Ensuring Sustainability in Brownfield Revitalisation as PDF

WORKING TOWARDS MORE EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE
BROWNFIELD REVITALISATION POLICIES
ENSURING SUSTAINABILITY IN
BROWNFIELD REVITALISATION

Contents
Introduction 2
Sustainability Evaluation Process for Brownfield Sites 4
Environmental Profile Process 12
Gemeentelijke Praktijk Richtlijn - GPR 23
A Model for Assessing Sustainable Development of New Buildings
GPR Software Trial - Stuttgart 27
Participation in Sustainability Evaluation 39
Further Information 44

Further Information
Information flow and continuous learning is crucial for any project’s
success. The outputs from the REVIT project are as manifold and complex
as the revitalisation process of a brownfield site itself. REVIT has developed
an innovative way to share the information gained from this project to guide
others through this complex network of information in a way that is easy to
follow, but one that illustrates that the key REVIT issues are all interconnected
and should not be considered out of context of the whole.
All the project outputs are available in electronic format and can be accessed
free of charge via the Internet in the form of the REVIT Self-Guiding Trail.
Contained in this are:
■ background studies
■ reports on assessment of transnational formal/legal differences
■ written presentations of best practice examples
■ articles and lessons learnt from joint pilot projects
■ checklists and toolkits
REVIT Self-Guiding Trail
The internet-based REVIT Self-Guiding Trail is designed to provide experts,
practitioners and students with a guided route to access information from
the experiences, recommendations, new findings and innovative methodologies
of the REVIT project. The information has been structured in such as way as
to allow each visitor to find the appropriate detail of information they are
looking for: through a tiered system of categorised information and links to
documents, starting with simple recommendations and leading to more
detailed documentation should the visitor wish to know more.
The REVIT Self-Guiding Trail starts with the recommendations that were
developed for each specific key topic regarding brownfield redevelopment.
From these core recommendations, the trail leads to the key facts on
which the recommendations were built; developed through the
methodological and technical exercises of the project. Thus, the visitor will
understand the background as to why the recommendations were made. If
more detailed information is needed, each key fact links through to original
detailed reports or studies.
In addition to this guided route, short cuts are also possible at each level.
For example, from the main starting page there is a direct link to the
detailed reports, by-passing the recommendations and key facts.
The REVIT Self-Guiding Trail can be accessed without time-consuming
searches with keywords, and avoids the unintended participation that can
occur through an interactive learning course, where often too much detail
can result in a loss of sight for the essential facts.
The REVIT Self-Guiding Trail can be found at:
www.revit-nweurope.org/selfguidingtrail
43

Introduction
Sustainable Development Evaluation and the Promotion and Preservation
of Industrial Heritage are two sets of issues that are key to the
contribution of successful revitalisation of brownfield sites. An EU
Transnational partnership project called REVIT, funded by INTERREG IIIB,
has researched these issues through the collaborative working of six
participating partners from four different countries: Germany, France,
Netherlands and UK. The result has been the development and sharing of
new ways to approach sustainable development and industrial heritage and
to capitalise on their contribution to regenerating different types of
brownfield sites.
Sustainable Development includes balancing environmental, economic and
social needs within the context of brownfield site redevelopment. EU policy
and legislation, driven by the Gothenburg Agenda, places obligations on
developers to consider and mitigate the negative impacts of redeveloping
brownfield sites through an evaluation of sustainable development
indicators, setting targets and then taking the appropriate action to
ensure that revitalisation meets minimum legal as well as social, economic
and environmental obligations.
The redevelopment of brownfield sites requires a full assessment of the
environmental factors, such as the potential soil and water contamination
as well as reviewing the ecology of the area. Remediation strategies and
techniques can then be considered once a full understanding of a site is
known. The cost of cleaning a site then has to be assessed against
economic criteria based on the future use of the site and this in turn
should be supported by a wide range of stakeholders. Thus the
process of sustainable development is one of reviewing each
stage in the process. This can be a daunting task and the
difficulty is often the large number of sustainability
indicators that are available to be chosen to assess a
potential site.
Research undertaken for the REVIT project has shown that
each country - and even regions within different countries
- has developed its own sets of sustainable indicators and
targets. It was hoped that a common set of indicators
could be applied to all brownfield site redevelopment at an
EU level, however this has not proved possible. This is because
each country has its own environmental legislation requirements
and local policies, both influencing the choice of sustainable
indicators. The REVIT project has however developed a methodology
to evaluate sustainable development based on selecting an appropriate set
2

Dredging - Medway
of indicators that are site specific, which takes account of local policies
and legislation as well as wider spatial planning issues. This methodology is
based on agreeing a vision for the site and then, through an appropriate
stakeholder forum, selecting relevant sustainable targets, based on
different scales of development, and applying these to the site.
One of the components to the assessment of sustainable development is
reviewing the former use of a site based on its social history, industrial or
other uses, artefacts and buildings. The REVIT Demonstration Sites show
that these components are important considerations as a site is often
able to capitalize on reusing its former buildings to create a unique
character in the future. In some cases industrial heritage may be
protected and will need to be preserved. This takes specialist skills and
experience. In other cases the distinct characteristic of a site can be
successfully promoted, giving a new lease of life and helping to market a
site whilst respecting its former use.
In this publication you will find information on the research behind
developing methodologies to evaluate and manage sustainable development
issues on brownfield sites. In addition case studies will show the practical
uses of these methods.
3

Sustainabilty Evaluation
Process for Brownfield Sites
Brownfield sites generally have a bad press regarding their status within
the realms of urban development. This is not without foundation.
Brownfield sites are often associated with: high risks of development,
including contaminated land and ground water; structural problems with
land and buildings; high costs of remediation and development; and a poor
perception amongst local stakeholders. If this is not sufficient to quell
enthusiasm for renewing brownfield sites, then the length of time, planning
issues, and funding opportunities for reuse, present further obstacles.
This series of pessimistic outlooks can be viewed differently with a more
optimistic approach, i.e. that brownfield sites present opportunities to
realise sustainable development improvements and thus they can have a
positive impact on the environment, local or regional economy and the
social capital of previously blighted areas.
This positive approach however, requires credible improvements to be
made over the long term, which can be quoted, verified and marketed with
confidence. This in turn requires a method of establishing a sustainable
development status baseline together with an evaluation system and a way
of measuring improvements.
Rochester Riverside - Regeneration
Researching, developing and applying a common set of sustainable
development indicators and an evaluation process to the development of
brownfield sites has been one of the ambitions of the REVIT project. Initial
research reviewed the legal and institutional frameworks that set the
context for sustainable development in each partner country; i.e. what are
the key drivers and policy issues? The results of this research show that it
is not possible to develop a common set of sustainable development
indicators and targets for brownfield sites across the EU. The reason for
this is that each country - and even regions within countries - has distinct
policies, legislation and approaches to sustainable development, which may
have many common characteristics but also have unique requirements that
cannot be universally applied.
The REVIT project has thus developed a methodology that can apply
sustainable development principles to individual sites, through an iterative
and integrated approach, where both EU and local targets to improve the
status of the environment, economic and social well-being are continually
assessed and addressed.
Nantes Regeneration
4

The Sustainability Evaluation Process
The process of sustainability evaluation requires two main elements:
■ Sustainability objectives, against which project parameters are
weighted
■ A methodology, which sets targets, measures and shows if, and/or how
sustainable development issues have been addressed within a project.
The Sustainability Evaluation Process developed by the REVIT project and
illustrated in the flow diagram below shows at its apex three
interconnected elements: the site, its context and its vision.
GENERAL CONTEXT
SUSTAINABLE SITE
LOCATION
• Sustainability
Assessment &
Integration
Procedure
Selection
• relevant specific
key-data
requirements
PROJECT VISION
PROJECT CONTEXT
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
• EIA
• is SEA required?
• is Master Plan
required?
• do Sustainable
Building standards
apply?
SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT & INTEGRATION
objective-specific analysis, prioritisation and weighing evaluation
REVISED SUSTAINABLE
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
PROJECT SCOPE
PROJECT TARGETS
& INDICATORS
MANAGEMENT PLAN
AUDIT
5

The first stage requires a full evaluation of these elements in order to
provide a firm vision for the site. Within the general context the following
issues should be considered:
Qualitative and Quantitative Data, describing the current regional
situation in respect of sustainability issues, e.g.:
■ environmental
■ social
■ economic
Master Plan for Clarence Corner, Torfaen
■ institutional
Strategic Planning
■ regional/urban development concepts
■ regional/urban land use plans
■ other documents setting current and future situation of area
Four Key Steps in the Process
The following framework sets out the sequence and processes to be used
to agree sustainable indicators, set targets and monitor performance:
Step 5 Step 4 Step 3 Step 2 Step 1
Define the
Vision
Define the
Objective
Determine an appropriate
planning scale and
strategic weighting
Evaluate, refine, select
and agree indicators,
targets and measures
Produce a
Strategic Weighting
Statement
Produce a Statement of
Targets and Measures
Produce a Sustainable Development Management
Plan including monitoring and reporting framework
Produce an Audit
and Review Report
Define the
Scope
Research
the Context
6

