Between 2007 and 2010 the housing and transport area in Germany rose by 87 ha/day. Hence, the rate of area increase slowed down as compared to the period from 2006 to 2009, when it had reached as much as 94 ha/day. The daily growth rate of land use is calculated as a moving four-year average. The goal of the federal government’s national sustainability strategy is to reduce the daily growth of land use for new housing and transport areas to 30 ha/day by 2020.
The results of the annual surveys of housing and transport areas in the last years show that decreases are followed by increases in land use and vice versa. Considering, however, that single-year results are frequently affected by external factors – first of all, by changes in official land registers – the long-term development is better reflected by a four-year average like the one mentioned above.
“Housing and transport area” must not be equated with “sealed area”. Housing and transport areas also include a considerable proportion of non-built-up and non-sealed areas. Recreation areas, for example, which mainly comprise green areas and sporting grounds, currently account for 8.4% of the housing and transport area. From 2007 to 2010, recreation areas contributed significantly (+31 ha/day) to the increase in housing and transport areas.
