Technique of Urban Soil Evaluation in City Regions Ð Implementation in Planning Procedures Soil Evaluation in Spatial Planning

A contribution to sustainable spatial development Results of the EU-Interreg IIIB Alpine Space Project TUSEC-IP

Soil Evaluation in Spatial Planning

A contribution to sustainable spatial development Results of the EU-Interreg IIIB Alpine Space Project TUSEC-IP Contents

Technique of Urban Soil Evaluation in City Regions Introduction Ð Implementation in Planning Procedures Soil Protection in City Regions 4 The Interreg IIIB Alpine Space Project TUSEC-IP 6

Imprint Project results Publisher Legislative Context 8 Lead partner of TUSEC-IP: City of Munich, Department of Requirements for Soil Evaluation 10 Health and Environment, Germany Soil Evaluation Procedures Order State Environment Agency of the Autonoumus Province of • Soil Evaluation Procedure TUSEC 12 Bolzano - South Tyrol, Italy • UNITO Soil Evaluation Method 14 Realisation Collecting and Evaluating Soil Data European Land and Soil Alliance ELSA e.V. • Data Tool 16 European Secretariat, Osnabrück, Germany •Area Description 18 Editorial team Reto D. Jenny, ELSA e.V. (responsible), Sent, Switzerland •ILSE Information System 20 Clemens Geitner, University of Innsbruck, Austria Strategies and Measures 22 Werner Gruban, City of Munich, Germany Information and Publicity 24 Markus Tusch, blue! advancing european projects, Freising, Germany Translation Project partners Test examples Simone Unger, dito Sprachenservice, Specialist Translations City of Munich 26 No. 1 Munich, Schittgablerstraße 27 and Technical writing, Osnabrück, Germany Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol 28 No. 2 Area of Brunico 29 Articles and pictures Federal Environment Agency 30 No. 3 Ottensheim, Campestrinigründe 31 The texts and illustrations were provided by the individual project partners and working groups. Contributors are Leopold Franzens University of Innsbruck 32 No. 4 Wörgl (Tyrol), Commercial Park West33 considered to be all the persons involved in the TUSEC-IP City of Linz 34 No. 5 Linz, Grünzug Bergern 35 project who have been named in the articles in this brochure. Municipality of Reutlingen 36 No. 6 Reutlingen-Sickenhausen, "Hau" 37 Print University of Hohenheim 38 The Soil Evaluation Procedure 39 Karo Druck KG/Sas, Frangart, Italy University of Torino 40 No. 7 Grugliasco, incinerator area 41 Munich and Bolzano, June 2006 Municipality of Maribor 42 No. 8 Maribor, "EUROPAN" area 43 This issue is available in English, German, Italian and Slovenian, also as download document in: www.tusec-ip.org TUSEC-IP Project Coordination Asso- 44 No. 9a Zurich, former flower nursery 45 ciation of Switzerland (Zurich, Chur) No. 9b Chur, munitions site Rossboden 45

Index Addresses of the Project Partners 46 Bibliography 47 2 Foreword Foreword

"Sustainable urban development aims to pre- Soil evaluation as an instrument for spatial planning promotes sustainable spatial and settlement serve and improve the quality of life in our cities. development. It serves to protect soil as a resource and contributes to sustaining and improving the Preventive soil protection is a key element of quality of the environment. Soil evaluation is particularly significant in ecologically sensitive areas already sustainable urban development. This is why subject to heavy use where there is great on-going demand for building and development land. Such preventive soil protection must be reinforced in areas include the urban agglomerations and city regions within and on the edges of the Alps. municipal activities in general, but in spatial planning in particular." The aim of soil evaluation is to steer development to ecologically compatible sites which make spatial (TUSEC-IP guiding principle, 2002) planning sense from the point of view of soil protection, and to promote urban planning concepts which protect the soil. This will help to achieve broad acceptance of the planning procedures and greater planning certainty.

From the point of view of spatial planning, this entails evaluation of soil quality with the natural properties, functions and capabilities of the existing soils in a way which allows the results to make a contribution to the planning process and be put to practical use. One key challenge will be to transfer the soil evaluation of natural soil functions into planning evaluation of the suitability for use. Development of applied soil evaluation depends on close cooperation between soil experts and planners.

The TUSEC-IP project aims to promote active cooperation between soil protection and spatial planners on an international scale. The aim is to illustrate that the problems of land consumption and soil pollution in cities and municipalities can only be solved by a joint effort. Soil evaluation can be a central instrument for preventive soil protection if it is coordinated to soil protection concerns in spatial planning. Evaluation of soil functions and capabilities allow to visualise the value of soil in the urban natural balance and in a social context, illustrating that soils in city regions are more than just a surface and a site for building use. As an instrument for preventive soil protection, soil evaluation should set new priorities for sustainable development of the habitat subject to the greatest human use.

At the end of the three-year project period, this brochure offers brief two-page articles presenting the results obtained by the project partners and the individual working groups. These are not only self- contained individual articles provided by the project teams but modules from individual work packages which are used to collate the results of the individual parts of the project into a transnational overall result.

3 Introduction Soil Protection in City Regions Soil quality, urban environment and ideal concepts

The development of protection measures should A third way of looking at soil protection would be to Many of these purposes result not only in soil distinguish between whether there is a primary name key concepts. Even if soils are not directly degeneration, but also in extensive soil destruction, interest in the soil functions, or in preserving a visible, they have a great effect on the other elements caused by soil excavation with total erosion. Today it soil structure with certain morphological of a landscape and are associated with these other is the cities which see the greatest erosion rates. Soil characteristics and origin, or whether soil is elements. destruction also consists of sealing the soils, considered in the overall context with certain The ideal concept of local identity which causes the although sealing does not necessarily have to imply ideal concepts. peculiarities of many places and their landscapes is the total destruction of soil functions. based on the features of the local soils. Concepts make it easier to gear soil protection to the In the city context, soils get a new environment, Notions of protection are anthropocentric. This also locally highly differing qualities of soil rather than i.e. in some cases they develop under other applies to soil protection. That also means that it is a mere aspects of soil functionalities. Concepts can be environmental conditions than in the open country. primary aim to protect man and his quality of life. developed for many objectives. They are not limited Features of this environment include construction As far as implementing soil protection is concerned, to evaluating a few soil properties as is the case with work, substrates forming soil from relocated soils, on the one hand, quality targets for soils have been soil functions. They are therefore an instrument for from exposed rock or a large number of substrates developed. They should safeguard soil functions. combining soil concerns with other matters and from technogenic materials, such as building rubble, On the other hand, various forms of soil degeneration offering joint protection. ash, slag, waste products, slurry, other infiltrated have been described which restrict and diminish the substances from various emission sources, dust functions. When it comes to quality objectives for city soils, infiltrating and settling on the soil (photo 1-4), first it is important to look at the capabilities expected pollution and compaction from heavy machines The anthropocentric approach contrasts with the of city soils, i.e. what is soil needed for in the city (photo 5, 6), but also segmenting of water catchment protection of soil itself and soil in the landscape context? Soil is used for highly varied purposes, as areas through urban drainage and sealing, and also and as part of the landscape. illustrated by the following examples: as a result of care and maintenance measures which This has nothing to do with the concept of soil prevent soil development through weathering and • Housing, traffic, commerce, industry, administration functions to preserve the way a soil works, but looks dust infiltration. •Green spaces at the protection of the individual morphological • Health care, prevention of pollution, fine dust, structure of every soil and the local environment in overheating which a soil has been developed. This also includes • Supply and disposal local capabilities of soils. •Climate buffer, CO2 reduction • Recreation, games and sport •Drainage, water seepage, water recovery • Nutrition, allotments • Public safety, emergency measures, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Burghardt, Applied Pedology, Bio- and communication Geosciences, University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany). • Social security, status feature (housing area) Dust is everywhere. – Photos 1 and 2 (from left to right): new soil coverage consisting of dust permits vegetation Chair of IUSS Division 3 – Soil Use and Management, Chair of • Habitats. in extreme locations. Photo 3: without street cleaning, international WG SUITMA – Soils of Urban, Industrial, Traffic, mini sand dunes are formed. Photo 4: dust gathering Mining and Military Areas in cracks in the pavement. 4 Introduction • Cultivation soils in gardens (hortisols), cemeteries Soil worth protecting. (necrosols) and sewage farms Photo 7, left: hortisol; •Immission/emission soils (dry and wet deposits, photo 8, right: stratified soil with filter function dust infiltration and dust blown away) for various heavy •Technogenic substrate soils metals. • Soils with thick and/or deep stratification, mixtures and compaction

The city still frequently has remains of the natural soil Soil compaction at building sites. – Photo 5, 6: Small wheel occurring here. On railway track ballast (particle loaders compress the earth down to a depth of 17 cm. introsols)* and paving cracks (dialeimmasols), soil is formed by dust infiltration between the stones and The catalogue of soils worth protecting can therefore sand. Soils can also persist beneath sealed surfaces Other concepts can include moves to achieve a differ greatly and go over and beyond the minimum such as roads (here the soil is called ekranolith), but pollution-free city or to increase the volume of green requirements stated in soil protection legislation. with limited functions. spaces in the city. If soil protection is considered less from the In cities there is a great tendency to replace the top anthropocentric perspective of soil functions and soil, resulting in raw soils. On the other hand, city Which soils can be found in a city? more from the view of the soil resources still available districts which are more than 50 years old can still As a result of the changed environmental conditions, today which may no longer exist tomorrow and which have cultural soils with high humus contents which many soils can be found in the city which do not cannot be regenerated in their specific structure, this are therefore very fertile, and often also have many occur in the open country. That means that there is a results in the following catalogue: other advantageous properties. Soil in the city can be changed soil status. Soils must therefore be subject to very high infiltration rates with a • Anthropogenic soil of good quality with regard to expected to have a different range of capabilities than multifaceted influence. fulfilling functions, e.g. deep hortisols, selected soil in the open country. Large quantities of waste and refuse accumulate with stratified structure in the cities, on which soil can be formed under the • Soils for specific habitats, such as railway tracks, We therefore have to recharacterise soil qualities and influence of the city environment. This can result in derelict industrial and commercial areas, sites with evaluate their contributions to fulfilling functions. further types of raw soils such as technolithic and extreme conditions for plants, animals and In cities, soils can occur with practically no humus also allolithic soils when mixed with natural microorganisms directly next to soils with extensive humus layers, substrates. Many city soils show a special structure • Soils with a very typical local flair and identification such as hortisols (photo 7) or soils with fossil Ah-hori- (morphology) of the soil profile caused by stratifi- value zons (covered humus top soils). Other special soils cation, mixture and compaction, influencing many •Archive soils, also with regard to recent, industrial, include young soil formed under the influence of dust properties of city soils and their evaluation. economic and social history. (photo 1-4) and stratified soil (photo 8). Stratified soil for example can be understood as a series of diffe- Which soils are particularly worth protecting? rent reactors with potential unknown in nature. The development of protection measures should distinguish between whether there is a primary City soils can be outlined as follows: interest in the soil functions, or in preserving a soil • Local natural soils, as recent, relict and fossil soils structure with certain morphological characteristics •Traffic route soils (intrusols, dialeimmasols, and origin, or whether soil is considered worthy of ekranolith) protection in the context of certain concepts. • Raw soils, soil on recent backfills or covered rocky * The nomenclature for individual specific city soils has not been finalised, names and the layers corresponding soil characteristics can still be subject to changes. . 5 Introduction The Interreg IIIB Alpine Space Project TUSEC-IP "Technique of Urban Soil Evaluation in City Regions – Implementation in Planning Procedures"

