Ludwigsburg receives another red card: Heat alarm strikes back!

Ludwigsburg receives another red card: Heat alarm strikes back!

The German Environmental Aid (DUH) has carried out its current heat check, and the result for Ludwigsburg is sobering: the city receives another red card. Ludwigsburg already performed poorly in this comparison last year, and the latest data shows that the situation has not improved. With surface temperatures of over 36 degrees in summer, the city is heating up significantly, which is primarily facilitated by the dense development and large sealed areas in the city center. Over 50% of the total area in Ludwigsburg is sealed, while only about 2% is covered by trees, hedges or flowering plants, like Stuttgarter News reported.

A high level of surface sealing is problematic for a city, especially in times of climate change. Materials such as concrete, glass and metal retain heat and lead to higher nighttime temperatures. According to the LUBW, last year was the warmest since weather records began in Germany. The main causes of heat stress include the lack of green spaces and sealing, which can also be observed in other cities such as Heilbronn and Regensburg, which also failed the heat check, while Ludwigsburg, along with Ludwigshafen and Ingolstadt, is one of the few cities that received a red card [DUH].

Measures to improve the situation

Mayor Matthias Knecht emphasizes that the city is actively keeping an eye on the problem of heat stress. A climate adaptation concept, which was adopted in 2016, is intended to help improve the situation. The planned measures include the renovation of Arsenalplatz and the creation of so-called “cool stepping stones”. In addition, the greening of Karlsplatz is another project that should be tackled.

The heat check is based on satellite data that enables an analysis of 190 cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. The comparison shows that a large number of urban areas in Germany are confronted with high levels of imperviousness and little green space. In total, 24 cities received a red card, 82 a yellow card and 84 a green card. Despite the serious situation, the DUH is calling on the federal government to stop sealing areas by 2035 and to introduce mandatory green areas.

Climate change as a challenge

The challenge for cities like Ludwigsburg is compounded by the continuous loss of large trees and the associated serious impact on the cooling effect in urban areas. Urban planners and scientists emphasize the need for recreational areas and green spaces within metropolitan areas. Inconsistent data collection by the federal states makes it difficult to implement the necessary measures, but the use of satellite data is considered an important planning tool for future climate adaptation.