Cities in Motion #2
Frankfurt – the sustainable superstar
6 minute read
It all started with a simple question:
'How can cities become more sustainable?'
To help find an answer, we teamed up with sustainability broadcaster James Stewart. Together, and behind the wheel of IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6, we embarked on a journey in four cities to learn and be inspired.
This is the second of five articles on sustainable cities we visited, including London, Frankfurt, Jakarta, and Los Angeles. Read on to discover more about what James experienced during his travels and meet people dedicated to making a difference.
At first glance, urban development and city planning may not seem as visually exciting as a gleaming solar farm or as tangible as a lush community garden in full bloom. However, during my time in Frankfurt on the second leg of our road trip series, I discovered that they might be the key to the sustainable transformation of cities around the world. See how Germany’s financial capital is leading by example and stocking up on environmental innovations.
Sustainable cities are a choice
Every city has its own unique identity. What ties them all together is their shared goal of meeting new challenges to improve the quality of life and foster biodiversity for a sustainable future. Our five-part global tour has demonstrated its citizen's tremendous creativity, dedication, and enthusiasm in making their city more livable, greener, and open to everyone. With so much innovative energy, I found it fitting that we were driving through different streets and meeting so many interesting people in an IONIQ. While underway and behind the wheel, I had to think of a quote from Brazilian architect and urban planner Jaime Lerner, "A city is not an accident but the result of coherent visions and aims." What I find so poignant about this insight is that it is a reminder that sustainable cities are ultimately a choice or a series of choices.
To advance urban sustainability, we must all take an active role: how we power and heat our homes, what we eat and consume, where we spend our money, and what car we drive. We can all make a difference through our actions. However, when we all come together for cities as a whole, the impact and benefits are felt on a much broader scale. I experienced this firsthand with Frankfurt guide and author Michael Behrendt (Ted) from the innovative urban sustainability hub "PIER F." As a Frankfurt resident, he joined me in the IONIQ 5 for the day to show me around the city and experience the bigger, interconnected picture.
Frankfurt’s sustainability secret
Frankfurt is a modern, bustling metropolis primarily known as the headquarters of the European Central Bank and a global financial hub. What is not so well known is that Frankfurt is one of the most sustainable cities in the world. I was intrigued by this fact and wanted to know more about what the city is doing right. The first answer to that question is that Frankfurt is a pioneer in sustainable urban development, clean energy, and e-mobility. The city planners have set ambitious targets to become carbon-neutral by 2035 and powered entirely by renewable energy by 2050. It’s also home to one of the world’s most extensive urban forests (the Stadtwald), offers a comprehensive public transport network, and hosts numerous climate-friendly initiatives (many supported by the City of Frankfurt). In short, Frankfurt has a sustainable vision and a plan, which is being implemented every day. Fortunately for us, Frankfurt also recently expanded its electric charging infrastructure with plenty of options throughout the city, so finding a spot to charge the IONIQ during our road trip was easy.
Mixed-used and climate-resilient developments
The Hafenpark (climate park) on the northern banks of the River Main was the first place Ted took me to. Located just a short ride from the PIER F offices, the site was, until the 1990s, a contaminated scrap and coal yard. What was once a concrete-paved dumping ground full of twisted metal and debris is now a verdant and human-centered space. The Hafenpark is a brilliant example of mixed-use development that showcases physical and functional integration. In doing so, shared spaces create new uses and experiences, from recreational and cultural to institutional, residential, and commercial.
A skyscraper taking sustainability to new heights
Looking north from the Hafenpark, you get a lovely view of the Manhattan-esque skyline, which is not only the city’s financial epicenter but also home to some of the tallest buildings in Europe. It’s also the site of an exciting new type of mixed-use development project currently under construction called Project FOUR. As the name suggests, Project FOUR will encompass four new high-rise buildings in the heart of the business district. However, unlike traditional skyscrapers, these new buildings are not only being built according to the latest advancements in sustainable design but will also offer spaces that encompass the idea of living, working, and coming together. Focusing on "quality of life experiences" is a fresh and genuinely exciting take on modern city development.
Colossally climate-resilient cities
Frankfurt is a fascinating and pulsating city buzzing with energy and not just people. As part of a citywide initiative to increase biodiversity, Frankfurt hosts numerous wild, unmown grass strips, verges, and parks, where insects and pollinators alike are finding more space to live and thrive. While walking, Ted told me that even the cool breeze running through the street we were standing in was intentional. Extensive channels are designed to cut through the Hafenpark and funnel fresh, cool air into the city. The Hafenpark and other green spaces in the city also act as sponges, absorbing excess rainwater and minimizing the risk of flooding. Architect and PIER F founder Susanne Petry states, "Urban development today means first and foremost climate adaptation. After all, we can’t just design cities to meet our needs today; they must be future-proof and resilient, with the goal of creating smart and safe places to live for generations to come."