"Gaining ground together" was the title of the Why TUSEC-IP? Why TUSEC-IP in Munich? The aims pursued with the evaluation procedure are TUSEC-IP kick-off event in the autumn of 2003. The City of Munich is one of the most densely as follows: "Gaining ground together" was also the populated cities in Germany. Undeveloped land is •to develop a procedure for evaluation of soil motivation for ten cities and scientific institutions scarce and expensive. There is a special need to act functions and their implementation in municipal from five countries to enter into a three-year here to assume a particularly careful, responsible procedures cooperation period with the aim of attributing approach to the still remaining land and soil. One •to steer economic development to ecologically greater significance to soil in planning prerequisite for a careful, responsible approach to compatible sites which are feasible in terms of procedures. soil is for the users in particular and the urban spatial planning when viewed from the point of view environment in general to know and appreciate the of soil protection The aim was to develop a procedure for significance and capabilities of soil. But to permit •to promote town planning concepts which protect evaluating natural soil functions and capabilities such awareness, certain general conditions still have the soil in the city regions of the Alpine region, working to be created which exceed the financial and •to give due consideration to the differences in out strategies for its implementation in regional technical resources of any one individual statutory legislation between the countries and municipal planning procedures. municipality. This is why the Department of Health participating in the project, particularly on a and Environment in the City of Munich developed the municipal level TUSEC-IP project. •to offer incentive for investment through greater planning certainty in terms of legislation and Together with scientific and practical partners and timeframes with financial support from the EU, Germany, Austria •to promote an awareness for soils in the cities and and Switzerland, the project illustrates new paths and their surrounding areas, and for precautionary soil creates new prerequisites to give due consideration protection in general, on all layers of political to soil in spatial planning, according to its significance activity. for the environmental quality in the cities of the Alpine region and their surrounding areas. The TUSEC-IP project was carried out in the context of the EU Community Initiative Interreg IIIB Alpine What are the objectives of TUSEC-IP? Space, by scientists and spatial planning experts in The TUSEC-IP project (Technique of Urban Soil close cooperation with regional and municipal Evaluation in City Regions – Implementation in environment protection authorities in five Alpine Planning Procedures) has been used to develop a countries: Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and procedure for evaluating soil functions and Slovenia. The project was developed under the capabilities for spatial planning. The results of soil leadership of the Department of Health and Environ- evaluation will contribute to ensuring that in future, ment in the City of Munich, which also bears the greater consideration is given to precautionary soil overall responsibility for the project. protection in regional and municipal planning procedures and in the associated environmental The target groups of the TUSEC-IP project are all impact assessment. those who have an influence on the condition of soils 6 Introduction and their development, including in particular •a contribution to promoting viable further develop- WP 9 Implementation (IMPL) municipal and freelance planning bureaux, political ment of economy, trade and commerce in the Development of strategies for implementing soil decision makers and all users of land and soil. Alpine region. evaluation in planning procedures.

The TUSEC soil evaluation system offers solutions The nine TUSEC-IP work packages WP 10 Conclusion (CON) for soil-related planning issues for the city regions of The project has been broken down into the following Reviewing the success of soil evaluation and its the Alps facing considerable settlement pressure, but work packages (WP) in accordance with the implementation in the test phase, conclusions for can also be used in other regions. Together with the guidelines of Interreg IIIB management: implementation in planning procedures, suggestions evaluation system, TUSEC-IP also provides for the subsequent procedure. strategies for implementing the procedure, taking WP 1 Transnational project preparation (PREP) account of the differences in legislation between the Preparation of the project: project development, The project partners various countries. The evaluation procedure has partner acquisition, project funding, project The following institutions played an active role in the been tested in an extensive pilot phase, with application, contract structure, distribution of tasks. TUSEC-IP project: reference to current planning examples in the partner • MUC: City of Munich, Department of Health and towns and cities of the project. WP 2 Transnational project management (PM) Environment, Environment Protection (Lead Organisation and coordination of the project by the partner) What are the achievements of TUSEC-IP Lead Partner City of Munich. • BZ_EPA: Autonomous Province Bolzano - South The direct achievements of TUSEC-IP consist of (WP 3 Project management was not allocated Tyrol, State Environment Agency •a specification with requirements made of the soil separately and covered in WP 2) • FEA: Federal Environment Agency evaluation procedure from the point of view of •IGUI: Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck, users in local authorities of varying sizes and on WP 4 Information and publicity (INFO) Institute for Geography the national level Multilingual project information and communication •LINZ: City of Linz •a planning manual for evaluating soil functions and network for users and the general public, preparation Environment and Technology Centre and the properties with the pedological manual and user of PR materials, translation services. Department of Town Planning guidelines WP 5 Legislation (LEG) • MARIBOR: City of Maribor, Department of the •a checklist for collecting existing soil data Synopsis of existing legal regulations and Environment • an automated digital evaluation instrument (ILSE – responsibilities. •RT: City of Reutlingen, Department for Town Information on Land and Soil Evaluation) Development and Surveying in cooperation with the •a collection of case studies on various planning WP 6 User Requirements (USER) Environment Protection Officer levels Definition of the requirements made by potential • UHOH: University of Hohenheim, Research station •a catalogue with implementation strategies. users of a soil evaluation procedure. "Unterer Lindenhof" • UNITO: University of Torino The medium and long term effects of TUSEC-IP are WP 7 Evaluation technique (SET) Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (Di.Va.P.R.A.). expected to include: Preparation of a user-oriented evaluation technique • ZRH: City of Zurich on behalf of the TUSEC-IP •a contribution to reducing land and soil with instructions, checklists and assessment Project Coordination Association of Switzerland consumption suggestions. with members of the Canton and the City of Zurich, • an increase in the significance of soil protection in the Canton of Grisons and the City of Chur, the Soil municipal procedures WP 8 Application in pilot projects (TEST) Syndicate of Switzerland and the Association of •promoting international exchange of knowledge Practical testing of the developed procedure using Family Gardens of the City of Zurich. and experience current planning examples in the towns and cities •a contribution to transnational harmonisation of the involved in the project. approach to soil in planning procedures 7 Project results Legislative Context Results of a survey among the project partners

The contents and procedures involved in spatial Basic data Legal objectives for soil protection planning are provided by a great extent by legal All project partners were asked to name all legislation The objectives for protecting soil as a substrate can requirements. The corresponding legislation and planning types which play a significant role in soil be found as a rule in national and regional environ- consists essentially in the laws pertaining to protection in their area. The survey was carried out ment and nature protection legislation, while the spatial development, planning and construction, by the bureau Creato & J. Leimbacher on the basis objectives for protecting soil as a surface (land) can together with statutory provisions regarding the of a specially developed questionnaire. The bureau be found in planning laws and regulations. That protection of nature and the environment. viaconcept (Tobias Kipp) was also retained for means that soil protection is divided between two Stipulations which are significant to land and soil evaluation of the questionnaires. different fields of law: (spatial) planning law and can be found in all fields of law. environment protection law. In terms of soil as a What is soil in legal terms? substrate, all partner countries already have legally Responsibilities for statutory regulations differ There is currently no mandatory definition of soil stipulated standards with limit, action or test values greatly in each of the partner countries. Matters which is binding throughout Europe. It is possible that for contamination with pollutants. which one city can regulate itself in a local or the "Thematic Strategy on Soil Protection", announ- regional context may entail state or even national In terms of precautionary soil protection, the German ced by the European Commission for spring 2006, legislation in another city. There is also a wide Federal Soil Protection Law (BBodSchG) demands that the may produce a definition. On a national level, all range of different definitions used in planning soil functions are to be given sustainable protection and partner countries have definitions apart from Italy. and legal procedures in the participating restored to their original state. To this end, provisions are to The definition of "soil" can be seen to take two forms: countries. This refers in particular to the various be taken against negative impacts on the soil. Any en- soil as animate structure (substrate), and soil as a croachment on its natural functions and on its functions as German-speaking countries, which makes it far surface (land). These forms are reflected in the an archive for natural and cultural history "should" be more difficult to compare and discuss the technical responsibilities. avoided as far as possible (§1 BBodSchG). corresponding legislation. The meaning of soil functions is properly defined in the In terms of soil protection as land protection, it is The legal conditions stipulate the framework in German Federal Soil Protection Law (BBodSchG) – the Act remarkable that all partner countries have already which a soil evaluation method can or must be for the Prevention of Harmful Soil Changes and for used. This is why work package 5 "Legislation" Securing Contaminated Sites. established the reduction of land consumption as a also included a survey of the pertinent legislation The law differentiates between natural functions, functions general objective for spatial planning. This objective in the various partner cities. of use and functions as an archive for natural and cultural is given a binding legal structure but, as yet, without history. According to the BBodSchG, the soil fulfils natural concrete measures or values. functions as In the context of "sustainable settlement develop- • Central basis for life and habitat for man, animals, plants and soil organisms ment", many local authorities have committed • Integral part of the natural ecosystem, particularly with its themselves to reduce land consumption in their area water and nutrient cycles by taking political council resolutions. However, this • Decomposition, compensation and generation medium obligation only has a restricted technical effect for material impacts, thanks to its filtering, buffering and because it frequently has to take a back seat when transforming properties, particularly also in terms of there is a conflict with economic interests. groundwater protection (§2 para. 2, BBodSchG). 8 Project results

European Spatial Development Concept All partner countries have more extensive regulations Soil in Europe The European Spatial Development Concept (ESDP, 1999) regarding sealing in terms of building land, but here gives explicit emphasis to important aspects of sustainable again, the actual form such regulations take differs in Alpine Convention settlement development which are related to soil development: One of the first transnational pieces of legislation dealing each case. The most extensive regulations can be • Controlling urban expansion explicitly with precautionary soil protection is the Convention on •Intelligent management of the urban ecosystem to save found in German planning law. the Protection of the Alps (Alpine Convention) dating back to resources German planning law demands that urban 1991. In the Alpine Convention, all countries of the Alpine • Preservation and development of nature and the cultural region undertake to implement measures in the area of soil development planning must give economical, heritage. protective consideration to land and soil and that protection aiming to reduce quantitative and qualitative soil impairments, in particular by applying agricultural and European Soil Protection Strategy surfaces are to be reconverted or recompacted in silvicultural production processes which have a minimal Soil protection is also one of the focal issues of the European order to reduce additional claims on surfaces for detrimental impact on the soil, by using land economically, Commission's 6 th Environment Action Programme (EAP). controlling erosion and restricting soil sealing. In order to building use. The programme covers the period from 2002 to 2012. achieve this aim, the contracting parties have signed a soil The extent to which soil is sealed should be reduced One of the seven thematic strategies to be developed during protection protocol, undertaking to comply with a series of this period will look at dealing with soils in our environment: this to the absolutely necessary minimum. Here the so- principles including called building usage by-law for building is the "Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection". The strategy was •the requisite legal and administrative measures for ensuring announced for spring 2006. It has been preceded since 2004 development plans stipulates maximum values for the conservation of soils in the Alpine region by an extensive consultation process involving authorities and the surfaces of a building plot which can be built • if there is a risk of serious and sustained damage to the func- experts from all European Member States in order to put the over, depending on the type of use. tionality of soils, prospective aspects shall be given priority soil protection strategy on the broadest possible basis. over aspects of utilisation. The strategy should give soil protection the same priority as water and air protection. Results To summarise the findings regarding legislation obtained from the project partners during the survey, soil protection ordinance with objectives for One and the same definition can be given different it can be said that the legislation differs greatly in the preserving soil fertility and with limit values for contents and legal effects from one country to the partner countries, both in the density of regulations restricting pollutant contamination in soil. next. For example, the zoning plan in Austria contains and in the responsibility for the regulations. The principles for spatial planning are geared to an binding specifications of building development, In Germany, the responsibility for planning and "economical use of soil" and "controlled settlement of whereas in Germany, this is only stipulated on the environment law lies predominantly on the national the land." It is basically up to the cantons to organise level of the building development plan. level with only little scope on the state level. spatial planning and to implement soil protection, Municipal planning sovereignty means that local with corresponding municipal regulations issued to Conclusions authorities should have considerable scope for this end. It is typical in Switzerland for the local There are no stipulations in European, national or precautionary soil protection. However, in practice authorities to have a high share of responsibility for local legislation which formally specify the use of a the actual scope is greatly restricted by competing autonomous measures, so that they have their own soil evaluation method. However, the technical demands made on the soil and by financial interests. legally valid building and planning codes. requirements made meanwhile of spatial planning German planning law demands that urban planning In Slovenia, the environment and planning legislation in all partner countries have reached a status which projects must give justly weighted consideration to referring to soil protection is centralised to a far would appear to urgently require the use of an both public and private issues, where soil is only one greater extent. As a young national and EU Member evaluation method in many planning procedures. of many aspects. State, the legislation is closely geared to the This refers in particular to those planning procedures In Austria it is above all the federal states who are corresponding directives. Trans-national discussions subject to strategic environment impact assessment. responsible for spatial development and soil pro- of planning procedures and legislation is exacerbated In these cases, the regulatory authorities have a tection. The situation for the local authorities is by the differing definitions used in the partner special responsibility when it comes to assessing the similar to that in Germany. countries and the resulting problems in environmental impact and subsequent environmental In Switzerland, soil protection is regulated in the corresponding translation. monitoring. environment protection legislation. This includes the 9 Project results Requirements for Soil Evaluation Results of a municipal survey

