Objectives and content

Wilhelminian style courtyard in Prenzlauer Berg

Wilhelminian style courtyard in Prenzlauer Berg

Situation

The following circumstances have led, among others, to the development of a green characteristic value, the biotope area factor:

  • the high degree of soil sealing,
  • the insufficient accumulation of groundwater, caused by the rapid run-off of precipitation into the sewerage system
  • the lack of humidity and overheating,
  • the ever decreasing habitat for plants and animals due to insufficient green spaces

Modern cities need new ideas in order to compensate for deficits in open space in the highly densely populated urban districts and thus reduce environmental pollution.

Ein begrünter Hinterhof sorgt für mehr Lebensqualität.

Courtyard Sonnenallee 92

Objectives and content

According to the program for the protection of the landscape and of species, an important goal of urban development in Berlin is the reduction of the environmental impact in the city center. Improving the ecosystem’s functionality and promoting the development of biotopes, while maintaining the current land use, are central to this endeavor.
Similar to the urban planning parameters used in development planning, such as the gross floor area, the site occupancy index, and the floor space index, which regulate the dimensions of use structures, the BAF expresses the area portion of a plot of land that serves as a location for plants or assumes other functions for the ecosystem.
The BAF thereby contributes to standardizing and putting into concrete terms the following environmental quality goals:

  • Safeguarding and improving the microclimate and atmospheric hygiene,
  • Safeguarding and developing soil function and water balance,
  • Creating and enhancing the quality of the plant and animal habitat,
  • Improving the residential environment.

The BAF can be established with binding force in landscape plans for selected, similarly structured parts of the city.