Düsseldorf Initiates 'Grey out, Green in' Sealant Campaign - Questionable Leadership?
In a bid to combat climate change and enhance the cityscape, the city of Düsseldorf has launched a new funding program named 'Grey out, Green in'. The campaign aims to reduce paved or sealed areas in the city and replace them with plants, benefiting both the climate and biodiversity.
Mayor Dr. Stephan Keller and various city officials, including Renate Böhm from Pro Düsseldorf, the sustainability manager of Provinzial Marita Krüßel, and environmental department head Jochen Kral, presented the 'Grey out, Green in' sealing campaign. The goal is to make Düsseldorf a more livable city by increasing green public spaces.
Citizens can submit funding applications for the 'Grey out, Green in' campaign via the digital application portal at https://funding.duesseldorf.de/. The city offers uncomplicated funding for citizens who remove paved areas and replace them with plants. Those who remove paving stones in their garden or courtyard and remove sealed areas receive 25 euros per square meter of sealed area removed, with a minimum of five square meters.
The campaign encourages citizens to start greening areas in front of their own door on their own initiative. A video shows step by step how a sealed area is removed as part of the 'Grey out, Green in' campaign. Numerous surfaces in the street space could be greened, but a call to citizens to report public spaces that could be greened has not yet been made.
As part of the campaign, a pocket park was built on Alberstraße, and schoolyards are to be transformed into green movement and relaxation zones as part of the "Dream Schoolyards" project. The city provides support for private engagement financially, and the new sealing program is an important building block for the city to counteract the consequences of climate change.
Urban Planning Reforms, Investment in Green Infrastructure, Redevelopment Projects, Public-Private Partnerships, Environmental Sustainability Measures, Monitoring and Maintenance Programs, and Integration with Waste and Composting Programs are likely concrete municipal actions that the city of Düsseldorf is taking to implement their 'Grey out, Green in' campaign, although specific details are not yet documented in the provided sources.
Sealed areas, especially on sunny days, heat up strongly and contribute to the formation of heat islands. The fully paved market square in front of the town hall is completely sealed. The 'Grey out, Green in' campaign is a significant step towards creating a greener and more sustainable Düsseldorf.
- By replacing sealed areas with plants as part of the 'Grey out, Green in' campaign, the city of Düsseldorf aims to promote environmental-science and contribute to the fight against climate-change.
- The funding program, 'Grey out, Green in', encourages city residents to green their home-and-garden spaces as a lifestyle choice that benefits both the environment and local biodiversity.
- In line with the city's urban planning reforms and investment in green infrastructure, the 'Grey out, Green in' campaign represents a crucial initiative for Düsseldorf's broader efforts towards urban sustainability and counteracting climate-change effects.