One of the essential objectives of TUSEC-IP is Survey of cities and towns However, up to now, soil properties have scarcely that it is geared to the needs of users, i.e. above In order to draw up a profile of requirements for soil played any role in practical planning activities, apart all the practical planning engineers in the towns evaluation in the context of TUSEC-IP, firstly, the from assessments of the mechanical suitability of and cities and their surrounding local authorities. demands and expectations of the individual project building land and chemical analysis of the level of To ensure that the soil evaluation procedure is partners were ascertained during internal project pollution on suspect sites and contaminated sites. made as practical as possible, during an early surveys and discussion groups. Subsequently in The reason why inadequate consideration is given phase of the project a survey was carried out spring 2004, an extensive survey was carried out of consists primarily in a lacking awareness of the among potential users in the participating Alpine altogether 800 towns, cities and larger municipalities importance of functional soil which in turn results in a countries to ascertain their requirements. in the participating Alpine countries. lack of uniform statutory regulations for soil protection (see the chapter on "Legislation"). In addition, the Return rate and evaluation existing data material is also considered to be The survey was evaluated on the basis of 195 insufficient for adequate soil evaluation; once again, returned questionnaires (return rate of around 25%). significant differences between the participating As well as stipulating the necessary features for a countries can be noticed. corresponding soil evaluation procedure from the point of view of the user, this also gave a good Requirements made of the soil evaluation system overview of the general administrative, personnel and The need for an evaluation system which can also be technical conditions for the practical use of such a easily handled by non-soil scientists is underlined by procedure, as well as indicating the extent of data the fact that according to the answers given in the material available for evaluation in the municipalities. survey, only a few local authorities employ staff with In addition, the survey permitted an estimation of adequate soil expertise, and that only very limited past and present priorities given to soil and soil funds are available to outsource soil evaluation protection in municipal planning procedures. completely to external experts. Results The evaluation system must above all offer a There was an unanimous agreement that compromise between the demands for the highest the greatest danger for soil comes from building possible quality of results on the one hand and the and sealing the surfaces due to the drastic lowest possible effort and costs on the other when it expansion in anthropogenic use. The need for come to collecting the input data. controlled growth in consideration of the natural The system should have a modular structure so that ecosystem and its prevailing conditions is also it is sufficiently adaptable to the differing demands acknowledged, offering good prerequisites for an with regard to the significance of soil functions, plan- acceptance of soil evaluation in spatial planning. ned land use, regionally and locally differing general Responsible for carrying out and evaluating the municipal All returned questionnaires also confirm in theory that conditions in terms of legislation (e.g. pollutant limit survey the significance of land and soil as a protectable Dr. Clemens Geitner, Markus Tusch, University of Innsbruck, values), natural ecosystem (e.g. flood risk) and asset should be given the same priority as other with the involvement of project partners from the various planning aspects (e.g. preserving agricultural areas). countries. environment assets. 10 Project results The evaluation system is to be used on different levels depending on local requirements and available data material. The most effective wide-spread use is Fig. 2: Which soil-related information is important for planning decisions? in the context of the zoning plan; when it comes to site decisions in isolated (10 most frequent answers) cases, it can also be conceivably integrated in drawing up building development plans or in designating local green areas.

Fig. 1: Shows the discrepancy between the desired and the actual consideration of soil properties in spatial planning. Fig. 2: Shows which soil properties are or should be relevant in principle to planning decisions and which should therefore be given special priority in the evaluation procedure. Fig. 3: As far as the evaluation results are concerned, it should be possible to integrate these in an existing GIS where they can be depicted and used for further processing. A simple evaluation map along the lines of "high / medium / low function fulfilment" is considered adequate by more than half the people taking part in the survey. There was also a clearly expressed wish for both a rough, small-scale overview and also a detailed parcel-scale depiction, with not only an overall evaluation but also individual interim results to facilitate interpretation.

Fig. 1: For which land use is soil suitability taken into consideration in current Fig. 3: In which form should an evaluation system provide information about planning processes (actual status), respectively should be taken into soils in the municipality as a decision-making aid for spatial planning consideration in future (target status)? measures?

11 Project results Soil Evaluation Procedure TUSEC University of Hohenheim

One important basis for soil evaluation is the concept procedure for soil evaluation. It permits evaluation of of soil functions developed during the '70s. Soil the full range of soil functions on the basis of soil scientists and administration experts elaborated descriptions with a hitherto unequalled degree of definitions to cover the full range of soil capabilities. precision. Accordingly, this extends from the significance of soil for flood protection via its task as a habitat for plants The corresponding evaluation procedures have been through to its role as an archive for natural and soundly tested, adjusted and verified. A web-based Not an everyday alliance: soil scientists and city planners viewing cultural history. program is available for some of the more complex a soil profile to discuss the possible use of fallow ground. evaluation steps. As with every schematised Like all other modern approaches to ecological soil procedure, the TUSEC results should also always The project TUSEC-IP looks at the value of soil evaluation, TUSEC-IP is also based on this concept. undergo a plausibility check by a soil expert. Further- going way beyond the mere land price. Together, Although some soil evaluation methods have already more, TUSEC is the first procedure which can be soil scientists and town planners are developing been developed, the TUSEC soil evaluation used on an international scale for the evaluation of a procedure for ecological soil evaluation to help procedure covers new ground in many areas. ecological soil functions. It permits soil evaluation make sensible, sustainable use of the capabilities TUSEC is the English acronym "Technique of Urban regardless of national regulations for handling soils of soils. The aim is for soil to be able to perform Soil Evaluation in City Regions – Implementation in and is not specific to one certain pedologic method. its functions in a permanent, optimum manner Planning Procedures" referring to the new evaluation without having to be substituted by short-term, method. In addition to the approach described here for the expensive technical measures. Similarly, the aim mandatory planning level, i.e. the A-method, TUSEC is not to accept a continuous decrease in In fact, TUSEC implements a whole series of also permits soil evaluation without primary soil environmental quality and the quality of life. innovations. No other evaluation method has given information, such as is available at local administra- Taking this approach, TUSEC-IP is not restricted rise to such intensive discussions between planners tions (B-method). Up to now, the B-method is only to soils out in the open countryside but also and soil scientists right from the very beginning. The available as a "beta" version for further on-going includes all soils througout a city region. discussions have defined a whole range of demands development. Although this is a low-cost method to It turns out that garden soils and even soils on and preconceived ideas relating to the procedure use, in the current development stage it still needs derelict industrial premises can reveal a high which would constitute a basis for decades of on- assistance from a very experienced soil scientist. ecological capability. Accordingly, "urban soils" going development work. As far as planners are are certainly not fundamentally considered to be concerned, basically an evaluation method must be old waste deposits: even soils which have been easy to handle yet versatile and planning-oriented, drastically changed by human intervention can and not cause any great costs as far as possible. be ecologically valuable. On the other hand, for soil scientists the emphasis is Time chart of modern soil evaluation on taking a professional approach according to which 1961: Land Capability Classification (USA) every step in the procedure must be scientifically 1976: FAO Framework justified. Development of the soil evaluation procedure and the 1995: Baden-Württemberg procedure (Heft 31) "Manual for Soil Evaluation" 1999: Hamburg procedure Dr. Andreas Lehmann, Susanne David, Prof. Dr. Karl Stahr, The TUSEC evaluation procedure is the result of University of Hohenheim. these efforts. It is currently the most comprehensive 2006: TUSEC 12 Project results Although a great deal has been achieved in a specific overall evaluation procedure can be developing TUSEC, some additional aspects which developed in each case. Together with these new Principle of TUSEC soil evaluation in the have emerged since the start of the project have still aspects and concepts with great significance for A-method, illustrated by an example: not been fully implemented. For example, diverse sustainable spatial planning, TUSEC has also views on general soil function evaluation and on land implemented pedologic innovations. TUSEC thus Step 1: Survey use specific evaluation have accompanied the takes special aspects of urban soils into account. Soil mapping or evaluating archive data. development of TUSEC throughout the entire project For example, for a long time now it has been known period. These different approaches produced a that water seeps far more quickly in artificially piled certain contradiction, namely evaluating soil with soils than in naturally developed soils. regard to the full range of its functionality and at the same time making statements restricted to certain TUSEC was the first procedure to integrate this fact uses (e.g. as industrial site). in a method for function evaluation. Similarly, the fact that nutrients within soil aggregates are absorbed by Up to now, attempts to solve this problem have only plant roots at differing rates is not new; TUSEC was Step 2: Data processing primary soil parameters looked in an exemplary and approximate fashion at the first procedure to incorporate this in an evaluation Evaluation procedure for every soil, differentiated evaluating sub-functions. The evaluation of sub- procedure. In spite of some complex contexts, in the complex parameters according to different depths, functions can provide answers to questions which end the soil evaluation principle is fascinatingly for every aspect of linking the soil parameters arise as the planning procedures and levels become simple. In fact, the entire variety of soils can be functionality. The evaluation for every depth increasingly detailed. For example, it is not the same covered by less than a dozen soil parameters and a process is based on the TUSEC-IP Manual of Soil thing when in one case priority is given to ground- few general items of additional information. calculation the evaluation Evaluation by the University water quality for safeguard drinking water supplies for the entire soil of Hohenheim. and in another case interest focuses on the quantity Accordingly, soils can be evaluated just by stating the Step 3: Assessment Assessment of water absorbed by a particular type of soil for texture of the soils at various depths, the content of The abbreviations stand for preventing disastrous mudslides. TUSEC can provide stones, humus and foreign substances, root LIFE1‘A 5 twelve automatically LIFE2‘A 3 answers to both questions. The quality aspect is dealt penetration and a few other parameters. This is evaluated soil functions and BAL1‘A 5 with by looking at a fundamental soil function. For the remarkable, particularly in view of the great two soil capabilities which are BAL2‘A 1 particularly relevant for disaster control aspect, a sub-function model was differences in soil capabilities which can be seen BAL3‘A 4 planners. The data can be BUF1‘A 4 elaborated. even in the smallest of areas. The diagram shown prepared using the area here illustrates the principle for covering the variety BUF2‘A 5 description or the ILSE ARC1‘A 5 Work at the University of Hohenheim concentrated of soils and how TUSEC is used to evaluate twelve Information System. ARC2‘A 5 primarily on the fundamental evaluation steps, while aspects of the functionality of soils with a five-fold The results are used to PROD1‘A 4 assess the soil quality for the University of Torino looked increasingly at graduated classification. LEACH1‘A 1 spatial planning. developing detailed planning solutions. COOL1‘A 1 To conclude, it can be said that TUSEC provides a LIFE1'A Central basis for life and habitat for people Not even the TUSEC-IP project succeeded in sound evaluation procedure with important options LIFE2'A Central basis for life and habitat for animals, plants and microorganisms BAL1'A Water balance, qualitative aspects satisfactorily developing a possibility for giving an for further development. However, additional funds BAL2'A Water balance, quantitative aspects overall evaluation, in some cases contra- dictory, will be required to implement these options. BAL3'A Nutrient balance BUF1'A Filter and buffer properties for heavy metals functionality of the soils, which is an aspect of BUF2'A Properties as transformation medium considerable importance to many planners. However, ARC1'A Archive of the natural ecosystem ARC2'A Archive of the cultural ecosystem at the end of the project, an extensive data set is now PROD1'A Site for agricultural production and biomass production LEACH1'A Leachment capability (leaching of rain water) available which, following in-depth statistical analysis, COOL1'A Cooling properties (microclimate) can then be used to distinguish typical cases so that Evaluation code: 1 = very high functional fulfilment, 5 = very low functional fulfilment 13 Project results UNITO Soil Evaluation Method University of Torino, Faculty of Agriculture (Di.Va.P.R.A.)