Step 1
Define the
Vision
Define the
Objective
Define the
Scope
Research
the Context
Step 2
A clear vision for the brownfield redevelopment is
essential before any further assessment and
development of sustainable development indicators and
targets can continue.
A set of clear ‘SMART’ objectives is required in order to
focus and agree the scope of the sustainable
development evaluation process.
The Scope of the project or phase needs to be agreed
and stated; i.e. is the sustainability evaluation process
being undertaken on the whole project or is it for a
particular phase - e.g. the Master Plan or reclamation
phase - or for construction?
It is important that baseline information is available about
the site in order to undertake an evaluation. It is thus also
important that all those taking part in the evaluation have
prior access and are fully briefed on this information.
A Vision - Hengelo
Selecting a scale appropriate to the development to agree a strategic weighting.
To ensure optimum data availability and the cost-effectiveness of the
indicators selected to monitor the project impact, the process suggests
that administrative units to be used are at the following scales - 1:10,000
(area planning). 1:2,500 (master plans) and 1:500 (buildings and
infrastructure). In addition project-specific indicators should be costeffective
in terms of data needs and monitoring requirements.
In order to develop a strategic weighting for the development - e.g. ‘the
sustainable development bias’, using economic, social and environmental
elements - the appropriate scale should be chosen to review sustainable
development issues based on the present condition (context) and the
opportunities that the development potentially has. On the basis of this review,
a strategic weighting can be developed before reviewing in more detail
indicators and measures to set sustainable development targets and measures.
It is suggested that the project team, and where appropriate key stakeholders,
work through this list and evaluate the indicators as they pertain to the current
status of the development (context) as well as the opportunities perceived
to integrate these into the redevelopment of a specific brownfield site.
Strategic Weighting - Hart Van Zuid - Hengelo
Select Indicators
on Scale
Determine
Strategic Weighting
Produce
Statement of
Strategic Weighting
Environment - Economy - Social Equity
7

Step 3
Selection of sustainable development indicators and targets
Evaluate, refine, select and agree
indicators, targets and measures
Each project should have an agreed set of sustainable development
indicators and targets. These can be chosen by using a number of methods
to agree the targets and measures appropriate for the site, but as a
minimum the team should:
■ consider how the project/strategy contributes to each objective, and
reach a consensus
■ identify ‘key issues’ and suggest solutions
■ use the following scale when considering the compatibility of the
proposed activity with the objectives:
U Undermining - significantly undermines the objective
P Poor - does not fully explore the potential to contribute to the
objective
N Neutral - does not contribute to the objective
F Fair - makes some direct or significant indirect contribution
Indicators and Targets - Monitoring
G Good - makes a significant positive contribution
E Excellent - makes a close to optimal contribution to the objective
Regarding the methodology of sustainability measurement, two examples
are cited:
1. Methodology for Sustainability Integration and Appraisal developed
by the Welsh Development Agency (WDA). The process of
sustainable integration in this document is introduced as a more
positive and realistic approach. This means:
‘finding ways of pursuing each objective with the minimum of harm
to others, and where choices between objectives are inevitable, to
be explicit and democratic about the choices’
Data Collection
The process can also be defined as ‘Conflict Minimisation’ – finding
solutions which reduce (but not necessarily fully overcome)
conflicts between different objectives. When key conflicts are
identified, these are treated as a ‘Crunch Issue’, and ways of
reducing or resolving them are searched for and agreed.
8

2. An alternative option to the methodology provided by the WDA is the
tool for sustainability assessment developed by the RESCUE project
team. The purpose of the RESCUE - ‘Sustainability Assessment Tool’
(SAT) is to provide a methodology that considers sustainability
criteria from a local and regional context perspective, together with
conflicting priorities to assess future brownfield regeneration
projects in terms of site-/local-specific sustainability. This approach
provides support for funding and/or permission decisions. A full
description of the SAT is available at: www.rescue-europe.com
The process of agreeing on the sustainable objectives of a site has to be
based on agreements achieved through discussion between institutional
and non-institutional stakeholders affected by the project. The depth of
participatory approach depends in reality on conditions such as owner
attitude, scale of project and quality and level of local governance culture.
Public Meeting-Medway
To be sure that stakeholders’ participation will bring desired outcomes, the
process has to be professionally designed and integrated with other
project activities from the earliest stages and adjusted to local conditions.
To design and implement a process of stakeholder engagement it is
advised to use professional guides and manuals providing a theoretical
overview of the topic together with practical indications regarding optimal
project-specific conditions, methods and tools. For example, ‘Stakeholder
Engagement - A Toolkit’, prepared by the REVIT project.
This process of agreeing the sustainable objectives of a site may require a
revision to the original objectives, and in some cases altering or changing
the vision for the site. The proposed process allows for cycles of changes
to take place on an iterative basis. Once the objectives have been agreed
then the appropriate tools and targets, indicators and measuring
techniques can be selected. This in turn leads to a management plan to
control this process throughout the duration of the project, reporting
variances to agreed tolerances, verifying compliance and reporting results.
Finally, an audit process will ensure that the results are verifiable and the
sustainable benefits of the project are credible, as well as ensuring that
the project plan’s aims and objectives have been met.
Produce a Statement of
Targets and Measures
Step 4
A sustainable development management plan with a monitoring and
reporting framework should be created, based on the selected and agreed
indicators, targets and measures.
Produce a Sustainable Development Management
Plan + Monitoring and Reporting Process
9

Step 5
An audit checklist and system must be set up to review how well the
sustainable development targets and outcomes are being met during the
development as well as after it has been completed.
Produce an Audit and Review Report
Tools for sustainability evaluation
A set of checklists has been developed by the REVIT project to assist with
evaluating sustainable development issues on brownfield sites.
The 5-Minute Sustainable Development Brownfield Site Checklist
Has a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) been undertaken?
Has a Multi-Criteria Assessment (MCA) been undertaken?
Has a Life Cycle Costing (LCC) been undertaken?
Reviewing Plans - Stuttgart
Has a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) been completed?
Has an Environmental Impact Assessment been completed?
Has a Heritage Impact Assessment been completed?
Do the Strategic Environmental Assessment requirements apply?
Do Environmental Building standards apply?
Has a strategy of stakeholders engagement been developed?
Has a strategy for site marketing been drawn up?
Has a strategic sustainable development weighting been undertaken?
Has a sustainable development management plan been completed?
Has an environmental audit been completed?
Have financial costs and risks been assessed?
Checklist to Identify Type of Project
Strategy/programme
Master plan
Single site
Cluster of sites
Regeneration/redevelopment
New development
Urban area
Rural area
Mixed use area
Other ………………………………………………………
10

Checklist to Identify Stage of Project
Initiating phase
Characterisation phase
Planning/design phase
Preparation of project implementation phase
Implementation phase
Closure phase
Checklist to Identify Polices and
Strategic Documents Relevant to the Project
Checklist - Stuttgart
Regional Development Strategy
Area regeneration strategy
Economic strategy
Landscape strategy
Community development strategy/plan
Regeneration masterplan
Area action plans
Sustainable Development
Waste Framework Directive
SEA Directive
EIA Directive
Other……………………………………………..
Conclusions
A common set of sustainable indicators and an evaluation process to the
development of brownfield sites at an EU or even national level is not
practical or possible. What is important is that sustainable development
issues are integrated into brownfield projects from the start. This requires
an explicit set of aims and objectives to be agreed as to how each
brownfield site is expected to respond to the sustainable development
agenda. A key question to be determined at the outset is the weighting of
a new project based on its potential bias towards the environment,
economic growth or social improvements. Each of these or a mix thereof
will present different sets of indicators, targets and aims for a project to
attain a unique status of sustainable development.
The REVIT Sustainable Evaluation Process allows for the respect of individual
circumstances related to brownfield sites and their proposed development,
as well as providing for an iterative approach required to respond to
changes that inevitably occur during long-term and complex projects.
11

Environmental Profile Process
The Municipality of Tilburg, one of the REVIT Partners,
has developed three different tools that integrate
environmental themes into spatial plans. These are:
Introduction
The Environmental Profile Process; the sustainable
building tool [Gemeentelijke Praktijk Richtlijn - (GPR)];
and the Industrial Estate Atlas. This report describes
the key aspects of the Environmental Profile Process.
This method complements the REVIT Sustainability Evaluation Process
since it proposes a methodology for agreeing and deciding the weighting of
sustainable development issues of a proposed development.
The way in which this is done is that the Municipality of Tilburg draws up an
appropriate environmental profile per project to ensure that these are
integrated into the overall environmental spatial development planning and
building strategies for the region. This methodology ensures that all
relevant stakeholders are engaged in redevelopment proposals and that
ambitions for improved sustainable development are constantly addressed.
In this respect, Tilburg takes into account the environmental
characteristics, the (future) use and the market factors for an area under
development. The appropriate environmental profile provides the parties
with the opportunities for new thinking and a framework of assessment
for the project. The following describes the motivation, positioning and
components of the environmental profile and its application in a renovation
project in Tilburg.
Environmental Profile Process
Based on article written by Mr. R.J.W. Rothengatter (RLoC, Amsterdam, www.rloc.nl)
12

The Municipality of Tilburg has to use the scarce
space in the city to its maximum efficiency. Under the
motto ‘city of contrasts’ the municipality aims to make
Background
better use of the city’s qualities and at the same time
restrict the pressure of urbanisation on the outlying
areas. According to the ‘Ruimtelijke Structuurvisie
Tilburg 2020’ (structural vision on spatial development),
parts of the city will be transformed into varied and sustainable
neighbourhoods in the next few years. The transformation will result in
more spacious neighbourhoods that are greener and include water as a key
feature. The vision also foresees that in specific locations the city will have
areas of higher density. These developments offer great opportunities, but
also hold a number of threats for the quality of the local environment.
An integral approach is essential for achieving
desired environmental quality. On the one hand
there is a need to tackle redevelopment
pragmatically, and on the other, to prevent new
environmental risks and threats as a result of
development. Redevelopment typically begins with
the formulation of redevelopment plans. Here
choices have to be made to maximise the
opportunities for environmental improvements
from the planning process to implementation.
Tilburg is supported by the national government
as it has given the municipality more responsibility
to agree its own quality criteria for local
Future home and work environments in Tilburg
environment issues. The national environmental (Source: Ruimtelijke structuurvisie 2020, municipality of Tilburg, 2004)
standards only safeguard minimum levels of
attainment in the fields of environment and public health. Without
differentiation at local level there is the risk of standardisation where a
minimum level of quality is maintained and where unnecessary or basic
standards may be applied too rigidly, with the result that the desired
spatial development does not take place. In this respect the solution is an
area-oriented approach that is ‘custom designed’.
Tilburg responded by developing an instrument that will support
environmental policy in spatial development projects from the very
beginning of the planning process. In the last few years, the municipality
has drawn up an environmental profile for every major (re)development
location. With the help of this profile higher environmental project targets
can be identified. In this way the municipality-wide desire for sustainable
regional development has been translated into concrete environmental
goals at an area level and with buildings using the GPR tool. This takes into
account that the accent in terms of environmental quality differs from
neighbourhood to neighbourhood and even from street to street.
13

