Background and motivation
Since 2019, inter- and transdisciplinary projects involving more than 20 model municipalities have been researching, developing and testing implementation-oriented concepts for water management, land use and material flow management as a basis for the sustainable development of urban districts. The cross-cutting scientific project ReQ+ supports the participating projects by identifying thematic interfaces, networking and creating external visibility through target group-oriented public relations work.
The focus of the second  funding phase (2022-2025) is on the transfer of the developed concepts and solution approaches into municipal practice. One of the key aspects is the application and continuation of DIN SPEC 91468 “Guidelines for resource-efficient urban districts”, which was developed and published in the first funding phase across all projects.

Pathways to resource efficiency in urban areas
Essential thematic documentations emerged from the first funding phase. Here, ReQ+ supported their cross-project development and embedding in the integrated planning of urban districts.
The centrepiece is DIN SPEC 91468 “Guidelines for resource-efficient urban districts”, which was developed and published together with the funded projects. It defines requirements for efficient interface management for the integrated analysis, evaluation and planning of resource efficiency in existing and new quarters. In the second funding phase, ReQ+ is supporting model municipalities in the application of the DIN SPEC and thus supports the transfer into municipal practice.
ReQ+ published an article in the Special Issue “Resource Management in Urban Districts – a Contribution to Sustainable Urban Development” of the journal SUSTAINABILITY. In the Special Issue, a total of ten topic-specific articles on resource-efficient urban districts development and design were compiled and published. The “Handout on the typology of indicators and their application in planning processes and projects on sustainable district development”, developed with the support of ReQ+, provides assistance for a structured approach to the selection, application and interpretation of indicators in planning processes and projects in the context of resource-efficient neighbourhood development.
The RES:Z information module was designed by ReQ+ together with the RES:Z projects. It is part of the results exploitation of the RES:Z funding measure and serves in digital format (mobile electronic learning platform, downloadable as an app) as a multiplier of the most important results achieved and informs about innovations in the field of resource-efficient urban districts.
At the end of the firstfunding phase, a results publication was written with the research results of the 12 funded projects as well as information on cross-project topics and results. In addition, the Memorandum of Understanding summarises the cornerstones of the BMBF funding measure RES:Z and formulates requirements for promoting the resource-efficient design of urban districts.

Transfer and consolidation of results
In addition to the further networking of the funded projects internally and externally, one of the focal points of ReQ+ in the second funding phase is the support of the transfer of results, especially with regard to the stabilisation of the developed DIN SPEC 91468 “Guidelines for resource-efficient urban districts”. Public dialogue forums have already been held to publicise these. The next step is a test run for the practical application of the DIN SPEC in model urban districts of two RES:Z projects involved. The results and findings will be presented and discussed in an application workshop. Subsequently, the DIN SPEC will be applied and evaluated in two further pilot cities or municipalities.

Projekttitel
ReQ+ – Cross-cutting scientific project for the BMBF funding initiative “Resource-efficient urban districts for the future”

Internet
ressourceneffiziente-stadtquartiere.de

Duration
01.12.2018–31.03.2025

Funding code
033W100A-B

Funding
1.299.629 €

Contact
Katja Wendler
DECHEMA Gesellschaft für Chemische Technik und Biotechnologie e.V.
+ 49 69 7564-425
katja.wendler@dechema.de

Project partner
DECHEMA Gesellschaft für Chemische Technik und Biotechnologie e.V.
Fraunhofer-Institut für Chemische Technologie ICT

Twitter
RE_Stadt

Version of
Juli 2023