The UNITO-team developed a land-use based Soil Quality Evaluation Method Each procedure can be carried out independently. urban soil quality evaluation method for planning The purpose of UNITO Soil Quality Evaluation The important output of the procedures are two and soil quality management purposes. Method is to: single-value measures: Index of Soil Quality (a The main intention was to design a flexible and numerical representation of the soil quality) and Land a) control the soil quality of present land use; internationally applicable set of procedures Use Change Impact (indicates the impact of the b) identify the soil remediation needs; which would promote the soil-protecting planning planned land use change to the soil resource or c) verify urban planning decisions regarding soil concepts and, consequently, more sustainable quantitative evaluation of the environmental value of quality; and use of soil. soil resource in the area after land use change d) assess the impact of the planned land use change comparing to the current situation). The results are two manuals and two computer to the soil resource. tools: The procedures are carried out with the help of step- ¥ The Soil Quality Evaluation Manual serves as a The principle of the method is based on the by-step descriptions, equations, forms and inter- guidance for soil quality evaluation and evaluation of separate relevant soil quality indicators pretation instructions which are used for explanation interpretation of soil properties within different (SQI) to assess the soil quality (SQ) which is in the of the numerical results of the evaluations and land uses. Designed for non-soil experts it can next step used to evaluate: elaboration of the planning recommendations. be used by planners to assess the impacts of a) SQ needs (soil suitability) for present and planned The manual is implemented in the Excel-based the planning decisions to the soil resource in land uses following the goods and services computer tool which allows the planner to focus on quantitative and qualitative way. approach; and interpretations and preparation of the planning ¥ The Human Health Risk Manual guides the user b) the environmental impact of planning on soil relevant suggestions instead of time-consuming (planner) to assess the impact of the heavy resource and performance of main ecologic soil calculations. metal soil pollution on health of the citizens in functions. relation to their exposure within different land Human Health Risk (HHR) uses. SQIs are physical, chemical, biological and functional The purpose of the UNITO evaluation of human soil and soil-related characteristics, which are quanti- health risk is to give an indication of the potential risk tative and expressed as numerical values. SQIs are level for human health caused by soils containing grouped in: high levels of heavy metals. High concentrations may UNITO project team has developed a separate soil have an adverse effect on humans through the food quality evaluation method supported by computer a) Basic set (used to assess SQ in a general chain, inhalation, dermal contact or ingestion where tools. The method is focused on the provision of the meaning), especially young children can be affected. The relevant soil information to the planner and its inter- b) Extended set (locally adapted SQI); procedure is evaluating the risk on the daily heavy pretation as a basis for further planning decisions. c) Specific set (specific needs); and metal intake basis that may occur in the considered The method enables the planner to distinguish d) Environmental set (to evaluate the capacity of soil land use. The land uses were characterised between “good” and “bad” soil, soil suitability / soil to perform main environmental functions). according to how and by whom the soil is used. quality and to assess the impact of the planning decisions to the soil resource. The method is presented in the Soil Quality Evaluati- The HHR Manual provides to the planner a step-by- on Manual – the guidance adapted for soil inexpert step description of the HHR procedure and the use. It comprehends step-by-step descriptions of related background information. The steps needed to three separate soil quality evaluation procedures: calculate the risk index are numerous with different Urban soil quality control, Soil evaluation for urban Development of the UNITO soil evaluation method parameters involved. In order to simplify the planning and Evaluation of soil resource loss. Dr. Franco Ajmone Marsan, Laura Poggio & Borut Vrscaj, evaluation an Excel tool was designed. University of Torino. 14 Project results

Practical operation of the UNITO soil evaluation method Urban soil quality control and soil evaluation for urban planning Land use change impact to the soil resource The soil quality and, consequently, the soil suitability is evaluated for present land use and is The soil capability to perform main environmental functions (filtering, buffering, ground water expressed as single number, the Index of Soil Quality. The quality of the separate soil parameters protection, food production, etc.) of the area is calculated as environmental soil quality index. The can be identified and soil quality remediation measures can be suggested. On the basis of index is a measure of the environmental quality of the soil resource. Within the planning process comparison of soil quality of present land use to the required quality for other land uses the most different suggested land use changes are checked and the Land use change impact value is suitable land use change can be suggested from the point of view of soil protection. calculated for each of them. The output values indicate the foreseen decrease (or increase) of the soil environmental capacity of the area if the land use is altered. Thus, the impact of the land use change can be assessed.

Fig. 1: Soil quality evaluation by using UNITO Excel tool.

Heavy metal soil pollution evaluation Soil heavy metal (HM) pollution is evaluated on the basis of different national/regional legislation with the computer tool. The tool offers the possibility to evaluate HM pollution by selecting different regional / national legislation thresholds.

Human health risk assessment The Risk Index (RI) is a measure of the risk derived from the human heavy metals (HM) daily intake that may occur in the considered land use. The RI is calculated as the ratio between the sum of the heavy metals daily intake and the Tolerable Daily Intake values. RI=1 means that the HM concentrations are close to the amount that can be taken up by the human body over a Fig. 2: Land use change impact evaluation by using longer time span without causing adverse health effects in the considered land use. Higher UNITO Excel tool. values mean higher risk. The HM pollution risk to human health can be reduced by soil remediation measures or by land use change to a less sensitive one. 15 Project results Collecting Soil Data Data sources and requirements for the A- and B-method

The evaluation method for soil functions has Evaluation methods have been developed for these land and are therefore suitable for the A-method. been developed on a detailed level (A-method) two levels in order to satisfy the corresponding Agricultural soil maps serve to ascertain soil and on an overview level (B-method). Different requirements (A- and B-level). properties over larger areas of land and contain data are required depending on the spatial extensive data on a scale of 1:25,000, so that they The A-method needs detailed soil data (soil profile, resolution. This means that in some cases, are better suited for the B-method. Generally it must soil parameters for each soil horizon). These data different basic data are needed. The A-method be said that with the exception of forestry site maps, can only be obtained by soil surveys on site (soil usually entails soil mapping, while the B-method these soil maps are only available for agricultural mapping). is focused above all to data which are already areas. available. The B-method (overall evaluation) needs less detailed data for which existing data sources are The B-method can be based on other data sources The project TUSEC-IP has set itself the task usually adequate. as well as the soil maps mentioned above. Soil status among others of assisting users in the necessary inventories are a suitable source of relevant soil data, preliminary tasks involved in soil evaluation. The effort for evaluation therefore is far smaller in on condition that they cover sites in the study area. A compilation of the potential basic data to be relation to the surface area concerned, depending on If no soil scientific data are available, reference has to used in the process was elaborated, together the availability of data. In addition to the soil data, be made to basic data containing indications of the with a tool for evaluating the usability of these data are also required with regard to land use, geo- soil formation and the individual input parameters data for the specific process. These tools help morphology, hydrology and climate. An overview for the evaluation process. Such "secondary data" the users to reduce the workload involved and to summarises which data sources can be used for can be derived from remote sensing or other spatial estimate the quality of the planned soil evaluation, indicating the degree of detail with which data, such as topographic, geological or hydrological evaluation. the corresponding information is presented. maps. Information about current or historical land use can also be helpful for evaluating some soil functions. Data basis and data collection For example, this can help to estimate which Collection of the necessary data for the A-method materials are to be expected in which layers of the Requirements entails soil mapping according to nationally or soil. Such secondary data sources often have to be Numerous soil data are required to evaluate soil internationally acknowledged pedologic methods, if used in view of the frequent occurrence of techno- functions and capabilities in terms of spatial planning adequate soil maps are not available. Soil mapping genically altered soils in urban regions where decisions. According to the manual, these data are to should be carried out with a corresponding density of normally no soil data are available. However, local be combined in a suitable form to obtain statements samples which depends on the size of the parcel know-how and soil-science expertise is needed to which help the users. The users themselves make being examined and the target scale (recommended derive the necessary soil data, possibly also including different demands on soil evaluation, depending on indicative value: one sample per 1,000 m2). exemplary checks on site. the specific planning processes being served by the results. Existing soil maps are suitable as data source as Evaluating data quality long as the soil descriptions are available with the Data quality and suitability for evaluation is an issue • Detailed evaluation for small areas (on a scale of basic soil parameters. The suitability of soil maps in terms of soil evaluation. Here the quality of every 1:1,000 to 1:10,000) depends on the scale and on the original mapping single parameter influences the evaluation result, • Overall evaluation for large areas (on a scale of purpose. Soil maps for the land taxation offer data for together with combinations of differing data of varied 1:20,000 to 1:50,000 and smaller). the soil fertility on the level of the individual plot of quality. 16 Project results Data for the A-method is usually collected by soil mapping so that the quality and differentiation is Data tool for data screening dictated by the use of standardised methods. Incorrect or inadequately precise use of the field Pre-analysis of the available data The most suitable data sources are then which soil functions can be evaluated TUSEC-IP offers a tool for appraisal of shown for every parameter of the eva- with which quality using the existing data. methods is detrimental to the quality of the obtained the available data. The information luation procedure. This makes it possible to assess the data. This would result in imprecise or even partly content is assessed so that the possible effectiveness or dispensability of various useless evaluation results or misinterpretations. adequacy of the data in the soil Information content of the data data sources for the corresponding evaluation process can be stated, sources aspect. Data quality for the B-method depends greatly on the according to the Manual. This tool can be The focal element of the tool is an used on the one hand to ascertain which evaluation matrix which assesses the Use of the tool soil data which have already been obtained or on the data are necessary for complete information content for many possible Virtual use of the tool, indicating data secondary data sources. In contrast to the A-method, evaluation of the soil functions. data sources with regard to the records as being available or not in this case soil data have to be derived so that the On the other hand, it indicates which parameters of the evaluation procedure. available for test purposes, reveals the quality of the original data and their completeness is statements the TUSEC system can This central weighting of the significance consequences of the lack of certain particularly significant. The data can only be verified provide based on the existing data. of data sources in evaluating the soil data on the evaluation results. This functions is based on the appraisal of indicates how urgent certain information and supplemented at individual reference sites if at Existing data experts from various different disciplines. is in order to obtain plausible results. If all. Before actually reverting to the relevant However, it can be adjusted when better detailed soil mapping is planned in the data, it is important to obtain an overview information is available. study area (for the A-level), pre-analysis The quality of the results also depends greatly on the of which information is available at all for of the data is not necessary, because the ability of deriving the data required for evaluation soil evaluation of the area. Results necessary parameters are collected from the available information. In view of the fact that The user can indicate these available The existing parameters for evaluating specifically. But advance analysis can the existing data sources are often very different with data sources in a checklist. soil functions are displayed together with provide valuable indications of the great variations in contents and scale from case to the data sources which can provide these possibility for evaluating the soil just parameters best. In addition, it shows using the existing data, therefore case, it is not possible to give any fixed rules for supporting the decision for or against deriving the necessary soil data. Evaluating the available data sources for soil evaluation soil mapping. Particularly when the issue is restricted to one or just a few soil A tool has been developed for selecting the most functions, it may be possible to reduce suitable data sources, based on assessing the suitability evaluating the basic data without fearing any great available quality parameter soil function information content and the degree to which it can be data loss in adequacy. suitability evaluating used for the evaluation process. quality parameter manual / evaluating evaluating soil function Conclusion parameter procedure

Collecting the soil data is an important step in the evaluating process. Generally, the largest possible number of parameter soil function available data sources should be used for soil evaluating evaluation. However, detailed statements on soil parameter soil function functionality in detailed planning procedures entail evaluating parameter soil surveys on site by soil experts, particularly in urban areas. : Federal Environment Agency Working group for preparing data sources Sigbert Huber, Andreas Bartel, Alexandra Freudenschuß, Federal Environment Agency.