The Process
Many environmental goals do not arise from legal obligations but from
future-oriented improvement opportunities. Stakeholders must therefore
be informed about new possibilities and opportunities and to be convinced
as to their usefulness and necessity. Tilburg uses the environmental profile
to make the following aspects clear in spatial development projects:
a) The relevant environmental quality criteria
In the Environmental Profile Process the municipality presents the
applicable legal and municipal environmental criteria in a clear way.
Tilburg’s environmental policy, for example, contains ten themes
that have to be taken into account during city planning
developments: water, green areas and nature, mobility, use of
space, noise, air, soil, external safety, energy and waste. The
environmental profile makes clear which of these environmental
aspects are relevant for the project in question.
b) The accents in opportunities and tasks
The same (high) levels of environmental quality cannot and need not
be attained everywhere. Selectivity is considered necessary. Thus,
in the Environmental Profile Process, special attention is given to
the critical feasibility test for environmental ambitions. In this
context the added value of the environmental goals for the plan
have to be made clear to the parties involved. The co-operation of
all development partners is essential for achieving these goals that
often exceed legislation requirements. One of the innovative tools
that are used in this process is that of imagery. Images of new
technologies and successful projects aim to stimulate the relevant
planners and stakeholders to advance their thinking beyond merely
complying with the minimum legal requirements. Development
parties may be persuaded by pointing out the ease of use and how
these have been applied elsewhere as well as showing the cost
savings that can be achieved. The Environmental Profile Process
serves the municipality during the various project phases by giving
an attractive view of the environmental opportunities and tasks.
c) The activities and agreements
When environmental opportunities are identified in a project, there
is still often a long way to go before they can be agreed upon and
implemented. Agreements are thus important, including feasibility
studies, variation studies, etc., as well as agreements about the
way in which the intended environmental quality level can be
guaranteed. It is advisable for purposes of continuity that all
agreements are recorded. Points of departure, preconditions and
parties may change, and parts of the plan may be altered or
highlighted during the development stage. That means that the
environmental profile has a progressive nature and is not static.
Design for Living
14

An essential aspect for the success of the
environmental input is its contiguity with the
The Planning development of the planning process, both in terms of
Process the process itself and the substance of the process.
The creation of the environmental profile should take
place alongside the planning process in order to
produce a meaningful profile. A spatial development
area with various sub-projects may have a number of different
environmental profiles.
Attractive instead of restrictive
In Tilburg, for example, it is important that the environmental input
supports the distinctive character of the various neighbourhoods as is
striven in wider city planning policy. An essential factor in the process is
that the relevant environmental information is supplied at the right time.
Timely debate about ambitions and bottlenecks makes it possible for the
parties to search for integral solutions together. Local water management
and healthy living conditions may then become attractive subjects for
discussion instead of restrictive pre-conditions.
Defining the Needs
The Environmental Profile Process plays a key role in the whole planning
process. This role changes in different spatial development phases from
initiation, definition, design, adoption and implementation, including
management. As in planning, the environmental profile continuously
becomes more defined as the process continues. The correlation between
the customary planning project phases and the input from the
environmental profile is as follows:
■ initiation: the first draft of an environmental profile provides
research questions for a good reconnaissance and analysis of the
planning process
Agreeing the Use
■ definition: the environmental profile contains the initial objectives,
the environmental programme of demands as part of the programme
of demands
■ design/vision: the environmental profile is highlighted in conjunction
with other programme aspects. The environmental profile is
presented in an attractive way for the involved parties in terms of its
further development
■ embedding in the formal spatial development plan (art. 19 procedure
or zoning plan) and the project agreement; the environmental profile
provides components for the basis of the spatial development and
the environmental paragraph (elucidation of the plan) and possibly
regulations.
15

Functions of the environmental profile change with the planning process
Project phase Role environment Function environmental
profile
Relation spatial
development process
Initiation phase
(reconnaissance)
■ Global inventory and
environmental analysis
■ Defining of weighting and
research questions
■ Research questions
■ Inclusion in brief
■ Inclusion in brief of points
of departure
Definition phase
(programme of demands)
■ Analysis: environmental
research
■ Determine environmental
criteria, preconditions and
targets
■ Presentation of
environmental analysis:
relevant quality criteria,
basic qualities and goals
from the environmental
point of view
■ Inclusion criteria in
programme of demands
■ Follow-up activities
feasibility quality criteria
Design/vision phase
(architectural,
development plan,
master plan)
■ Co-ordinating and
weighing up: input of
environmental targets
into the integral planning
process
■ Attractive presentation of
the environmental profile
and crucial environmental
accents for further
development
■ Inspire involved parties
■ Work out design, vision
■ Inclusion of profile in
vision of spatial
development product
Determination phase
(zoning plan, project
decision, agreement)
■ Supplying components
spatial development basis,
environmental paragraph
and regulations
■ Starting point for legal
arrangements and
elucidation in spatial
development plan,
project agreement
■ Embedding as far as
desirable and possible in
spatial development product
■ Elucidation in spatial
development product
Realization phase
(building plan,
organizational plan)
■ Supervision and monitoring
of environmental quality of
building
■ Profile building criteria
(GPR building)
■ Continuation of GPR
criteria in building plans
User phase
(management programme,
park management)
■ Monitoring environmental
quality of area, maintenance
■ Description quality
objectives for
management programme
■ Inclusion in management
product
Parts of the environmental profile are building blocks for subsequent
spatial development products, such as the programme demands, master
plan, zoning plan, project agreement and building plan. This process helps to
reinforce the cohesion of the environmental input throughout the planning
phases as the various parties pass on the responsibility to each other
(such as urban developer to architect, contractor and consumer). This
requires consultation at an early stage between the project leader and the
representative from the Environmental Department regarding the input of
the environmental profile and the activities, defined responsibilities and
arising costs.
16

Determining Environmental Goals
Factors for developing a suitable environmental profile for a project include:
a) The actual and the desired type of living/working environment
The functional spatial development characteristics of an area, such as
the functions and degree of mixed use, the density, the user-intensity
and accessibility, affect the opportunities and restrictions for achieving
environmental objectives. The correlation between area characteristics
and quality aspects can be found in area profiles. To determine the
actual and desired living/working environments, the municipal urban
planning policy, together with the economic and housing policies, offers
points of departure and descriptions. For example, Tilburg introduced
housing profiles in its WoonVisie 2002. Furthermore, these areas of
policy focus increasingly on qualitative objectives in respect of safety,
sustainability, etc. Through careful consultation it is possible to make
relatively easy links between these different profiles.
b) Location-specific circumstances
The traffic and transport network, the water system and the natural
assets of an area to a large extent decide the direction of sustainable
spatial development. In this respect environmental issues play a crucial
role in determining the type of transformation that can be expected.
An environmental profile focuses not only on the quality of the area but
looks also at its future in the context of the city plan. The strategy of
making optimum use of the road network, for example, entails making
intensive use of transport junctions, by condensing the surrounding
areas with (large) urban environments, which, in turn, require good
accessibility. The downside is greater noise pollution.
The application of the ‘layer approach’ helps to make the
characteristics of the subsoil, the infrastructure and the human usage
clear and coherent. This type of analysis is carried out in many
municipalities in the context of a structural vision on spatial
development. Other environmental characteristics in the area may also
be essential for the desired living/working environment, such as largescale
soil pollution (from former gas plants, refuse dumps, etc.) or
location near a regional industrial estate, motorway, etc.
Infrastructure is co-determinant for
environmental profile
(Source: Ruimtelijke structuurvisie 2020,
municipality of Tilburg)
The Ministry for Housing, Regional Development and the Environment
introduced the ‘layer approach’ in the Fifth Memorandum on Regional
Development in 2000. It is a method of spatial development analysis
that presents the spatial development reality in three layers: the
physical substratum (soil structure and water system), the
infrastructural networks and the occupation pattern (human usage).
The aim is to be able to make a careful spatial development appraisal by
taking into account the differences in the rate of change of the various
layers. Soil and water, for example, have a very long history of
development and are vulnerable, which means that the substratum
should be strongly determinant for new spatial development.
Layer approach
17

c) The perception and wishes of the market parties and (future) users
Consultation with developers and other interested parties in the area
can provide valuable insights into the feasibility of environmental goals.
Innovation is largely a result of market forces where cost-benefit
analysis can show long-term gains. Governments also have a role to
play, and they can impose goals and/or provide additional investment,
subsidies and maintenance budgets. An example of this is the public
tender put out by the municipality of Almere for the power supply to a
new housing estate, which included the condition that at least a 50%
reduction of CO2 should be achieved, compared to a regular power
supply. This led to a facility with a CO2 reduction of 90%. In general,
however there is still too little historical-based information regarding
the cost-effectiveness of environmentally-based technologies.
3. Components of the Environmental Profile
The environmental profile for projects in Tilburg consists of two components:
The first part is the summary of environmental qualities which shows
schematically per quality:
Perceptions
■ the quality indicator: the criterion with which the intended environmental
quality is expressed for the project.
The municipal environmental demands and wishes are preferably
expressed in the environmental profile with the help of indicators.
Measure-oriented criteria, such as ‘the use of solar energy’, or
qualitative goals, such as ‘compact building’ are not very directional or
measurable. A performance-oriented formulation of quality goals works
well, such as the ‘energy performance at location’ (EPL). The advantage
of this is that finding solutions for realizing the desired performance is
left entirely up to the developing party.
■ the basic quality: the minimum quality according to legal or policy
regulations for the assignment in question.
The lower limit is normally formed by statutory minimum levels or
maximum permissible risk (MPR). In some cases municipal policy leads to
a different (higher) basic quality being formulated. For example it may be
decided that the (good) existing risk situation should be taken as
starting point for plans (standstill).
■ the area ambition: the plusses, taking into account the local circumstances.
To facilitate national policy, a more far-reaching ambition per
environmental aspect is formulated for the projects in addition to the
‘basic’ environmental quality wherever possible and relevant. In this way a
set of bandwidths is created for environmental aspects per plan area.
This provides space for assessment for spatial development initiatives.
■ actions; the necessary activities for the further achievement of the
intended quality.
■ accents at building level; the continued effect of the selected goals on
the building [the ‘Gemeentelijke Praktijk Richtlijn-GPR (Municipal Practical
Guideline)].
18

