperatures regularly soar above twenty degrees Celsius, numerous urbanites escape the confines of their apartments to seek refuge in the nearby parks and green spaces. Regrettably, many German cities have extensive impervious surfaces and insufficient cooling greenery, falling short of shielding their residents from the sweltering heat. A study by Deutsche Umwelthilfe illustrates this. The analysis, drawing on data from Potsdamer Luftbild Umwelt Planung GmbH, demonstrates the correlation between urban areas sealed by buildings, roads, and similar structures and the extent of greenery present within a city. A total of 24 cities receive a red card, 82 a yellow card, and 84 a green card. Some cities are particularly impressive in ranking the greenest cities in Germany.
Detmold is the greenest city in Germany
With only 35 percent of its area impenetrable, Detmold boasts the lowest level of urban imperviousness. This compares to the national average of about 45 percent. Detmold provides the most green space per square meter. This puts the Lippe “residence” at the top of the list in Germany. The positive assessment of Detmold’s green spaces delighted Mayor Frank Hilker, according to the town’s official website. “[…] The ranking [is] a confirmation of our course to deal with land consumption in the city with a sense of proportion and to think today about the effects of current decisions on tomorrow.”
As stated on its official website, Detmold is actively pursuing a path toward climate neutrality. Detmold is the only city in East Westphalia-Lippe that has been certified to potentially meet the Paris climate protection targets by 2035 through its own initiatives. Ratingen and Potsdam follow in second and third place among Germany’s greenest cities.
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Top 9 greenest cities in Germany
The evaluation of Germany’s greenest cities draws upon satellite imagery from 2023 and geographical data provided by the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy. In this assessment, a greater emphasis was placed on the extent of sealing in residential and traffic areas, alongside the volume of greenery, to determine the rankings. The following cities are distinguished by their abundant green vegetation:
- Detmold
- Ratingen
- Potsdam
- Jena
- Hattingen
- Mülheim an der Ruhr
- Gummersbach
- Stolberg (Rhineland)
- Witten