17 Project results Collecting and Evaluating Soil Data Area description

Method These results can now be integrated in the area The area description was chosen as a method for description. On a parallel basis, the University of syste-matic, standardised data preparation. All Innsbruck developed the ILSE software, which again relevant information necessary for planning an area produces soil evaluation results for the A-method. in terms of soil evaluation are entered in a digital form (= area description) in MS Excel. Basics and data collection The procedure starts by collecting the existing basic This form is supplemented by a number of tables, data and evaluating it (Data Tool). In principle, this each of which constitutes the basis for an evaluation work only has to be carried out once, this then Soil surface in Reutlingen-Sickenhausen. Photo: Waltraud Pustal. tool and is linked with the area profile (cover sheet). applies to the whole test area. MS Excel has been chosen for automated evaluation later on in the procedure to permit on-going Selection of the procedure and demarcation of The area description was developed in light of the development of the IT tool. Various applications can test areas demands made by the project partners (planners) then be easily used on this basis (e.g. GIS systems, Before starting work, it has to be decided which for a method and a tool to summarise the Access, etc.). The result consists of a planning procedure is going to be applied. Given the more evaluation methods obtained and suggested recommendation as a rough guideline from the point accurate results, as far as the zoning plan is during the project in order to produce a result. of view of soil protection. concerned on the so-called "if" level (whether a The result should be seen as a rough planning planned change in use should be implemented or recommendation from the point of view of soil A Guide for Handling the Area Description has been not), the B-method is more appropriate. protection. drawn up for a better understanding of the area description and its various tables, explaining each The areas are usually very extensive and therefore line and table in the tool. not suited to sampling. Where smaller areas are concerned (usually building areas), the "if" decision On-going development of the digital evaluation has already been taken and the "how" decision is procedure now pending: how are the plans to be implemented? The area description was tested initially in a pre-test This is where the A-method comes in. phase in the B-method during spring 2005. The first results indicated that a different area description Working steps for the B-level area description: has to be developed for the A-method than for the a) Subareas are demarcated according to uniform B-method. kinds and types of soils. However, it is important to ensure that the subareas are not too small be- But in the meantime, the principle approach to digital cause otherwise, the workload will be too great. data collection and automated evaluation has con- A generalised statement is not possible, because vinced the project partners. A digital procedure has Working group for the area description the subareas depend on the actual natural soil Waltraud Pustal, freelance landscape architect, Pustal Lands- also been developed for the evaluation procedure of circumstances. cape Ecology and Planning, together with Christine Schimpfer- the University of Hohenheim in the A-method. mann, Reutlingen Town Planning Department and Reto D. b) Procedure according to the guidelines. Jenny, Spatial Planner, Sent (CH) 18 Project results Working steps for the A-level area description: Assessing the procedure from the point of view The necessary effort in evaluating secondary data of administrative staff (soil maps and other information) is quite Soil samples are taken and evaluated, for example Following the development of the area description considerable for staff without pedologic training. according to the "Instructions for taking soil samples" and applying it to more than 20 test examples, the Situations repeatedly occur which demand (University of Hohenheim, July 2005) in the Annex, following results have been obtained: professionally based expert decisions in order to followed by the procedure for the A-level area proceed correctly with the evaluation. description. 1. Soil evaluation using the TUSEC A-procedure by a) Stipulation of the necessary sampling points the University of Hohenheim seems to be well 3. Use of the area description seems to be very according to the type of planned use/building. suited for evaluation of soils in undeveloped and extensive, but the workload involved is limited to Procedure as stated above developed areas. It is possible to single out finely about 15 to 30 minutes per subarea, following an differentiated areas which are suitable for different initial familiarisation period of approx. 3 days. b) Procedure according to the guidelines. uses or worthy of protection. 4. In any case, at the end of the procedure the Professional requirements 2. Soil evaluation using the TUSEC B-procedure by obtained results must undergo a plausibility check It is not possible to implement the procedure on the the University of Hohenheim seems to need in order to reveal any possible input errors. B-level without basic knowledge of soil science, further improvements in many areas. because evaluation of the basic data frequently encounters fundamental decisions which have to be taken. On the A-level, the soil samples can only be taken by soil scientists. Transfer of the results from a Prototype area description for the test phase digital evaluation program (e.g. ILSE) is possible for staff with basic pedologic know-how.

Assessing the results The results consist of a planning recommendation as a rough indication seen from the point of view of soil protection; the recommendation is available in the form of a table. This is a first step towards standardised results. The basic evaluation tables are reproduced in the area description. The evaluation gives different weighting to certain soil properties. It is important for the user to be able to understand these modules and adjust them to local conditions. The guidelines help to interpret the results, particularly for non-experts. Fig. left: Title page of the B-level area description of test area "Hau".

Fig. right: Evaluation of the suitability for use including evaluation results for soil functions from the B-level area description of test area "Hau".

Responsible for the area description Waltraud Pustal, Pustal Landscape Ecology and Planning, Pfullingen. 19 Project results Evaluation of Soil Data ILSE – Information on Land and Soil Evaluation

In order to facilate a simpler, user-friendly Initial situation If the soil data are available in digital form, they can evaluation of land and soil data, the web-based The aim of TUSEC-IP is to create an evaluation be read into ILSE with an import function. All that is information system ILSE (Information on Land system for urban soils based on the one hand on needed here is to classify and convert the data from and Soil Evaluation) has been developed in scientifically sound methods, but which also on the the existing format into the ILSE exchange format cooperation with GRID-IT Gesellschaft für other hand has a clearly organised structure and is which is specified in an Excel file and documented in angewandte Geoinformatik mbH (Company for as simple as possible for the users, i.e. as a rule local the Import Instructions. Applied Geoinformatics) Innsbruck. authority planners. Evaluation of the entered data ILSE implements the methods and algorithms of To meet the demand for a user-friendly procedure, Evaluation in ILSE consists of several steps. Firstly, the Pedological Manual for evaluating soil the internet-based information system ILSE (Informa- complex parameters such as available field capacity, functions on the A-level. The evaluation results tion on Land and Soil Evaluation) has been hydraulic conductivity coefficient (kf-value) or cation can be produced as a table or used in a developed in cooperation with GRID-IT Gesellschaft exchange capacity are calculated from the entered geographical information system for depiction in für angewandte Geoinformatik mbH (Company for soil data. Elementary and complex parameters are maps and plans and for further analysis. Applied Geoinformatics) Innsbruck. ILSE implements then linked for all horizons of a sampling site using the methods and algorithms of the Pedological the methods contained in the Pedological Manual, in Manual for evaluating soil functions on the A-level. order to obtain an evaluation of the soil functionality It also integrates the conceptual developments of the at the specific sampling site. The results of these so-called Area Description which contains the profile steps then consist of an evaluation of each soil and identification of the planning area. function stated as a number between 1 (very high functionality or very high performance level) and 5 Internet platform (very low functionality or very low performance level). The user can therefore use a normal web browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, As far as imported data are concerned, it is possible Netscape) for the evaluation procedure. The user has to proceed with evaluation not step by step for every to log in with a password to use ILSE, thanks to the horizon and sampling site but automatically for all system's extensive functionalities for managing sampling sites of the study area. Any problems access rights of users and user groups. This ensures occurring with the procedure, such as missing that only the corresponding authority can see the soil parameters, are recorded in a log file. data of a test area, and that only the staff responsible It is irrelevant for ILSE whether the corresponding soil can change the data. data were obtained from laboratory analysis, soil mapping or existing data sources, as long as the Data input required quality and data resolution of the contents is ILSE offers a graphic user interface (as illustrated) for guaranteed (see data tool). A complete set of input data input on three levels which can be selected in data – marked in red in ILSE – is necessary to the menu bar: evaluate all soil functions. Working group for the ILSE information system • Application Area Dr. Clemens Geitner, Markus Tusch, University of Innsbruck; •Site Dr. Hannes Kleindienst, Michael Fecht, GRID-IT. •Horizon 20 Project results Selecting the evaluation results The evaluation results are displayed for every profile How ILSE works point and can be depicted also with a print view. An Fig. 1: ILSE user interface (screenshot) Fig. 2: Map showing the evaluation results for the "habitat function export function is available for saving these results for plants and animals", test area: Munich, "Funkkaserne". together with the calculated interim results (complex The ILSE user interface can be shown in four languages: parameters, evaluated soil properties) for every German, English, Italian and Slovenian. On the left there is an The illustration shows a possible form for depicting the results for overview of the whole study area which can be supplemented the test area "Funkkaserne" in Munich. ILSE was used to evaluate profile point; three different formats are available for in the background with orthophotos, topographic maps or and export 161 sampling points and process them along saving the data: plans. Individual profile points can be selected by a mouse click cartographic lines in ArcGIS. This concrete example shows in the map window or by using the text search. consistently medium to high functionality in terms of suitability as •simple ASCII text format for tabular presentation of The section on the right shows detailed information about the habitat for rare plants and animals on account of the coarse- the data area of investigation, a single profile point (including evaluation grained, calcareous soil, indicating that these soils are worthy of a • ESRI shape file based on the xy-coordinates of the results) or a soil horizon. certain degree of protection. profile point for further use in a GIS •ILSE exchange format.

Further development in a GIS Although ILSE provides basic cartographic functions for depiction of the study area and profile points, in order to generate adequate evaluation maps the results will have to be imported into a cartography program or ideally into a geographic information system (GIS). Here the evaluation results can be displayed and presented in a clearly organised, easily understood form; on-going spatial analysis is also possible (e.g. overlays with existing data layers) so that the soil evaluation can be integrated in spatial planning instruments.

Fig. 3: Information about a profile point in a geographic information system (screenshot from ArcGIS 9.1). The right section of the figure shows an overview of the soil data exported from ILSE, including the evaluation results for 10 soil functions.

21 Project results Strategies and Measures Conclusions of the project TUSEC-IP

To ensure that the results really are used, thought The evaluation of the results from work package 5 • Suggestions would be welcomed for optimising the was given right from the start of the project to de- "Legislation" produced the following statements with statutory regulations. veloping strategies for implementing TUSEC-IP. relevance to the development of strategies: • Detailed evaluation of individual parcels of land It certainly should not remain a purely conceptio- • Neither EU legislation nor the legislation of the requires individual data surveys. Smaller local nal theoretical heap of paper. corresponding partner countries contain authorities without soil scientists on the staff are The aim of this work package was to find ways stipulations and requirements which demand or advised to outsource data survey activities to of integrating the developed instrument for prevent the use of TUSEC-IP in its currently external experts. evaluating soil functions as a permanent existing form. • Use should be made of experience gained with component in the various procedures for spatial • There are no statutory regulations in the partner Local Agenda-21 processes for the development of planning. Here the aim was to give the greatest countries which make any demands with regard to implementation strategies respectively for in- possible consideration to existing national the contents of the soil evaluation method. corporation of soil evaluation in on-going LA-21 differences in practical planning methods. processes. • There are no statutory requirements which dictate The intended output was a compilation of mandatory integration of soil evaluation results •Planners, political decision makers and, above all, concrete suggestions to warrant effective, in spatial planning processes. the general public should be made aware of the efficient integration in municipal soil protection significance of soil as an asset worthy of protection. policy. The answers to the survey of 195 local authorities in An indication of the possible strategic measures work package 6 "User Requirements" were very Completion of the test phase in work package 8 was obtained by evaluating the results of the informative. The following answers are significant "Application in pilot projects" provided important following work packages to the implementation of TUSEC-IP: information about the use of resources, quality of the ¥ Work package 5 "Legislation" soil evaluation procedure, the significance and ¥Work package 6 "User requirements • The use of the soil evaluation system is considered effectiveness acquired by soil evaluation in the ¥Work package 7 "Evaluation technique" as most essential on the level of zoning plans or in various procedures, and about the quality of ¥Work package 8 "Application in pilot projects". the compilation of local development plans and completed planning processes. green space plans respectively. Other fields of application are specific site appraisels for building projects and environment impact assessment procedures. • It is recommended to obtain and use information about the soil early in the planning process, i.e. before the awarding of building permits as it is common practice today. • The aim should be to integrate soil evaluation results in regional planning, e.g. during the demarcation of regional green zones. 22 Project results Measures for implementing soil With regard to the European Thematic Strategy for The activities of ELSA, the internet platform Soil Protection, ELSA (European Land and Soil www.tusec-ip.org and various events and courses evaluation Alliance) will try to exert influence through the also help to disseminate the TUSEC-IP method. existing network to ensure that soil evaluation is The measures which are to facilitate, promote or introduced to urban regions in this context. On • Experience and recommendations from the initiate an implementation of soil evaluation national level existing scopes are to be utilized to partners were developed on various levels: their full extent. The local specific situations and experience from the test phase constitute an important basis of • Objectives for soil protection • Information information for the development of local solutions, Use of the soil evaluation procedure should be The results obtained from using the soil evaluation referring particularly to organisational aspects and derived from the municipal objectives for pre- procedure constitute a basis of information which the division of labour (soil mapping, evaluation, cautionary soil protection and make corresponding should become part of a soil information and interpretation and preparation for integration in reference to these objectives. Many local monitoring system in order to answer the following planning procedures). authorities have meanwhile elaborated concepts questions: and / or targets for sustainable development and adopted these as binding general framework for - Where are soils worthy of protection located in their actions. The aims for soil protection constitute the municipal territory? an important element in dealing carefully with - Which (planned) uses are ecologically compatible natural resources. with which soils in the municipal area? • Spatial planning - Which and how much soil (surfaces) are impaired Acceptance of the soil evaluation procedure must and / or damaged and / or destroyed by which be obtained and promoted to become an integral current or planned uses in the municipal area? part of spatial planning processes. It is important to make local authority planners and experts involved ¥ Municipal practice in the spatial planning agencys aware of exactly The Planner Manual shows which personnel, what soil evaluation can do, its advantages, the financial and time resources are required to use the gains of using it and its quality. Various measures soil evaluation procedure. The planning example are used to this end, e.g. the TUSEC-IP Planner illustrates the workflow involved and how it can be Manual, publications relating to the project possibly integrated in planning procedures. ILSE (brochure, publication), training courses and (Information on Land and Soil Evaluation) makes seminars all dealing with urban soils and soil practical, manageable soil evaluation accessible to evaluation. all interested local authorities.