Examples of environmental performance measures for a spatial
development project are shown in the table below:
Environmental theme
Performance
soil ■ Soil sanitation performance units
energy ■ Energy Performance at Location (EPL) for area
development
■ Energy Performance Coefficient (EPC) for the
building level
external safety ■ (Vulnerable) functions within risk contours
noise ■ (Number of) residences suffering noise hindrance,
divided into classes of noise
odour ■ Number of persons suffering from (seriously)
offensive odour
air ■ Surface area below the limit for nitrogen dioxide
(NO2) and particulate matter in air (PM10)
mobility ■ Accessibility of residences / places of work by
public transport (average distance)
■ Comfortable and safe cycle paths
■ Parking standards
nature ■ Protected natural areas
use of space ■ Floor space index (net or gross)
It is advisable to discuss the use and assessment of indicators in projects
with both the project leader and the experts involved. This component is
intended as a working document for specialists and the project leader.
Aspects are highlighted according to the phase of the planning
development and the insights into the feasibility of the goals.
The second component, the environmental profile, focuses on information
regarding opportunities for improvement. It is crucial for the communication
of the environmental message that the environmental goals contribute to
the improvement of the entire quality of the plan. The environmental profile
should translate the environmental inventory data as far as possible into
development-oriented information. A key issue is that of feasibility: i.e. ‘Is it
possible and evident in practice?’, coupled with the influence of policy and
conditions and the perception of end users. This includes a synopsis of:
Opportunities
■ an impression of the area: the essential characteristics of the area that
give direction to the environmental goals (layer approach, environmental
situation in the area)
■ the functions and usage: the functional characteristics with the
programme assignments
■ an impression of the market opportunities: the points of departure for
the social and financial feasibility of the ambitions
■ the environmental accents: a more detailed account of special
environmental qualities, selected on the basis of local circumstances. This
can be assisted with reference to imagery and to-the-point information.
Impressions
19

A Case Study - Environmental Profile ‘Voltterrein’ area
The working method for the environmental profile is described on the basis
of practical experience with the ‘Voltterrein’ area. This inner city area will
be transformed into an urban residential area. The site covers about eight
hectares and most of it is owned by three project developers. The
municipality is drawing up a master plan consisting of a programme of
demands and a global development model. The environmental profile is an
integral part of this.
Environmental analysis
Map Voltterrein area
(Source: Atlas inner city industrial estates,
municipality of Tilburg/BRO
The analysis of the environmental situation in the Voltterrein area focuses on:
1. the structuring characteristics of the area;
2. the desired programme for the living and working environment;
3. the environmental situation on site.
Structuring characteristics of the area
The area itself gives an impression of the specific sensitivities and
opportunities for sustainable spatial development and the desired
living/working environment. The location of the Voltterrein site is in a
densely built-up area with predominately low-value, burdensome
enterprises that attract traffic. The city centre is in close proximity and
accessible by car, public transport and bicycle. Thus this area has been
nominated for a more intensive use. In contrast the area is surrounded by
through-roads resulting in traffic noise and poor air quality.
A characteristic feature is the location in the catchment basin of the
streams the Nieuwe Lei and Voorste Stroom. The area is part of an
infiltration zone. However, there is a high degree of asphalting/paving, and
drainage takes place via an old-fashioned mixed drainage system. The
redevelopment could contribute to a recovery of the natural water system.
Less asphalting/paving and disconnection of the buildings from the
drainage system and infiltration facilities is recommended. The room to
realize this can be found in the green aspect of the area. The green
appearance of the area will be greatly improved by connecting it to
surrounding green areas.
Map of infiltration and seepage areas in Tilburg
(Source: Water structure plan, municipality of
Tilburg)
20

Living and working environment
The intention is to transform the area from an industrial estate into a
residential/office area with an urban living environment. Employment
opportunities remain in the form of a shopping centre of approximately
10,000 m 2 . Business activities are possible in the striking Academy building,
located in the south-east of the area along Groenstraat. Moreover, a
study is being made of the possible uses of the business complex lying
behind this area. The Environmental Profile Process shows that a greater
mix is possible, provided it is correctly planned.
Summary of environmental qualities
A SWOT analysis has been carried out in line with the other spatial
development aspects. The strengths and weaknesses in the environmental
quality of the site have been sketched out in global terms. Wherever
possible, maps were used for the inventory. The most important
conclusions were: extensive soil pollution, plus air and noise pollution from
road traffic renders house-building on the site infeasible without
relocating the most environmentally burdensome enterprises.
On the basis of research and analysis a first selection of relevant environmental
themes and indicators was made for the project. The basic quality and any
possible further-reaching ambitions have been presented per indicator.
Workshop
Map of noise pollution from road traffic
Voltterrein (Source: municipality of Tilburg)
As part of the analysis phase a workshop was organized in which the
environmental agenda for the site was determined. Here the relevant
environmental themes and criteria as well as the environmental issues,
together with the actions, were agreed. Participants included the project
leader, urban developer and experts in the fields of the most important
environmental themes. The programme goals and the environmental
ambitions were tested as to their practicality and feasibility.
Special assignments with a good chance of success for the Voltterrein
area included:
■ Safeguarding a suitable noise quality for the residential area. The goal is
to achieve an acoustic quality that is suited to an urban living
environment. The noise pollution of road traffic, companies and shops
was taken into account. A vital aspect has been the difference between
buildings along the access roads (lively) and in the inner area (quiet). The
profile gives the conditions for both zones.
■ An optimal zoning of both living and working. The challenge was to
continue to combine both functions in the area, and to do so in such a
way that together they improve the liveability in the neighbourhood
without getting in each others’ way. The environmental profile provides
guiding principles for both the shared situating of these functions and
for the unravelling of traffic and loading and unloading. Five types of
mixed use are proposed for the area.
21

■ A very efficient energy supply, taking into account the intensity of the
building and the mix of supply and demand of warming and cooling.
Cost-effective references were given for this.
The results were recorded in an environmental profile, which was included in
the programme of demands as development precondition from the
environmental angle. The results of the analysis phase were summarised and
integrated with the inventory part of the master plan. These aspects were
included in all negotiations and agreements with the developing parties.
Building level
Tilburg also translates the environmental accents for spatial development
plans into building aspects. The environmental profile at a building level is
derived from the Gemeentelijke Praktijk Richtlijn-GPR (Municipal Practical
Guideline) (new buildings for housing, offices and schools). Developers can
choose measures themselves with the help of a software package and
determine how these measures contribute to the desired score. There are
six modules in the GPR building: energy, use of materials, water, waste,
indoor environment and integral living quality (the latter only for housing).
The basic quality is obviously the statutory ‘Bouwbesluit’ (buildings decree)
level. For the Voltterrein area the accents at building level are: energy,
water (disconnection) and the indoor environment for the houses in the
most heavily burdened ‘front line’ areas. Higher ambitions have been set
for these modules in the environmental profile.
Conclusion
Environmental quality contributes to planning quality, but environmental
goals are not always built into the planning phase of a redevelopment.
Environmental input requires the formulation of clear, suitable goals that
are aligned and part of the planning process. Each individual plan has an
environmental analysis of the current and the desired situations. The
environmental profile with proven quality criteria for the built-up area and
buildings is an aid for the continued effect of environmental aspects in the
project. By indicating suitable criteria and the accompanying margins it
becomes possible for the parties to include the environmental issues in a
flexible and creative way in the context of the overall environmental quality
of the area. The environmental profile itself, finally, is the ‘picture’ with
which the environmental goals are presented.
22

