Luxembourg unveils 'Eco-Urbanism' guide

Minister Claude Turmes presented his plan to reconcile city and nature

Luxembourg Minister of Energy and Spatial Planning Claude Turmes presented the new ‘Eco-Urbanism’ guide on 14 July. This guide is a tool to help the public and private sectors work towards the development of an eco-friendly urban environment and a better quality of life for the residents.

The ‘Eco-Urbanism’ guide provides a list of strategies and concepts for urban development that can be implemented on a local level, in order to foster the creation of so-called ‘eco-districts’. These eco-districts aim to promote and combine well-being and social diversity as well as rational use of natural resources while considering the ecological, spatial, social and economic characteristics of the project.

Urban planning needs to reconcile city and nature

The guide reflects the government’s desire to bolster ‘eco-urban’ planning on a local level, as Minister Turmes emphasised to need to go in a new direction, promoting sustainability, the human experience and respect for resources.

The guide is part of the overall approach of a regional planning policy that promotes the creation of neighbourhoods where the quality of life of citizens is at the heart of the project. The main drivers behind the outlined concepts are three objectives:

• promote eco-urban planning on the neighbourhood level by providing a frame of reference and innovative concepts;
• guide relevant developers to the creation eco-neighbourhoods;
• ensure consistency in the use of the term ‘eco-district’ in the Grand Dutchy of Luxembourg.

The guide is designed to do a couple of things at the same time when it comes to urban development and ‘eco-districts’. On the one hand, it aims to establish common terminology, stimulate innovation and urban experimentation. On the other hand, it is a checklist, that can be used as a tool for the effective implementation of objectives for sustainable development and construction regulation.

Claude Turmes elaborated on his rationale behind the guide saying: "It is important to inspire new forms for our living spaces: the way we live together, the way we consume our resources, the way we recycle our waste into the resources of tomorrow. We will need to find experimental grounds to test new ideas and different solutions. The proposals and examples of the guide can promote this experiment ".