• Legal framework • Training and communication It is important to illustrate that the soil evaluation Various media are used (CDs, publications, method is a suitable instrument for meeting internet) to familiarise potential users with how to existing statutory requirements, respectively which handle the soil evaluation procedure (Planner scope it offers in the context of current legislation. Manual, the web-based evaluation tool ILSE).

23 Project results Information and Publicity Internal and external communication

The results of work package 4 "Information and The promotion and public announcements referring publicity" reflect the results of the project by to the project TUSEC-IP began already back in 2001 and will finish officially with the closure of the internet ¥ Creating an awareness in the towns and cities, portal on 31 December 2006. From then on, public the local authorities, regional and national announcements and distribution of information will political bodies and the general public of the take place through the websites of the European need for sustainable soil management in the Land and Soil Alliance, www.bodenbuendnis.org, Alpine region, a region witnessing rapid urban and the State Agency for the Environment of the growth parallel to increasingly limited Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol, availability of land and soil. www.provincia.bz.it/agenzia-ambiente. ¥ Elaborating methods and strategies for spatial planning procedures by research institutes and Key information and PR activities include not only the universities, involving local institutions, website (see box) but also the preparation of the experts and interested parties in order to project, provision of information material, media TUSEC-IP flyers and congress documentation. Information obtain comprehensive knowledge about soil as activities in the context of conferences and annual material has been prepared for corresponding congresses and a resource. congresses, support in carrying out the surveys in the symposia and put to specific use as part of the PR activities. local authorities of the partner countries, arranging It will only be possible to attain these objectives for translations into the corresponding languages of by implementing a large number of activities, The newsletters the partner countries and the EU, and preparation of many of which began already before the project The TUSEC-IP newsletters have appeared through to the project results. started, and which will still be continuing after the the end of the project in 2006 in six issues of the project has finished. Bulletin of the European Land and Soil Alliance ELSA Preparation of the project "local land & soil news". These contain regular The first essential preliminary work for initiating the information about the progress of the project and its Interreg IIIB Alpine Space project TUSEC-IP was partial results. The newsletters can also be down- carried out during the workshop in Linden (Germany) loaded on the internet from the TUSEC-IP website. from 16 –17 July 2002. Corresponding project ideas Responsible for the newsletter is "blue! advancing which had been discussed on a bilateral scale european projects". hitherto in the broad context of the European Land and Soil Alliance and between the partners, were Municipal survey brought together to produce a first joint concept for The municipal survey as part of work package 6 submission of the project. Public relations and website "User requirements" was used at the same time to Responsible for public relations: Dr. Walter Huber (until June inform 800 local authorities in the countries of the Flyers 2004), Dr. Giulio Angelucci, Dr. Giovanna Dessi, Monica project partners (Germany, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, The flyers have been translated into four languages Stefani, State Agency for the Environment – Autonomous Switzerland) about the TUSEC-IP project. The return Province Bolzano - South Tyrol (German, English, Italian and Slovenian) and are rate and evaluation of around 25% of the question- available in printed or digitised versions. They offer a naires indicated a positive echo to the project Web hosting and data management: brief introduction to the project TUSEC-IP. "Informatica Alto Adige SPA" – "Südtiroler Informatik AG" TUSEC-IP. 24 Project results Workshops and conferences Together with numerous workshops on the various The website: www.tusec-ip.org work packages which each entailed intensive trans- national exchange of work, the following public The website www.tusec-ip.org On behalf of the State Agency of the > User requirements constitutes the key information and Environment, Bolzano - South Tyrol, the > Evaluation technique events have taken place: communications organ for the project website is run and updated by > Application in pilot projects • 1st annual congress and start-up conference on TUSEC-IP. It permits a direct exchange of "Informatica Alto Adige SPA" – "Südtiroler >Implementation information between the project partners Informatik AG". > Conclusion 15-16 September 2003 in Munich on the intranet, also facilitating a presen- The modules of the website consist of the ¥ Partners • 2nd annual congress on 13-14 September 2004 in tation of the project results to the outside menu bar with the following contents: >List of addresses of those world. Stuttgart-Hohenheim responsible for the project •3rd annual congress on 29-30 September 2005 in ¥ Project Zurich The website is available in German, > Targets of the TUSEC-IP project ¥ News Italian and English, and addresses both > Achievements and results > Current information and important •Final conference on 4-5 May 2006 in Tutzing. the project participants and the interested > Project organisation dates Together with these internal events, the TUSEC-IP general public. It is thus also the most > Timeframe for the project > TUSEC-IP newsletter useful and effective instrument for >Information about events ¥Work packages project was also introduced to the general public and promoting the project and for making the > References relating to soil protection, >Transnational project preparation to professional bodies at external events, including general public aware of the issues town and landscape planning, >Transnational project management involved in soil evaluation in urban sustainability, regional policy, etc. >Information and publicity • 16-20 July 2003: "Interregio 2003 – Three Count- regions in the Alpine region. ries Show at the Reschensee", in Graun, Italy > Legislation ¥ Best practice > Specific examples of soil protection • 16-17 October 2003: EUROCITIES congress activities (apart from TUSEC-IP) Environment Committee in Prague, Czech Republic • 16-17 October 2003: International workshop The internet website (on the left) has ¥ Links aroused great interest in this topic in > Organisations in the international "Managing the Underground Water as a Source of spite of a comparatively small potential environment of Interreg Alpine Space Drinking Water" in Maribor, Slovenia audience of experts. The statistics > Projects and programmes • 14 January 2004: Lecture on "Urban Soils and the (below) indicate that in January 2004 > Project organisation when the website went on-line, there >Timeframe for the project Evaluation of Urban Soils" at ETH Zurich, were only a few dozen visitors; by De- Switzerland cember 2004 the number of visitors had All publicly accessible results and infor- •1-2 March 2004: Conference "European and Local increased constantly to more than mation about the TUSEC-IP project can 1,700; in 2005 the average visitors Soil Protection" in Berlin, Germany; be downloaded off this website. After the figures were around 2,000 per month, end of the project (end 2006), the entire • 10-11 May 2004: Annual Congress of the Austrian compared to 4,500 visits in March 2006. Soil Science Society in Vienna, Austria documentation will be available on the • 13-15 April 2005: "CABERNET 2005 – International websites of the European Land and Soil Statistics www.tusec-ip.org Alliance under www.bodenbuendnis.org Conference on Managing Urban Land" in Belfast, Monthly visitor figures 2004 – 2006 and the State Agency for the Environment United Kingdom; – Bolzano under www.provincia.bz.it/ • ELSA Annual conferences: 3-4 April 2003 in Augs- agenzia-ambiente burg, Germany; 23-24 September 2004 in Bolzano, Italy; 6-7 December 2005 in Krems / Stein, Austria. Organisation of the website Media work Responsible: State Agency for the Media activities accompanied the project TUSEC-IP Environment, Bolzano - South Tyrol; throughout the entire project and are featured in Concept: Reto D. Jenny, Sent (CH); detail in the final report for work package 4 "Informa- Installation and support: "Informatic Alto tion and Publicity". Adige SPA" – "Südtiroler Informatik AG". 25 Project partner City of Munich Department of Health and Environment

Munich is There is a long tradition of soil protection in the City of Munich. Already in 1985, widespread mapping •the third largest city in Germany activities recorded the sealed areas in the city. The •the most densely populated city in Germany with construction planning guidelines look to prevent the approx. 4,000 inhabitants per km2 sealing of further open spaces as far as possible. The • characterised by progressive suburbanisation, so "unsealing programme" proceeds to unseal areas. that since the '50s developments have gradually completely eradicated the boundaries between the In 1996, the Munich City Council instructed the city and directly neighbouring municipalities. Department of Health and Environment to draw up a municipal soil protection concept. Six years ago, 2 Surface area 310 km Munich adopted a concept and guidelines for soil Panorama of Munich with a view to the Alps. Population 1,296,150 inhabitants protection, and an ecology guideline for integrated Photo: No. 711 – Rudolf Sterflinger. (as of 28.02.2006) soil protection in the scope of Munich's city Buildings and (related) open spaces 43.9 % development plan "PERSPEKTIVE MÜNCHEN" The City of Munich is the initiator and lead (MUNICH'S PROSPECTS). The city is a founder Recreation areas 15.0 % partner in the TUSEC-IP project. member of the European Land and Soil Alliance Traffic areas 16.9 % ELSA e.V. Together with being responsible for work Agricultural and forestry areas 20.7 % In spite of all these initiatives, it must be said that soil packages No. 1 "Transnational project Water areas 1.3 % preparation", No. 2 "Project management", protection still does not enjoy the same priority as Other uses 2.3 % No. 9 "Implementation strategies" given to protection of the groundwater and of the air. and No. 10 "Conclusions", Munich also tested the Munich considers precautionary soil protection to be soil evaluation procedure on three test examples. For the most part, Munich's soil has been trans- a municipal key task, because soil is a central issue formed and changed by anthropogenic impacts. even in a large city. Soil means green and therefore Preventive soil protection already enjoys a The wide range of the existing soils makes it difficult recreation, protected groundwater, a healthy climate lengthy history in the City of Munich. It is hoped to know where which soil is found, which ecological – in other words, a central basis for life and for the that TUSEC-IP will provide the city with important services the soil performs for water and air, for man, quality of life. Particularly in a city like Munich, which arguments to contain on-going progressive land plants and animals, or which dangers are concealed is one of the most densely populated cities in consumption. here. Germany, soil protection is of great significance, not only as an economic commodity! But it is important to know these facts if Munich's At the moment, Munich already has about 60% of the The project team citizens are to make the best possible use of the soil, Dipl.-Ing. Annette Eickeler, administrative secretary Thomas city surface area covered by settlements and traffic not only in economic terms but above all in terms of Bork, Dipl. geographer Werner Gruban, Dipl.-Ing. Helmer areas. This corresponds to a 50% increase since the natural balance, for the human habitat and for the Honrich, Department of Health and Environment. 1950. There is an urgent need to act here, to keep health of the city's population. further development and structural possibilities open The City of Munich is lead partner and responsible among for future generations. others for project management. 26 Project partner Objectives By applying the soil evaluation procedure, we hope Test example No. 1: Munich, Schittgablerstraße