Gemeentelijke Praktijk Richtlijn - GPR
(A Model for Assessing Sustainable Development of New Buildings)
The sustainable building tool (GPR) is a software package that provides
information, following data input from past examples, on the potential
levels of sustainable attainment against the six environmental themes,
based on the design and construction of new buildings for housing, offices or
schools. This tool enables a municipality to set high sustainable targets for
new buildings with the knowledge that these can be achieved based on past
performance. This allows a municipality to negotiate with developers to
agree for higher sustainable performance of buildings than the national
criteria currently require.
The tool was first developed in 1996 by the municipality of Tilburg (The
Netherlands) and W/E Consultants, to provide a performance-based method
of communication between municipalities and the building companies. The
instrument is constantly updated and improved and it has over 300 users,
including over 60 municipalities, two higher education institutes and over 200
consultants, including engineers and real estate developers in the Netherlands.
GPR transforms design data of a building into performance figures that are
directly related to sustainable development goals and targets. These include
against the themes of water, energy, material-use, waste, health, and living
quality. The design of new houses, offices and schools can be evaluated
using the same software. The level of performance of a building is then
determined and it is given a rating based on this performance. The GPR tool
gives a score on a scale of 5 to 10 for each performance indicator. The
higher the quality - or the lower the environmental load - the higher the
score. A score of 5 - if relevant - corresponds to the level of the
'Bouwbesluit'. – This is the national building standard in the Netherlands.
In Tilburg, the five steps used to reach a sustainable site development are:
■ Step 1
■ Step 2
■ Step 3
■ Step 4
■ Step 5
GIS-based analysis: all digitally available (environmental)
data is collected
Workshop: Different disciplines join in a workshop to
discuss data and challenges and set priorities
Based on a top-three priority, three themes are
extensively described and illustrated in the profile
A matrix is developed to provide an overview of indicators,
ambitions, actions needed and relevant links to the
sustainable building tool (GPR)
GPR-tool: Building-specific targets are verified using a
digital tool aimed at the themes of water, energy, materialuse,
waste, health, and living quality.
Green Building Design
23

During the design process, it is possible to
continually monitor whether the performance
requirements are being met. If the
performance delivered (module score) is lower
than the performance requirement, this can be
seen by the red colour. If the performance is
equal to or higher than the requirement, this is
shown by the colour green (other modules).
Finally this is followed by the municipality
assessment. Analysis of this is simple, because
the design meets the requirements when all of
the modules are green. The remainder of the
assessment consists of checking whether the
modules have been correctly filled in (if
necessary, using a checklist).
Figure 1: Assessment using the Overview Window of GPR®
Optimising the design
If the performance requirements are not met,
GPR® can easily be used to search for
improvement opportunities. Every module
contains a list of items and selection options
[Figure 2]. This list can be considered to be a
list of suggestions. Behind every option one can
see how many points the option gives. By
clicking an option you can immediately see the
improvement in the submodule score and
Figure 2: Section with items from the Material module
eventually the module score. To provide insight
into what is going on, the submodule and
module scores are always displayed at the top of the window. The designer
can examine the suggestions by means of trial and error. The final choice
must of course be consistent with other qualities and costs.
The performance of a building can be calculated in about two to three
hours. No special advice is necessary; the tool can be used by the architect.
A Tool for the Municipality
Subsection 2.1 places the emphasis on the assessment role of the municipality.
The role can be more advisory. In a dynamic process, the municipality has
already had contact with the developer or architect during the design
process. At that moment, GPR® can be deployed as a communication aid.
The municipality can, together with those involved, search for improvement
options, if required, on the basis of experience gained in earlier projects.
The structure of the (sub)modules, items, and the direct feedback between
the choice and the result, proves to be beneficial for communication.
During the contact moments, agreements can be made about whether or
not to meet criteria to gain points for a certain item. GPR® also includes
the possibility, in consultation, of scoring bonus points [Figure 3]. This is
used if a special solution is not, or is insufficiently, included in GPR®.
24

Sometimes during the process it will be the
case that the agreed requirements cannot be
achieved. In such cases, the discussions
between the municipality and the market
players can lead to deciding to adjust the
performance requirements.
Figure 3: Section with bonus points from the Material module
A Tool for the Developer
The municipality requires the market to make a GPR calculation for
projects. This demands effort from the market players. When developing
GPR®, much attention was given to simplicity and ease of use. Once a city
has acquired a licence/authorization for the tool, there are no costs
involved for the market players using the tool.
Another service to the market is that additional opportunities are provided
to allow the market players to promote themselves. The consumer label
puts the market players in a position to make use of the high quality of
their project in their marketing. The user label is used for office buildings
and schools. The consumer label offers the consumer insight at three
levels into the quality of the design [Figure 4]:
1. Total score with stars.
The greater the number of stars, the higher the quality. Quality
differences between buildings are directly obvious. The number of stars
(half stars are also possible) are determined by the unweighted average
of the module scores. The average score is rounded up. For instance,
one and a half stars will be obtained with an average score equal to or
greater than 6.0 and less than 6.5.
2. Score per module.
The Consumer label also shows the score per module. The consumer or
building user therefore gets insight into the score on the subaspects
that determine the quality and sustainability of the building.
3. Special qualities.
Dependent on the input, in the bottom righthand
corner five building characteristics
appear that are known to be the most valued
by the consumer or user of the building.
Figure 4: Customer label
25

Insight into CO2 reduction
In the Netherlands, municipalities and provinces have made agreements with
the state with respect to eligibility for the BANS Climate Covenant subsidy
scheme. These agreements are translated into reduction objectives for the
emission of greenhouse gases (mainly CO2). GPR® makes it simple to monitor
the objectives by explicitly displaying the CO2 emissions that can be
attributed to the project. If the CO2 emissions threaten to exceed the
objectives allocated to the project, then the designer can attempt to
improve this by making changes in the Energy and Materials modules.
The Overview Window shows the CO2 reduction
in the bottom left-hand corner [Figure 5]. The
relative data is shown. The reduction in CO2
gives an impression of how well or badly the
building scores with respect to a reference
building. If the annual CO2 emission per m 2
building is the same as that of the reference
building, then the reduction is 0%. If the
percentage reduction is greater than 0% then
the design has a good score. If the percentage
Figure 5: Insight into the CO2 reduction (relative)
is negative, optimisation is probably required.
Because the total is also subdivided into Energy and Materials, it can be
immediately seen where the improvement is likely to be found.
For office and educational buildings only one reference type has been included.
There are eight possible reference types for housing, each of which has a
different reference value for the CO2 emissions. By selecting the reference in
the Overview Window [Figure 5], the project score is automatically compared to
the correct reference.
In addition to the relative scores, the absolute
scores in kg CO2 per m 2 per year can also be
found in the Energy and Materials modules
[Figures 6 and 7]. These data can be useful if
there are objectives formulated in terms of
absolute CO2 emissions.
Conclusion
Figure 6: The bottom right-hand corner giving an indication of the CO2
emissions for the Energy module
Figure 7: The bottom right-hand corner giving an indication of the CO2
emissions for the Materials module
The sustainable building tool (GPR) is a specific tool to measure the
sustainable development performance of new buildings. Targets for different
levels of sustainable development achievement (water, energy, material-use,
waste, health, and living quality) are set and agreed between a municipality
and a developer at the outset. As a new building is being designed, data can
be fed into the GPR tool to determine whether or not the building is meeting
the required standard. The tool can also suggest new technologies or
materials to improve sustainable development performance. Once the building
has been designed and has met its obligations using the tool, it can be given
a consumer star rating for performance, similar to that awarded for
washing machines. During the construction phase, checks and tests are
undertaken to determine whether or not the building continues to meet its
goals. Information from these checks help to update the tool and verify
performance. Finally, once the building has been completed it can boast of its
sustainable development performance criteria, adding value to its market
rate and helping a municipality achieve its sustainable development targets.
26

GPR Software Trial -
Stuttgart
The representatives of the City of Tilburg presented
the use of the GPR software tool at a workshop in
Stuttgart on January 23 and 24, 2007 as part of the
Introduction
REVIT transnational partnership. Following this
workshop the partners agreed to test the tool and its
potential transferability to different conditions in
other countries, which started with a trial run in
Stuttgart. This trial was undertaken by the architects of Lehen drei in
Stuttgart, contracted and accompanied by the urban planning department
of the municipality of Stuttgart.
GPR Software Tool
The GPR software tool enables buildings to be appraised with respect to
quality and sustainability in the planning stage and it can also be used to
undertake post-evaluation after construction. The City of Tilburg has been
using the program since 1996 with the aim of implementing higher than
average sustainability targets in line with its environmental policy and
anchoring environmental policy principles more strongly in urban and
regional development.
The software can be used for residential, office and school buildings.
Planners can enter particular values for the following topics based on the
specifications:
■ Energy
■ Material
■ Waste
■ Water
■ Health
■ Quality of living conditions.
The GPR result supplies a consumer label from the data enabling
developers, purchasers and tenants to compare individual buildings. The
GPR consumer label is already being used as a marketing instrument in the
Netherlands: ideally, the developers/interested parties can erect and/or
acquire or rent a ‘five-star building’.
The software enables simulation of various boundary conditions, such as
the use of alternative building materials, in order to optimise the building
and thus make it more attractive for the real estate market.
The lovely town of Tübingen
27

Environmental Profile
General conditions and environmental policy aims have to be specified for
the context of the building, the macrolocation, in order to be able to review
and/or optimise the planning process. The aims of the macrolocation form
the framework within which the building is located with its own building
quality.
In Tilburg, so-called ‘environmental profiles’ encompassing and describing
the macrolocation in more detail are thus placed above the GPR software
tool: criteria that are particularly relevant for a certain area from an
environmental point of view are defined based on an environmental analysis.
Experience in Tilburg has shown that it makes sense to give an area three
key topics; the statutory minimum standards must be fulfilled at any rate
in the other topics to be considered. For example, the use of renewable
energy, increased urban greening and a greater than normal number of
bicycle paths could be offered to future residents in an area.
These key topics vary from area to area. With their differing individual
focus, the regions therefore form a clear, attractive and diverse
proposition to the future user.
A matrix that is constantly updated shows the requirements for the
corresponding area and summarises the environmental qualities, as shown
in the following table:
Quality aspects Basic quality Aim of area Actions
Implementation
■ Ground Water
Compilation of
Classification and
Political, planning
Planning and technical
■ Greenery and Nature
■ External Security
■ Noise
statutory minimum
requirements
quantification
Exact specification of
the qualities to be
accomplished in the
and technical
consequences
for the area
consequences for the
buildings (possible
appraisal by GPR)
■ Air
area
■ Mobility
Measurable criteria
■ Spatial Use
■ Measurable Criteria
The most important aims and measures for the area that is to be
developed are therefore summarised on one page. In addition, best
practice examples, plans and drawings illustrate the matrix and convey a
clear picture to political decision-makers.
28

