City heat zone: Justification has been difficult for years
politics
The city of Salzburg wants more trees, bushes and hedges in the metropolitan area – on streets, squares and on and around buildings. Because many urban areas are sealed with asphalt and concrete, the heat builds up in summer. More plants should help. People have been talking and demanding for centuries – apparently so far.
According to experts, increasing heat zones are forming in Salzburg. The districts of Schallmoos and the right and left old town are the heat poles in summer. In the city center in particular, little or nothing happens. The Residenzplatz was freshly paved a few years ago. More green? none. The two monumental chestnut trees in front of the Heimatwerk were only allowed to stop once for the project.
In addition, hardly any trees – despite many confessions
Kajetanerplatz offers a similar picture. It’s “redesigned”, as politicians say. There is a fountain but no plants on most of it. Only at the edge are a few young trees. However, they still have to grow in order to provide even more shade.
A row of trees like this has been fought over for years at the bus terminal on Paris-Lodron-Strasse on the right-hand side of the old town. So far, only a few oversized potted plants with thin canopies have come out. In the city center in particular, cooling green is difficult to implement, says Stefan Kunze from the Office for Urban Planning: “It’s always an ongoing discussion process. What is higher rank? Preservation of the site or the issue of greening in this historic city where centuries ago it was not such an issue.”
Vice Mayor proud of “green space number”
At a press conference on Tuesday, city politicians said they would imagine things to be different in the future. At least in the case of new buildings, a certain proportion should be pursued with green facades or roofs, says Deputy Mayor Barbara Unterkofler (ÖVP), who is responsible for urban planning: “We have the private building sites where it comes down to: How do we green them? We developed the green area number. We are pioneers in Austria. It indicates the degree of justification on the building. We have to turn all the screws.”