•to convey the previously underestimated Picture left: test area Schittgablerstraße ecological, socio-cultural value of soil to all players (hatched area = planning area) - aerial involved in soil protection and to create a joint photo dated 1999 (Munich Surveying awareness and know-how which can be integrated Department) in spatial planning Picture right: are near the disused railway track, ruderal vegetation •to use the created information for practical contributions to the various planning procedures •to use the obtained information to contribute to greater planning certainty •to be able to contain the progressive wide-spread destruction of soil with associated landscape Brief description of the test area Questions for the test area Results of soil evaluation consumption. Location: North Munich, district of According to the stipulations of the The examined area reveals above Feldmoching. German Soil Protection Law of 1998, all average indications of the habitat Surface area: approx. 2 hectares natural soil functions stated in § 2 were functions for plants and animals. Munich has tested the soil evaluation procedure with three Zoning according to the zoning plan: evaluated. Special attention was given to The lack of any signs of chemical examples: general housing and priority ecological the following in the context of the planned pollution in the soil means there would areas. use: also appear to be no human hazard. 1. In the planning area "Funkkaserne" in the district of Current use: extensively used grassland The Eastern area permits very high Schwabing-Freimann, the evaluation procedure was tested on •the function of the soil in the water in the Eastern section; in the middle infiltration rates for precipitation water, the A-level in the context of drawing up a building development cycle, particularly with regard to section fallow land of two small, empty whereas the Western section has soils plan with green spaces.The former army barracks is being • suitability for local seepage and detached houses; the Western part is with a high filter effect and low seepage completely replanned for successive use (housing, commerce, •the protection worthiness of soils given former railway land, crossed by an potential. services, trade). A detailed urban soil map was already the special site conditions (habitat industrial railway track which has available for this area dating back to 2001. The capabilities of function for animals and plants, biotope meanwhile been taken up again and is Planning recommendations the existing soils for the natural balance (e.g. seepage development potential). capability, rain retention capability, biotope potential) are to be covered today by ruderal vegetation. The extensively naturally developed soils taken into account in the planning procedure. (brown earth – pararendzina) in the Methods used for soil evaluation Planned land use Northern and Eastern part of the area The soil was examined using 17 profiles, 2. The whole city area of Munich (310 km2) was declared as a Erection of housing with open green should be preserved with future use as 11 sample cores and three additional test area. In the context of the zoning plan, a specific "soil" spaces. an open space. To this end, the existing spade cuts for assessing the top soil in plan is to be drawn up as a contribution to the landscape plan. vegetation should be preserved as far as areas with extensive The landscape plan is part of the zoning plan and to be Suitability of the test area, illustrated by its possible. Removal of the top soil, move- bushes. updated in the near future. The statements made by the "function for the water cycle" ments of construction vehicles and The results were entered landscape plan form the basis for local planning (building storage of materials on this area should in the ILSE evaluation tool development plan) and permission procedures. At the moment, be reduced to the absolutely necessary for evaluation, and pre- there are only a few soil-relevant statements in the landscape minimum. plan (sealing, old waste deposits). In future, town planning and pared and displayed in landscape planning activities are to give greater consideration maps using the ArcGIS to the aspects of preventive soil protection as a contribution to geographic information sustainable city development. system.

3. The planning area "Schittgablerstra§e" which covers 2 hec- tares (see box) was soil mapped and tested. The results of the soil evaluation were made available to the entities involved in Field work the corresponding planning procedures. Markus Tusch, Dr. Clemens Geitner, University of Innsbruck; Dr. Andreas Lehmann, University of Hohenheim.

27 Project partner Autonomous Province of Bolzano Ð South Tyrol State Agency for the Environment

The total area covered by the territory of the Auto- The natural monuments are "unique" natural nomous Province of Bolzano amounts to around formations: rocks ground by glaciers, ice caves, 7,400 km2, 83.8% are used for agriculture (including caves or giant trees and groups of trees which forests). The remaining 16.2% are open areas, parks, characterise the landscape. domestic gardens, ornamental gardens and areas Overview picture of the city and the landscape of Brunico. covered by buildings, rocky land, mountains and The biotopes currently include natural preservation waterways. The population amounts to 482,650 areas without any particular differentiation. Most of The territory covered by the Autonomous inhabitants (as of 2005). the biotopes consist of wetlands in the broadest Province of Bolzano in South Tyrol stands out on sense (ponds, lakes, areas covered by reeds, peat account of its Alpine character, the presence of Breakdown of the agricultural land: According to the beds, high and flat moors, wetlands around springs extensive mountain ranges, frequently with poor, data gathered in 1990, the effective agricultural area and alongside rivers and springs). Here any change thin layers of soil and steeply sloping hill-sides, amounting to 620,360 hectares of the state are in crops and any interference in the environment is contrasting with the less extensive valley divided up according to use as follows: strictly prohibited. Each biotope has its own bottoms with valuable soil and ideal climatic protection regulations to regulate any extensive Fields and domestic gardens 0.9% conditions. agriculture and forestry activities, containing various Permanent green areas and pastures 39.4% prohibitions. This influences the distribution of the population Vineyards, fruit trees 3.7% and spread of settlements throughout the state and other permanent crops A "natural park" refers to an extensive area con- territory, as well as the course of social and Chestnut groves 0.02% sisting of "managed" land, i.e. landscapes created economic development in South Tyrol in Woodlands and forests 46.9% by hand, and also natural areas, primarily woods, particular. It has also had a special effect on Unproductive agricultural land and others 9.1% meadows, mountain pastures and high mountainous agricultural development, resulting in a social, areas. Conventional use of the cultural landscape economic and agricultural structure which is Around one third of the total surface area of South (woods, meadows, pastures and mountain pastures) clearly divided in two. Tyrol (256,740 hectares) is protected, although the can be sustained also while giving due consideration conditions differ (natural monuments, biotopes, to nature and the landscape. As a rule, no kind of natural parks, areas protected on a municipal or building activity is permitted, apart from certain regional level) From this point of view, South Tyrol agricultural and forestry work for which building The project team acts as a considerable role model both compared to concessions can be issued on request. Dr. Walter Huber (until June 2004), Dr. Giulio Angelucci, the rest of the country and compared to other Dr. Giovanna Dessi, Monica Stefani, Dr. Antonella Vidoni, European countries. State Agency for the Environment, Autonomous Province of Generally the population has a very positive attitude Bolzano - South Tyrol Natural monuments (number) 1,061 to the protection areas. This applies particularly Biotopes 2,380 hectares 0.32% to the natural parks, which today are no longer The project team was responsible for work package 4: "Information and publicity", particularly for drawing up and Natural parks 123,970 hectares 16.75% considered exclusively in terms of the prevailing updating the website www.tusec-ip.org and for translating the National park 53,447 hectares 7.22% prohibitions, but thanks to suitable measures and text into the languages of the Alpine area. Landscape areas 76,943 hectares 10.39% differentiated educational and information activities, 28 Project partner these areas have been capable of fulfilling their function of protecting extensive cultural and natural Test example No. 2: Area of Brunico landscapes, without any kind of speculative use. Picture on the left: orthophoto of the test The soils in the bottoms of the valleys consist of area. Depiction: Christine Wanker alluvial deposits or brown soils which are ideal for Data source: Province Bolzano - South Tyrol high-grade crops. At the feet of the elevations, we Picture on the right: designated soil- find brown soils, between 1000 and 2000 m a.s.l we relevant sub-areas. find brown podsol, while at greater altitudes there are Data analysis and cartography: Christine Wanker humus soils without obvious horizontal structures. Data source: Province Bolzano - South Tyrol At increasing altitude, from the bottom of the valleys towards the mountain ranges, the thickness of the soil level decreases, frequently with exposed rocks and low fertility levels, with considerably restricted cultivation possibilities.

On the one hand, the areas in the bottom of the valleys and low slopes are characterised by a distinct human influence on the landscape and a high Brief description of the test area Individual larger commercial and Procedure population density, with a concentration on Size of the test area: approx. 2.800 ha. industrial estates can be found at the To provide an initial basis for soil production activities and, as far as agriculture is The municipal area of Brunico is located interface to the settlement areas. evaluation, a map was drawn up to act as in the North East of South Tyrol, in a preliminary stage for a concept soil concerned, first-class, high-yield woody crops. Pustertal valley which runs East to West. Basic data map. It links the geological/morphological On the other hand, there are areas above 900 m The area is limited by the Kronplatz in the In South Tyrol, many different kinds of units with land use and thus makes it a.s.l. with a gradually decreasing settlement density South and by the valley bottom of the basic data are available on a state level possible to combine the possibilities for and therefore also population density, with Taufer valley in the North. in digital form. Soil data form the the key factors influencing the soil. exception to this rule. There is no soil diminishing production activity; here agriculture The test area encompasses the whole Sealing classes were allocated to the map for South Tyrol, neither in analogue municipal area apart from the steep, types of land use prevalent in the area, involves extensive cultivation with pastures and nor digital form. Some local information forested slopes. Together with the town of representing the differently pronounced livestock farming on the slopes with their thin layers about soil can be obtained from building Brunico, it also includes the districts of anthropogenic influence on the soil. land surveys or from other isolated soil of soil, together with extensive forestry and grazing in St. Georgen, Stegen, Aufhofen, In order to assess past anthropogenic surveys. the high-altitude areas. Dietenheim and Reischach. influence on the soil over and beyond the current use, additional data about Methods used for evaluating the soil Questions for the test area the historical use of the test area The population in the state is concentrated mainly The soil is evaluated according to the The planning decision makers in Brunico are also evaluated. in the districts of Bolzano, Merano and Brunico, B-method on the basis of the Pedological municipality are fundamentally interested Manual of the University of Hohenheim where altogether 56% of the entire population lives. in all evaluation results for the soils in and the area profile. However, the initial The mean population density of the entire state their municipality which could be relevant stages have revealed that the existing territory is 60 inhabitants per km2, which is a to future pending planning issues. basic data are not sufficient for this relatively low value. The population density method. decreases continuously from the bottom of the Current land use Together with the more or less densely In order to evaluate the partial areas valleys to the lower slopes and mountain ranges. settled areas, the test area is mainly used designated up to now, soil data will have Data evaluation The highest mountains are completely uninhabited – for agriculture (husbandry). There are to be acquired at least at selected sites. Christine Wanker, Markus Tusch, this accounts for around 60% of the whole area. also larger woodland areas on the Dr. Clemens Geitner, University of steeper slopes. Innsbruck. 29 Project partner