Aims of the GPR Trial Run in Stuttgart
The GPR trial run covered the following general aspects:
■ Examining the content of the program
■ Classification in existing framework conditions, i.e. initial comparison of
the required entries with German/Baden-Wuerttemberg regulations and
directives
■ Examining and evaluating how user-friendly the program is
Additional Stuttgart specific issues were considered:
■ Does the program offer new aspects hitherto not considered in local
planning?
■ Does GPR make a more comprehensive and clearer summary of all
planning requirements than the standard case used in Stuttgart?
■ Can GPR take on a role in Stuttgart? If so, which one?
Data Entry
Specific
Procedure Architects Lehen drei tested the use of GPR over two
for the days. In a preliminary meeting, administration and
Trial Run in planners established framework conditions similar to an
Stuttgart environmental profile and defined the documentation
that was necessary for the entries. The specifications,
valid final plans and the thermal insulation certificate for the building
application were used as sources of information for the entries.
Object
The planners selected a building in Tübingen as it fits well for a comparison
with the plans for the site of the freight depot at Bad Cannstatt.
The building ‘Haus am Platz’ was erected between August 2003 and September
2004 in the French Quarter in Tübingen. It is integrated in an almost complete
perimeter block development. A public square which forms the eastern end
of the Französische Allee is in front of the building on the west side. A
private inner courtyard surrounded by six buildings is located to the east.
The building consists of a six-storey main building and a four-storey
secondary building with a ground floor passage to the inner courtyard. It is
directly built onto the fire-wall of the neighbouring building in the south.
The building is freestanding on the north side. The neighbouring building is
staggered in relation so that a gap is created towards the inner courtyard.
Haus am Platz, Tübingen
(photograph by Gudrun De Maddalena)
The ‘Haus am Platz’ has seven flats with approximately 51 to 170m 2 living
space as well as two business units with 51 and 28m 2 on the ground floor.
The total effective area amounts to approximately 830m 2 .
Access to each flat is on each floor via the stairwell with a lift. Only on the
second floor are two flats located at the stairwell. The building has a cellar
and there is a shared underground car park beneath a part of it.
29

Materials
The building construction of concrete ceilings, load-bearing lime sand brick
and concrete walls, and non supporting gypsum plasterboard walls
corresponds to the current state of the art in residential building. The
same applies to the sanitary-ware and electrical equipment.
The outer shell is designed as a thermal insulation composite system with
14cm thick insulation (EPS). The wooden windows with double glazing
achieve a U-value of 1.4. The building is heated by means of district heating.
Pursuant to the energy-saving certificate, the building undercuts the
requirements of the German Energy Saving Ordinance
(Energieeinsparverordnung - EnEV 2001) by roughly 25%.
Procedure
The planners and administration agreed in advance to take an isolated view
of the building, irrespective of the actual surroundings in Tübingen. Several
alternative planning scenarios were used for the software test, simulating
adjustment of the model’s parameter and optimisation of the planning
process in several steps.
Development feasibility study, variant A
(photograph by Gudrun De Maddalena)
The trial run of the program took place following familiarisation of the
accompanying documentation. The data stored in the program correspond
to the Dutch specifications (building law, energy saving, building standards,
etc.) from 2004. The aim of the trial run was not to evaluate the reference
object but to examine the applicability and the appropriateness of the
software to be used within German framework conditions.
Program
Application
During the trial, the software ran smoothly without
any problems. No user problems in the program
application appeared.
However, several deficits in the content were
identified:
■ The program only focuses on the three monofunctional types of building
– residential building, office building and school building. Urban mixed
forms are not included. The selected test object (a residential and office
building) therefore had to be adapted to the predetermined conditions.
This automatically influences the results.
■ Two reference objects are stored for each building type. This enables an
appraisal by using a direct comparison with buildings that are not
described or documented in detail.
■ It is not possible to enter different building heights or different types of
roofs for one building. This would require making adaptations, which
would influence the result.
30

Materials
The building construction of concrete ceilings, load-bearing lime sand brick
and concrete walls, and non supporting gypsum plasterboard walls
corresponds to the current state of the art in residential building. The
same applies to the sanitary-ware and electrical equipment.
The outer shell is designed as a thermal insulation composite system with
14cm thick insulation (EPS). The wooden windows with double glazing
achieve a U-value of 1.4. The building is heated by means of district heating.
Pursuant to the energy-saving certificate, the building undercuts the
requirements of the German Energy Saving Ordinance
(Energieeinsparverordnung - EnEV 2001) by roughly 25%.
Procedure
The planners and administration agreed in advance to take an isolated view
of the building, irrespective of the actual surroundings in Tübingen. Several
alternative planning scenarios were used for the software test, simulating
adjustment of the model’s parameter and optimisation of the planning
process in several steps.
Development feasibility study, variant A
(photograph by Gudrun De Maddalena)
The trial run of the program took place following familiarisation of the
accompanying documentation. The data stored in the program correspond
to the Dutch specifications (building law, energy saving, building standards,
etc.) from 2004. The aim of the trial run was not to evaluate the reference
object but to examine the applicability and the appropriateness of the
software to be used within German framework conditions.
Program
Application
During the trial, the software ran smoothly without
any problems. No user problems in the program
application appeared.
However, several deficits in the content were
identified:
■ The program only focuses on the three monofunctional types of building
– residential building, office building and school building. Urban mixed
forms are not included. The selected test object (a residential and office
building) therefore had to be adapted to the predetermined conditions.
This automatically influences the results.
■ Two reference objects are stored for each building type. This enables an
appraisal by using a direct comparison with buildings that are not
described or documented in detail.
■ It is not possible to enter different building heights or different types of
roofs for one building. This would require making adaptations, which
would influence the result.
30

Information that can be assigned to three groups was requested for all six
areas of appraisal:
■ Technical building data
■ User behaviour and user involvement
■ Surrounding conditions and/or infrastructure (which cannot be
influenced by the building).
A significant amount of the requested information cannot be verified by
applicable regulations and standards (e.g. energy saving certificate
pursuant to German legislation EnEV), but is at the discretion of the
handling clerk (e.g. Point 1.3.1, ‘Ensure good operating instructions’).
Furthermore, detailed measures for saving energy and reducing
consumption are requested (e.g. Point 4.1.2, ‘Installation of water-saving
shower heads’), but any installations may change significantly during use.
The trial run is made using four alternatives for the constructed sample
object, particularly in order to be able to examine the effects of the
installations which can be changed or modified by the user of the building:
Sustainable Building Design
1. Entering the actual building data
2. Optimising the data in the area of energy (user behaviour) while
retaining the technical characteristics, and in the quality of living
conditions (surrounding conditions)
3. Optimising the technical characteristics in the areas of energy
and material
4. Optimising all areas
While Alternative 1 (entering the actual data) attained an appraisal of 2.5
stars and was certified with a CO2 reduction of 66 % per flat and year
(although the question could be posed: 66 % of what?), Alternative 4
(optimising the data entries in all six areas) was able to attain an appraisal
of 3.5 stars with the same CO2 reduction. The reason for the different
appraisal can mainly be found in the areas of water, health and quality of
living conditions. These are, however, particularly determined by data given
for detailed technical measures and assessments of behaviour.
31

Application
and User-
Friendliness
The GPR tool uses six topics to examine buildings for
their ecological quality and sustainable realisation. The
aim is to meet the program specifications as fully as
possible and to achieve up to five stars with the best
possible appraisal. This ‘award’ serves as a quality
feature of the building.
The data and criteria for appraisal that are stored in the individual areas
are based on principles in building law, the energy-saving ordinance
(Energieeinsparverordnung – NEN 5128, 2004) and Dutch building standards.
Two reference objects are stored in the program for each building type in
order to evaluate the entered data. The building types are residential,
school and office buildings.
The program is structured in a largely self-explanatory manner and does
not require long periods of familiarisation. The identification data of the
object are entered at the first menu level. The user can move to the entry
masks for the areas of appraisal by clicking on the six symbols. These consist
of embedded word documents with integrated Excel tables so that entries
and commands can be carried out under ‘usual conditions’. The program
also enables optimisation of buildings by entering various alternatives for a
single object. The calculations can be saved and printed in each processing
stage and the storage/file paths are to be determined by the user.
The building data are evaluated for the six topics of appraisal using a point
scale between 0 and 10. The minimum value for a positive appraisal (one
star) is five points. This threshold can be raised manually in order to
simulate higher demands. However, the criteria are not exactly clear.
The information requested for the building project is generally available at
the time of the building application, while information on user behaviour
and surrounding conditions is often subject to individual assessment.
Sustainable Energy
32

5.1 Energy
Evaluation of
the Entry
Sections
Individual topics:
- Energy performance
- CO2 reduction
- Reduction of energy requirement
- Forward-looking measures
Data entries which are submitted in a building application and are included
in the energy-saving certificate pursuant to EnEV are requested in the
first three topics. The fourth topic requests specific procedures and
equipment where it is not possible to see the connection.
5.2 Material
Individual topics:
- Efficient use
- Long service life
- Choice of material
Sustainable Construction Materials
Typological properties for buildings as well as technically verifiable
properties are particularly requested.
The building materials are evaluated according to their energy,
environmental and recyclable properties, but also from the point of view of
saving material and with respect to production techniques. A high degree
of prefabrication and standardisation is evaluated positively here.
Furthermore, variable floor plans and flexible possibilities of use are
evaluated positively as important aspects of long-term use.
5.3 Waste
Individual topics:
- Avoidance of building waste
- Waste separation during the erection of the building
- Concepts for waste disposal when the building is being used
The requested data penetrates far into the production and logistic processes
of the building materials which cannot be influenced or verified by the planners.
5.4 Water
Individual topics:
- Systems to save drinking water
- Other saving measures
- Reduction of water consumption
Apart from the requirements which result from planning law (boundary of
reinforced surfaces, roof greening), priority is also given to technical
features which can generally be made using the specifications of an object
and which are not usually verified after realisation. Furthermore, positively
evaluated measures – such as showers instead of bath tubs, for example –
do not correspond to the German standards in residential construction.
33