Urban development today means, first and foremost, climate adaptation. They must be future proof with the goal of creating smart and safe places to live for generations to come. Susanne Petry, ARCHITECT AND PIER F FOUNDER
Passive and Active Houses
Houses are also undergoing a sustainable transformation, and Ted showed me examples of how Frankfurt is embracing and fostering this trend. Together, we visited active houses, passive houses, energy-plus houses, and even one remarkable place called the Öko-Haus, with its own stream running right through the middle! Without Ted as my guide, I would have missed almost all this innovation and sustainable design that makes this city unique, including the new old town in the historic Innenstadt (city center).
Frankfurt’s metropolitan center was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War. The decades that followed were also characterized by neglect. However, in the early 2000s, residents began an initiative to restore the city center and reclaim its lost historic character. City council members and state and federal authorities listened, and so began a Europe-wide architectural competition. The initiative was beneficial in reviving historic and culturally significant architecture and a great example of democracy and civic participation. Jane Jacobs, progressive urban planner, once said: "Cities have the capability of providing something for everyone, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody."
Cities have the capability of providing something for everyone, only because, and only when,they are created by everybody. JANE JACOBS, PROGRESSIVE URBAN PLANNER
The development was completed in 2018 and consists of new builds and converted structures that maintain their cultural and historical value but are all finished to passive house standards. This means they are incredibly energy efficient, requiring up to 90% less energy to keep warm in winter and cool in summer, which is good news for the planet but also for residents’ energy bills. For many years, the city has required all new buildings to adhere to passive house standards.
So, what’s an active house? In between discussions on various 80s punk bands (Ted’s other interest!), he explained the difference. Active houses are less about energy efficiency, focusing instead on ventilation, lots of natural light, and often intelligent technology. This means they still require a fair amount of energy to power operations, but this is usually directly drawn from renewable sources like PV solar, wind turbines, and geothermal. Some buildings, such as the funky ABG Active Stadthaus we visited, are so active that they are energy plus, generating more energy than they use. This means they can also power neighboring properties or supply energy back to the grid.
All-round mobility for all
As much as I enjoy driving my IONIQ 5 – a sustainable city must offer various mobility options for its residents. Frankfurt also excels in this area, with excellent bus and train services, cycle and walking routes, electric bike and scooter rental, hydrogen trains, and even a trail for autonomous electric shuttle buses (much like Hyundai’s own 'Roboshuttle').
We parked the car at one of the city’s many charging stations, where a 20-minute fast charge (10 - 80%) gave us the perfect amount of time to stroll through the center to a local farmers market. The excursion turned out to be an unforgettable culinary treat. With almost all of the produce sourced locally from organic, sustainable, or regenerative farmers, we stocked up on Frankfurter sausages (when in Rome!) and other local delicacies, then headed back to our fully charged IONIQ 5 to carry on our road trip.
Hello countryside
With their hectic pace and crowds – even the best-organized and sustainable cities can occasionally be a bit too much. Sometimes,the secret is to get out and enjoy nature. Fortunately, a car like the IONIQ 5 can quite literally power these mini adventures. That’s why we folded down the back seats,threw two electric bikes and an electric hob in the back, and then headed out of the city through the wonderful winding roads to the hills and forests of Taunus, a frequent getaway for Frankfurt residents. Here we met up with Susanne, and after a quick top-up of the electric bike batteries (powered by the IONIQ’s V2L function), we explored the many forest trails before cooking up our frankfurters on the electric hob (again powered by the car!). What more could you want?
If we make it here
– we can make it anywhere
As we settled in the shade of the pines, it gave me a final chance to reflect on all I’d seen in Frankfurt. Cities are wonderfully complex systems, full of diversity, creativity, community, and contradictions - but without a shared vision, all this promise can be lost, and the resulting consequences are many. Fortunately, there are examples like Frankfurt. The sort of careful planning, research, expert consultation, public inclusion, and holistic thinking might not reach the headlines, but sometimes, it’s the quiet and careful work that matters. As our friend Jaime Lerner also says, "Cities are not problems - if done right. They are solutions." So, let’s go see what more solutions we can find.
Thank you, Ted, Susanne, and PIER F, for showing me around your wonderful city. We're committed to building better cities and a better world. Are you ready to join us?
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