Danube Eco-District

he Danube Eco-District project is Strasbourg's first eco-districy and is based on previous experimental designs in sustainable urban living. It is situated at the heart of the axis Deux Rives, and is thus a strategic point of the large Franco-German Deux Rives project. 

The project raises concerns of increasing urban living, and subsequent problems of ecology, climate change, urban heating, effects on social equality and biodiversity as its main challenges. The Danube Eco-District, therefore, aims at promoting environmental logic and integrating biodiversity in urban spaces for different social and economic demographics, and hopes to enforce these through a variety of methods including: - developing the vegetation of port wastelands for flood and water management, - installing green roofs on residential buildings for thermal insulation, - rain and stormwater managing facilities (e.g. ditches, swales, landscaping ponds, green roofs, green attached water gullies), - encouraging eco-friendly methods of gardening (e.g. stopping the use of pesticides), - green spaces, involving tree planting, - insect hotels for biodiversity - garden plots and shared gardens dedicated to preserving biodiversity, improving air quality, and communal living.

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

• Public local authority budget

Nature-based solution

• Blue infrastructure
• Lakes/ponds
• In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
• Community gardens and allotments
• Allotments
• Community gardens
• Green areas for water management
• Swales and filter strips
• Sustainable urban drainage systems
• Grey infrastructure featuring greens
• Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
• Riverbank/Lakeside greens
• House gardens
• Green playgrounds and school grounds
• Nature on buildings (external)
• Green roofs
• Parks and urban forests
• Green corridors and green belts

Reflections and dialogues in 2008 (e.g. 50 meetings of Project Danube Workshop, while committees and neighborhood associations were set-up) highlighted the desire to create a new innovative and sustainable neighborhood leading to the creation of the Project Workshop "Danube". In 2010 SERS was chosen as developer, while Devillers & Associates, and architects Richter, Artelia, LEA and Philippe Oblige were contracted to the project. 2011 saw the completion of the first building and a nursing home. The 1st phase was completed in 2014. The completion of the 2nd phase is due in 2017, while the 3rd and final phase of construction is due in 2020. The project is co-designed and co-built with the inhabitants of the city and (future) residents, for example in charting new pathways urban, architectural, social, environmental. The project has faced challenges such as soil pollution for example, which has meant that only suspended fruit gardens and no fruit trees can be grown. "The EcoQuartier Danube is implementing, over 6 hectares, innovative energy systems (BBC buildings, passive or positive energy such as the Elithis tower, the world's 1st positive energy housing tower, alternative mobility solutions (station car-sharing, shared parking), urban mix (650 housing units including 50% social housing or social access, 10% self-promotion), a specific mode of project governance ( project workshops, workshops, etc.)". "Everything has been done to favor and preserve the port character of the site. Trees have been planted, vegetation adapted to humid spaces has been reintroduced. Exchange spaces have been installed such as playgrounds, gardens or composting areas. In short, green spaces represent more than 6,000 m² , plus another 4,000 m² of public green spaces. Town planners have made a special effort to preserve and develop biodiversity with Fauna and Flora" ). "To respect the port atmosphere, a river garden will be set up; trees will be planted there, benches and pontoons installed. This garden will also play a hydraulic role because it will constitute a rainwater retention basin"

Key challenges

• Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
• Climate change mitigation
• Environmental quality
• Waste management
• Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
• Habitat and biodiversity conservation
• Green space creation and/or management
• Regeneration, land-use and urban development
• Regulation of built environment
• Water management (SDG 6)
• Improvements to water quality
• Health and well-being (SDG 3)
• Enabling opportunities for physical activity
• Creation of opportunities for recreation
• Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
• Inclusive governance
• Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
• Social cohesion
• Social interaction
• Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
• Real estate development
• Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
• Sustainable consumption
• Sustainable production

Strasbourg Eurométropole

The Danube Eco-District project is Strasbourg's first eco-districy and is based on previous experimental designs in sustainable urban living . It is situated at the heart of the axis Deux Rives, and is thus a strategic point of the large Franco-German Deux Rives project. The district will have the capacity for 20,000 residents, and will include green spaces, green roofs, insect hotels, various water management facilities (ditches, swales... etc.), and composting facilities. The project aims to improve biodiversity, social equality, ecology, reduce urban heating, and promote sustainable consumption.