IN-PERSON London. Section A

Abstract

Europe has committed itself to playing a pioneering role in climate protection. However, in the foreseeable future there will be nowhere near enough renewable energy generation and storage capacity to meet demand locally in Europe. Therefore, additional alternative energy sources from abroad will have to be used. Green hydrogen is a promising option for importing renewable energy. For this reason, large-scale projects for the production of green hydrogen are being initiated in various countries. One of these projects, which has received a lot of media attention, is located in southern Namibia, in the hinterland of the port city of Lüderitz, a region with a lot of wind and sun and thus particularly favorable climatic conditions for the production of renewable energy. This project will create up to 3,000 new permanent jobs in Lüderitz in just a few years and subsequently double the local population. The dynamic urban growth in combination with the ambitious goals of the overall project offers the opportunity to develop the expansion of Lüderitz as a model district of a climate-neutral city. The project is looking for innovative concepts for a Net Zero City that combine a diverse mix of uses and sustainable urban development in the given specific context of arid southern Namibia and, in the sense of a “What if…?” scenario, demonstrates the urban development qualities that a CO2-neutral urban expansion can offer and the potential synergy effects that could be realized in interaction with existing urban structures. This paper outlines the key aspects of this planning strategy based on research and the results of an urban planning master design studio at KIT. It presents a selection of possible future scenarios for a livable and sustainable urban development in Lüderitz and an adaptable and transferable strategy for planning tasks in similar situations in Namibia and beyond.