5.5 Health
Individual topics:
- Sound insulation and noise control
- Air quality
- Thermal comfort
- Light
The requirements to evaluate sound insulation measures, thermal comfort
and light are regulated pursuant to statutory provisions and can be
verified. The information on noxious emissions could not be made by the
handling clerk in a secure manner (depending on the executing company).
5.6 Quality of Living Conditions
Individual topics:
- Accessibility of the flats
- Accessibility of the communal rooms
- Flexibility of use and convertibility of the flats
- Social security (building entrances and residential vicinity)
The accessibility of the flats and communal rooms is requested using
structural dimensions on the basis of Dutch building laws and mainly
correspond to the requirements for barrier-free living conditions. The
individual topics of flexibility of use and convertibility of the flats overlap
with the information for the second entry section of material (long service
life) and constitute standards which are not comparable in all their points
with German standards.
Information requested in the area of ‘social security’ cannot objectively be
verified (e.g. ‘Well-conceived design of niches and passage ways’).
The GPR tool offers an extensive examination and
appraisal of buildings and combines hitherto
Program separately recorded information in the areas of
Evaluation building law, energy saving, material examination and
building standards. Furthermore, technical and
planning measures for energy-saving, environmental
aspects and sustainable use are encouraged. The
program thus enables the sustainability of an object to be examined and
optimised already from an early planning stage. Consequently, the program
allows the quality of buildings to be checked continuously, thoroughly and in
a uniform manner.
The program structure is comprehensible without the need for meticulous
familiarisation. The supplied documentation allows processing without
detailed specialist knowledge but it does require collecting extensive
documentation in advance. Some of the documentation is available with the
current procedural stages only after the completion of the building project
(this is particularly the case for the owners’ special wishes and measures in
the vicinity of the building project).
Quality Living
34

The result of the appraisal using the GPR tool is displayed in a simple and
graphic manner by the allocation of stars (a maximum of five stars is
possible) as well as a graphic overview for the six areas of appraisal. A
generally comprehensible and clear appraisal of the examined buildings is
thus achieved.
The GPR program is based on Dutch legal and technical specifications and
building standards. The application in Germany thus requires the program
to be assessed, adapted and possibly extensively restructured. As well as
the legal and technical specifications, the German standards for building
extensions should particularly be taken into consideration here. Further
control mechanisms would also appear to make sense in order to examine
the entered data during the course of an official appraisal and to verify
the realised standards.
Besides the legal specifications, the program uses stored reference
projects to check the entered values. During the trial run it seemed that
only two reference objects were stored for each type of building
(residential, office and school building). The type and number of these
objects cannot be influenced. For an application in Germany, the planners
would therefore recommend saving German reference objects and
extending the number of objects.
Assessment of Different Buildings
The restriction of the GPR tool to monofunctional buildings (residential,
office and school buildings) greatly limits the applicability of the program
or results in distorted definitions when buildings with mixed uses are
adapted to the predetermined matrix.
The program assumes uniform building heights and types of roof. If there
are differing heights for one building (as for ‘Haus am Platz’) or different
types of roof (e.g. gable roof and flat roof extension), approximations have
to be carried out that influence the result.
The consumption values of a building are only requested and optimised by
means of the quality of materials, construction principles, standards for
building extensions (e.g. shower instead of bath tub) and in part by
consumer behaviour. Invoices demonstrating electricity and water
consumption, which would be requested again in a second entry session
after a certain trial period, are lacking. The appraisal regarding
sustainability is therefore only possible in a limited way and depends on the
information given by the product manufacturers.
The ‘quality of living conditions’ entry section concentrates on the building
properties. Quality characteristics for the vicinity – such as infrastructure
facilities, green spaces, building orientation – are not included in the
appraisal.
35

The assessment by the test team concluded that GPR
does not cover all the aspects of the superior
Conclusion
environmental profile used in Tilburg. However, the
from the
constructional characteristics and equipment
Trial Run
standards of a building can be examined clearly and
uniformly with the program whether or not they
conform to the environmental profile. This can be done
at the beginning of the planning phase so that it is possible to incorporate
the requirements of the environmental profile in the planning and
construction process of a building visibly as well as at an early stage and at
all levels. The program developer states that GPR is integrated in the
approval process in many Dutch municipalities so that no further
examinations or evidence in the covered topics are required for the
process of approval and authorisation to build. The program thus allows
the examination method to be simplified and offers a concise external
presentation with the ‘star categories’.
In Germany, the examination of a large part of the information requested
by GPR is carried out in the approval process and acceptance procedure of
construction work on the basis of laws and ordinances, the stipulations of
the development plan and local building regulations. The data needed are
available in Germany in a similar manner, but not systematically acquired
and registered. Energy-saving certificates pursuant to EnEV, for example,
are to be issued within building permits; consumption data are recorded in
the special planning stages (electrical, heating, sanitary); and the quality of
material is regulated by standards and quality marks. These data would
have to be combined if the GPR tool were to be used in Germany. The data
could also be collected within a superior environmental profile. A simplified
qualification or appraisal would then be possible using a uniform data sheet.
The special qualities of the GPR tool lie in its ease of use and the concise
presentation of the appraisal results. This could involve a prominent external
presentation (‘effectiveness in advertising’), helping to achieve superior
environmental standards in the public domain and make them relevant for
business (a five-star building sells better than a one-star building).
For an application in Germany, however, the stipulations and standards
should be adapted as well as the software extended to appraise buildings
with mixed uses and more complex geometries (different types of roof,
differing heights of a building). A comparison with alternative solutions [e.g.
Passive House Planning Package (Passivhaus-Projektierungspaket,
Darmstadt)] should be made within an economic, technical and financial
review.
Modern Offices in Stuttgart
36

Further
implementation
in Stuttgart
The Tilburg approach – i.e. the two-stage
‘environmental profile + building appraisal’ model – is a
suitable instrument for promoting inner-city
development from a quality point of view.
The environmental profile matrix allows a
comprehensive look at the aims of environmental
policy, and the content can be entered relatively quickly once it has been
adapted to the circumstances in Stuttgart. The work on the environmental
profile will contribute to the fact that the cooperation between individual
offices and administrative departments is intensified: all concerns are
articulated in the team; the parties involved become sensitive to the
various interests of the other offices.
Sustainable Living
Clear specifications for inner-city development are advantageous for the
city and potential investors; the classification of inner-city areas can thus
be accelerated using a specific environmental profile. This is also backed up
by the experience in Tilburg.
The specifications in environmental policy referring to particular areas
allow the individual areas to develop an independent profile, which has a
good marketing effect.
Workshop in October 2007
A workshop will take place with the Dutch project partners in Stuttgart in
October 2007, aiming at a first draft for an environmental profile for the
freight depot area. The participants will be encouraged to make an initial
collection of examples (photos, sketches, plans, etc.) in advance, which, in
the form of a collage, could then be integrated into a type of ‘blank’
environmental and quality profile that would explain in particular the three
central topics for the area in more detail. (See Points 1 to 3 in the box below.)
The REVIT Interdisciplinary Project Group formulated ten objectives for the
sustainable development of the freight depot in Bad Cannstatt in October
2006. Three main objectives became apparent during a second
prioritisation session by the participants in the workshop in January 2007.
The objectives are given again in the list below with their status as of
January 2007:
1. To develop a town quarter with a diverse combination of uses.
2. To ensure attractive greenery and greenery integration.
3. To ensure a balanced social structure in a family-friendly town quarter.
4. To ensure a high quality of the buildings, floor plans and building vicinity.
5. To reduce noise exposure.
6. To use resources/fossil fuels sparingly.
7. To enhance the residential location.
8. To ensure ecologically compatible infrastructure.
9. To guarantee an intensive involvement by the public and investors.
10. To enhance the business location.
37

These objectives provide the basis for further discussions in the workshop.
From here the participants can define the central themes for the area,
and furthermore examine whether such a matrix can be efficiently used in
Stuttgart. Since the content of the area objectives concerns not only
environmental topics, it should be considered if and how the matrix could
be extended. Urgently needed are measurable quantitative indicators for
the objectives in order to steer the further planning process. The
environmental profile could thus be extended into an ‘environmental and
quality profile’.
An administrative working group could then specify the ultimate criteria
for an environmental and quality profile for the location alongside the
following cooperative process for designing a new framework plan. The new
framework plan will result in modifying the existing land utilisation plan
and/or development plans.
A first phase of construction is intended to be ready for building as of the
end of 2008/beginning of 2009. Specific architectural invitations to tender
with building references are supposed to take place in this context based
on the framework plan. The environmental and quality profile for the site,
which will be finished by then, could be included in this invitation to tender.
Communication must certainly include an emphasis on the marketing
aspects. The environmental and quality profile will strengthen Stuttgart’s
profile in urban construction (‘child- and family-friendly + environmentallyfriendly,
sustainable’) and its market position. Areas with a different focus
demonstrate variety in what they offer. It is therefore easier to match
specific interests and requirements of potential developers and investors.
Via the inclusion of the environmental and quality profile in the
www.stuttgart-bauflaechen.de website, this information is publicly available
at a prominent investor’s contact point.
38

Participation in
Sustainability Evaluation
A case study from the workshop on 'Targets and Indicators for
Sustainable Development' – Stuttgart.
In October 2005 more than 100 people attended a
planning workshop entitled, 'Guidelines and Targets for
Sustainable Development'. This took place in an
Introduction
historical building, the future city archive of Stuttgart,
in the immediate neighbourhood of the goods station
area. The purpose of the workshop was to evaluate
existing concepts for the sustainable development of
the proposed development area, in cooperation with political decisionmakers,
stakeholders and interested parties, and to describe these
concepts with the aid of 'targets and indicators for sustainable
development'. While targets were defined in rather general terms (e.g.
'conservation of fossil energies'), indicators (e.g. '30% below the regulatory
energy-conservation standard') provided a way of setting, measuring,
monitoring and controlling these sustainable development targets.
The public workshop was attended by town planners, architects, investors,
housing contractors, project developers, business and civil-organisation
representatives, district and town councillors, administrators, and
interested citizens. The result was a first draft for ‘10 key-principles for
sustainable development’ in the REVIT area. This paper is now the basis for
further policy discussion and is likely to be adopted by the local council for
urban development and purchase contracts. It will also provide the
foundation for further participation in the ongoing planning process.
Most public events and participation processes dealing
with issues of urban development in Stuttgart are
usually conducted in conformance with relevant legal
Background regulations and requirements laid down in the Building
Code. For this reason, events such as the REVIT
Planning Workshop do not normally form part of the
administrative routine, so that any official who
endorses them is a pioneer in the field.
How to implement Environmental Profile Process
and GPR in Stuttgart - internal discussion round
Thus, it was all the more important to obtain political backing for the goals
and contents of the REVIT Planning Workshop before it was carried out.
Most importantly, top-flight administrators, such as department and
office directors and mayors, had to be involved in relevant considerations
from the start and convinced that a public dialogue can contribute towards the
qualification of a plan. The backing given by senior administrators to the
Stuttgart process was evident from the fact that the invitation to the
39

workshop was signed by the mayor in charge of construction, that the
same mayor officially opened the meeting, and that some working groups
were moderated by office directors.
Critics might say that the public debate about the objectives and
indicators for the area was timed very late as numerous cornerstones had
already been finalised, the master plan adopted, and planning
considerations for the first stage of construction completed. However, the
timing of the Stuttgart event proved fortunate precisely because concrete
development concepts had been formulated, so that the future
development of the area could be discussed in a highly target-oriented and
concrete fashion in the brief time available.
Had this not been the case, the discussion about objectives (and indicators)
certainly could not have been so purposeful. Particularly where large areas
with complex requirements regarding urban development and traffic
planning are concerned, it may be helpful to have important framework
conditions clarified beforehand by experts. Nevertheless, both planners and
politicians should be willing to accept deviations from existing
considerations, provided they are well substantiated, and they should be
receptive towards any ideas voiced during the debate.
Key lessons learned at this stage
■ Plan for adequate preparation time because of the need to harmonise
matters and obtain political backing.
■ Ensure political backing and cover by talking to senior administrators at
an early date.
■ Involve the local council and obtain its commission to implement the
workshop so that the council feels even more obliged to take the results
into account.
■ Notify and involve local political bodies (district advisory council) at an
early stage.
■ Select the time of the workshop carefully:
- An early timing means greater opportunities to influence
matters and a discussion mainly focused on objectives.
Presentation of the planning
concept at the workshop
- A later timing means more concrete participation as
development cornerstones and preliminary planning concepts
have been completed, as well as better options to…
■ Discuss objectives and indicators together.
■ From the start, keep an eye on the need to feed results back into the
formal planning process (schedule, further political decision) to
safeguard the orientation towards results, and to offer any further
dialogues that may be needed at suitable times during the process.
First building concept, variant A
(Freie Planungsgruppe 7)
40

Selection of Objectives and Indicators
The preparation team thought it appropriate to prepare a list of
suggested objectives and indicators for the workshop. Thus, one of the
preparatory meetings was used to compile, in cooperation with competent
planners from the city administration, objectives and indicators implied or
explicitly stated in existing plans (master plan, Zoning Plan 2010, urban
development concept, detail plans) as well as in political decisions taken
before. Existing indicator sets (SEEDA and RESCUE) were similarly tested
for their possible usefulness in the pilot application. Lastly, objectives and
indicators were selected that might be used at the master plan level.
Planary session in the workshop ‘guideline and
targets for sustainable development’ - Stuttgart
This preliminary selection was supplemented by the planners, who added
further planning considerations and target concepts, after which a draft
version of the list of proposals was forwarded to the offices concerned
together with a request for additional suggestions. Thus, when the time of
the workshop came, a list of objectives and indicators had become available
and was handed out to participants.
Objectives and indicators were broken down
into six headings, namely:
■ Urban development
■ Planning process
■ Environment
■ Social matters
■ Traffic
■ Economy
Findings
Aerial view: freight depot Stuttgart - Bad Cannstatt
From the point of view of the city administration, the REVIT Planning
Workshop in Stuttgart was a highly successful event, having embedded the
aspects of sustainability and dialogue orientation in the development of
complex areas such as the goods station on the political plane, and paved
the way for follow-up events and additional dialogue offers. The fact that
the event was held within the framework of an EU project did much to
clear away initial skepticism and obstacles. The mere fact that
sustainability objectives and indicators were discussed improves the
integration of the aspect of 'sustainability' in urban development and
development. Thus, indicators may play an important role as political
signals. This holds particularly true for process-related indicators as they
show what control steps are required. In addition, the Stuttgart workshop
proved itself instrumental in incorporating expert knowledge in the planning
process. This may help to enhance reflectiveness with regard to
sustainability issues and the substantiation of decisions.
41

In urban development, indicators are normally used in post-evaluations
forming part of a monitoring process. Stuttgart provides an example of
how indicators may be used in the planning process so that consideration
may be given to sustainability goals even at this early stage. At the same
time, the REVIT Planning Workshop showed clearly that a single event
module is not enough to deal with all relevant issues exhaustively and to
involve all target groups in a satisfactory manner.
Thus, the workshop on objectives and indicators for the Bad Cannstatt
goods station area assumes the important role of a ‘kick-off’ event, to be
followed by further 'tailor-made' meetings.
Conclusion
The event was a success for city administration, since sustainable
development issues are now part of the dialogue and development of the
complex 'Freight Depot Bad Cannstatt' area. In addition there is the
heightened awareness of politicians, the public and experts into the
planning process having prioritised sustainable development objectives and
indicators during the workshop.
Masterplan Mercedesstrasse, variant increasing commercial utilization (Prof. Dr. Baldauf)
42

Further Information
Information flow and continuous learning is crucial for any project’s
success. The outputs from the REVIT project are as manifold and complex
as the revitalisation process of a brownfield site itself. REVIT has developed
an innovative way to share the information gained from this project to guide
others through this complex network of information in a way that is easy to
follow, but one that illustrates that the key REVIT issues are all interconnected
and should not be considered out of context of the whole.
All the project outputs are available in electronic format and can be accessed
free of charge via the Internet in the form of the REVIT Self-Guiding Trail.
Contained in this are:
■ background studies
■ reports on assessment of transnational formal/legal differences
■ written presentations of best practice examples
■ articles and lessons learnt from joint pilot projects
■ checklists and toolkits
REVIT Self-Guiding Trail
The internet-based REVIT Self-Guiding Trail is designed to provide experts,
practitioners and students with a guided route to access information from
the experiences, recommendations, new findings and innovative methodologies
of the REVIT project. The information has been structured in such as way as
to allow each visitor to find the appropriate detail of information they are
looking for: through a tiered system of categorised information and links to
documents, starting with simple recommendations and leading to more
detailed documentation should the visitor wish to know more.
The REVIT Self-Guiding Trail starts with the recommendations that were
developed for each specific key topic regarding brownfield redevelopment.
From these core recommendations, the trail leads to the key facts on
which the recommendations were built; developed through the
methodological and technical exercises of the project. Thus, the visitor will
understand the background as to why the recommendations were made. If
more detailed information is needed, each key fact links through to original
detailed reports or studies.
In addition to this guided route, short cuts are also possible at each level.
For example, from the main starting page there is a direct link to the
detailed reports, by-passing the recommendations and key facts.
The REVIT Self-Guiding Trail can be accessed without time-consuming
searches with keywords, and avoids the unintended participation that can
occur through an interactive learning course, where often too much detail
can result in a loss of sight for the essential facts.
The REVIT Self-Guiding Trail can be found at:
www.revit-nweurope.org/selfguidingtrail
43

Partner Details:
Landeshaupstadt Stuttgart
Amt für Liegenschaften und Wohnen
Dorotheenstr. 2
70173 Stuttgart
Germany
+49 (0) 711216 7194
thomas.zuegel@stuttgart.de
Peter Scott
Torfaen County Borough Council
Regeneration
County Hall
Cwmbran
Torfaen County Borough Council
NP44 2WN
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 1633 648023
peter.scott@torfaen.gov.uk
Wendy Mesher
Medway Renaissance
Regeneration and Environmental Projects
Eastgate House
High Street
Rochester
Kent ME1 1EW
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 1634 331336
wendy.mesher@medway.gov.uk
Stéphanie Arnaud
Conurbation of Nantes Métropole
DG renouvellement urbain
2 cours du Champ de Mars
44923 Nantes Cedex 9
France
+33 (0) 240 99 52 58
stephanie.arnaud@nantesmetropole.fr
Erwin Lichtenberg
City of Tilburg
Postbust 90157
5000 AS Tilburg
Netherlands
+31 (0) 13 542 9359
erwin.lichtenberg@tilburg.nl
Gerard Jilleba
City of Hengelo
Postbus 18
7550 AA Hengelo
Netherlands
+31 (0) 74 2459857
g.jilleba@hengelo.nl