bundesamt Federal Environment Agency

The Federal Environment Agency founded in 1985 is The experts work in close cooperation with scientific Austria's special agency for environmental protection institutes at home and abroad and play a crucial role and environmental controls. It is the only Austrian in integrating their know-how throughout all media body to deal with all aspects of environment and elaborating concepts for political implementation protection. The Federal Environment Agency fulfills and application. The Federal Environment Agency is above all with the following tasks: therefore the ideal institution to bridge the gaps between science, politics, the authorities and •Providing and evaluating data about the condition practical use. As well as dealing with issues such as of the environment and the changes it undergoes air, water, forest, natural protection, biodiversity, (environment control report) agriculture, genetic engineering, chemicals, waste •Elaborating basic data on environmental pollution management, traffic, energy, climate and environment and possibilities for avoiding and reducing it technology, information is also processed with regard • Sharing a role in fulfilling the national and inter- to contaminated sites and soils. In terms of soil pro- national reporting obligations in terms of tection, there is a focus on the following issues: environment protection • Evaluations and presentations on the current status • Sharing a role in implementing Austria's Staff and employees at the Federal Environment Agency. of soil in Austria environment legislation. • Running Austria's national soil information system The Federal Environment Agency considers the BORIS TUSEC-IP project to be an essential basis for The staff of the Federal Environment Agency is •Elaborating indicators on a national and inter- giving greater consideration to the soil in spatial represented on many international boards with the national level planning. As well as making contributions to the aim of enforcing high environment standards. • Developing monitoring and evaluation concepts for methods and workflow involved in soil The Agency runs its own laboratories for highly various issues involved in soil protection evaluation, the Federal Environment Agency has specialised environment analysis (including analysis • Running the suspected contaminated sites register dealt with three planning areas (A-procedure). of soil samples). • Estimating risks from contaminated sites Important aspects in this context include the • Supporting national and European soil protection willingness to cooperate shown by the local The Federal Environment Agency currently has more policy authorities around the City of Linz to facilitate the than 400 experts in environmental areas, graduates • Sharing a role in the international networks, smoothest possible field survey and to obtain from Austrian and foreign universities in many diffe- focusing on soil protection. valuable additional information. rent disciplines, who form a committed, highly qualified and creative team. The Federal Environment Agency considers preventive soil protection to be a key task for The project team environmental protection. Precautionary soil Department for Terrestrial Ecology: Dipl.-Ing. Sigbert Huber, Dipl. biologist Andreas Bartel, Dipl.-Ing. Alexandra Freudenschuß, protection demands scientifically sound basis, Dr. Erik Obersteiner, Mag. Alarich Riss, Mag. Monika Tulipan; Department for Nature Conservation: Dipl.-Ing. Gebhard Banko; Department for Contaminated Sites: Dipl.-Ing. Martha Wepner, Department for Environment Management, Traffic and Noise: practical concepts and methods for implementation Dipl.-Ing. Günther Lichtblau; Department for IT Business Analysis: MMag. Ingrid Roder. on both the regional and local planning level. TUSEC-IP is seen as playing a pioneering role with The project team from the Federal Environment Agency was responsible for drawing up a "data tool" in the context of work package 7 regard to these aims. On the one hand, the project "Developing methods for soil evaluation" . TUSEC-IP offers the Federal Environment Agency 30 Project partner the chance to contribute its methodical and technical data experience in soil protection for professional Test example No. 3: Ottensheim, Campestrinigründe exchange in the framework of international cooperation. On the other hand, the suggestions elaborated together with the project partners are intended to form an important sound basis for future implementation possibilities in Austria. Soil evaluation is to be given a greater role in spatial planning to optimise its use. By implementing the developed evaluation procedure, a great deal can be achieved in the Alpine region to protect soil and its manifold functions. In the TUSEC-IP project, the Federal Environment Agency has contributed above Located directly on the banks of the river Danube, the Untere Marktau is used mostly for sport and recreation. Partly backfilled and levelled surfaces on alluvial gravel make water management a main topic in the foreground of soil considerations. all the following activities: • Assessment of user requirements for the evaluation Brief description of the test area Need for evaluation Summary of the results system The test area encompasses approx. 5 The planned use would result in areas of The data gathered from the 42 survey • Compilation of potentially relevant basic data for hectares in the village of Ottensheim/ ground being sealed, with an effect on points resulted in the following picture: the the evaluation Lower Marktau, to the West of the city of seepage capabilities. Given the direct area offers good prerequisites as a •Creation of a tool for evaluating the quality of the Linz. The area is designated as limited vicinity of the River Danube with the latent habitat for plants and animals. The existing basic data mixed building land, i.e. in part for leisure flooding risk, surface water treatment, gravelly substrate means that the buffer facilities (sport and games areas). landfill activities and any contaminated function in general and the seepage • Contribution to the development of a land suitablity A special area with a sports hall and sites are important issues in the planning capacity on the compacted surfaces in evaluation system tennis courts is exempt from the study. process. Even so, not all land owners particular is not very well fulfilled. • Development of a "road map" for using the There is currently interest in extending the gave their consent to mapping so that the The suitability of these points for leisure evaluation procedure. leisure use of the area with an open-air green areas in the North West could not and recreation use, for agriculture and swimming pool. be evaluated. forestry is classified as rather low. During the test phase, the Federal Environment Agency has provided the City of Linz with expert Recommendations for the planning support and tested the soil evaluation procedure process Given the relatively low bonding capacity developed in the scope of TUSEC-IP for the detail Evaluation of the suitability of the test area for leisure use for pollutants, the soil should not be level (A-level) using three planning areas in the exposed to any further additional loads. surroundings of the City of Linz as an example. Forestry use would appear better suited The planning areas consist of a potential building than the current leisure use. It would be better to locate additional leisure areas extension area (currently used for agriculture), ideal with the minimum possible sealing effect a leisure area and derelict factory premises provided to the East of the land. by the local authorities, for which the Agency was duly grateful. Detailed soil mapping on site was suitable carried out by a commissioned firm of technical engineers. The second planning area is the "Campestrinigründe" (see box). This area was tested not suitable in the so-called A-method, i.e. evaluation after Field work surveying the characteristics in the individual soil Dr. Max Kuderna, wpa Consultant horizons by detailed soil mapping on site. Engineers; Federal Environment Agency. 31 Project partner Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck Institute for Geography The Institute for Geography at the University of Inns- of soil evaluation and soil protection, particularly with bruck (IGUI) sees itself as a representative of mo- different forms of soil pollution also being an dern, interdisciplinary geography. That means that expression of global social change. Soil plays an alongside specific and methodical specialisation, the essential role with regard to effective strategies for chances for geography as a scientific discipline are sustainable development. being re-fathomed in two directions, with regard to Numerous research activities at the Institute for 1. the integration of science and social-science Geography focus on a better understanding of the approaches to research, and man/environment relationship as a central paradigm 2. the relevance of the results for concrete imple- of geography. Regional alignment addresses Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck. mentation in practice. mountainous regions and other sensitive and dynamic areas. This then is the thematic and regional The Institute for Geography at Leopold Franzens The concerns being pursued in the TUSEC-IP project context for the surveys carried out on the current University Innsbruck (IGUI) carried out a very thus correspond exactly with this alignment, resulting status of soil protection in the local authorities of the broad- based local authority survey as part of the in an important contribution particularly to the inter- Alpine region (work package 6). project, looking at the current significance of soil disciplinary discussion and development processes. Together with a broad-based questionnaire, protection in settlement projects and at the Every year about 40 students complete their diploma numerous talks were held with planning decision- requirements involved in practical soil evaluation or teacher training. For several years now, increasing makers of larger and smaller local authorities in the in the Alpine region (work package 6). significance has been given to teaching specific soil Inntal valley. The Institute was also involved in the geographic contents with a growing number of The following overall impression emerged, which development of the soil evaluation system and its dissertations being written on related topics. is probably representative for many regions in the semi-automatic implementation with the ILSE tool Alpine area: (work package 7). Together with the significance of soil as the archive • The special relief situation in the Alps means that of landscape history and approaches to soil only very restricted areas are available both for The test examples in Munich (Germany), Wörgl modelling in Alpine catchment areas, there is also agriculture and also for settlement development, (Austria) and Brunico (Italy) provided experience a focus on practical approaches to soil evaluation. which clearly exacerbates planning activities. with soil evaluation and were used to finalise the Dealing with soils in settlement areas also coincides • There is scarcely any awareness of the ecological optimisation demand (work package 8). with longstanding research at the Institute on issues relevance of soil as a resource. related to urban geography and urban development, • Soil protection aspects are scarcely relevant to looking among others also at new approaches in the decisions made in land use planning, unless The project team management of open spaces. corresponding consideration is stipulated by law. Responsible: University Professor Dr. Johann Stötter; project leader: Dr. Clemens Geitner; team member: Mag. Markus Tusch; research assistants and student assistants: Christine The new research focus "Global change - regional Although there is plenty of data available for Austria's Wanker, Yvonne Moser, Christoph Mitterer. sustainability" established at the Faculty for Geo- and agricultural areas, specific soil-related information is Atmosphere Sciences and anchored in the Institute extensively lacking in populated areas. Together with The project team was responsible for the conception, for Geography in the scope of the university random soil samples, using secondary data to derive implementation and evaluation of the local authority survey in the scope of work package 6 "User requirements". development plan is also ideally suited to the issues soil information plays an important role, showing the 32 Project partner significance of geography in integrative land use analysis. A knowledge of geology, geomorphology, Test example No. 4: Wörgl (Tyrol), extension of the Commercial Park West hydrology, vegetation etc. can be combined with data on land use, also taking account of historical Picture on the left: orthophoto with research. The tools provided by the Geographic demarcation of the test area in the West Information Systems (GIS) can be used for inte- of Wörgl. gration and further processing of all these land- Picture on the right: view from the relevant facts. The result consists of a concept soil agricultural test area looking West towards the existing commercial park. map in which the various influential factors have been interpreted with expert know-how in terms of soil properties.

On drawing up this kind of concept soil map for the Brief description of the test area The following soil-related questions are an advance development by ILSE, with municipality of Wörgl, it transpired that historical Size of the test area: approx. 40 hectares relevant to the planning decisions: cartographic preparation of the results maps on land use can also be significant (Franzis- The essentially flat area to the West of with ArcGIS. • How high is the natural fertility of the the municipal territory of Wörgl is limited zeische Kataster dated 1856). These bear witness on soils? by the Inntal motorway in the North and Brief review of the results the one hand to the former extent of the settlements, •To what degree are the soils suitable for by the Innsbruck-Kufstein railway line in The soil evaluation confirms the ideal and on the other hand, they extensively illustrate the local seepage measures? the South. The intensively cultivated agricultural suitability of the land. • How high are the current soil pollution natural quality of the soils and sites with regard to agricultural area (cornfields, hay The finely grained substrate, compaction levels? agricultural use, which can be very useful for an initial meadows, horse paddocks) is a typical in the upper soil and seasonally high river meadow site which is at risk from groundwater levels drastically restrict its appraisal of the soil conditions in today's populated Methods used flooding under extreme precipitation suitability for local seepage. With a few areas. As required for the A-procedure, exten- conditions - as recently in summer 2005. exceptions, the heavy metal levels are sive soil samples were taken using soil below the suspected pollution levels. corers and isolated prospecting pits at The evaluation of the soils on a regional scale is Planned use and resulting questions approx. 30 points in a regular grid. important for future space development, not only in The commercial park bordering on the Planning recommendations settlement areas. Correspondingly processed soil test area in the West is to be extended. The profile data were assessed In view of the fact that this is the best data are of increasing significance also for issues In addition, a bypass is to be built parallel according to the Soil Manual of the agricultural land in the municipality, to the motorway to relieve traffic in Wörgl involved in regional spatial planning. A concrete University of Hohenheim. The calculations any kind of building work here should be town centre. were carried out semi-automatically using thoroughly scrutinised. A synthesis of all example here consists of the requirements of the evaluations results in the recommen- SEA Directive (Stategic Environment Assessment), dation to keep the West part of the area Suitability for local seepage of precipitation water free of building. which entails soil evaluation as a part of during extreme weather conditions implementation. These soil-based findings contradict the self-evident plan to extend the existing commercial park. Other statutory regulations will also enhance the demand for adequately prepared soil information in future. Geography with its broad thematic alignment and modern technical methods can help to provide Field work this information and to hold thematic discussions with Markus Tusch, Dr. Clemens Geitner, the responsibles. In addition, it can make a contri- Christoph Mitterer, University of bution to creating an awareness of soil functions and Innsbruck; Susanne David, Dr. Andreas soil protection. Lehmann, University of Hohenheim, Laura Poggio, University of Torino.

33 Project partner City of Linz Environment and Technology Centre

Linz is Pressure for further settlement is currently being •the third largest city in Austria diverted to the South of the city where there are •the centre of Austria's second largest conurbation greater building land reserves for residential and area with a high density of industry (heavy industry, industrial projects or where future extension chemicals industry) possibilities are provided. But at the same time, there •focal place of employment for the central Upper are valuable areas for natural protection here. Austrian region with around 80,000 commuters • The price for land in the city centre and also the •State Capital of the federal state of Upper Austria "value for money" with regard to living conditions is and thus a supra-regional centre. causing increased migration to the surrounding View of the State Capital of Linz. areas, which in turn results in increased traffic and Surface area 96 km2 The City of Linz has dealt with two planning areas commuter volumes. Population 189,000 inhabitants for the TUSEC-IP project (one with the A-proce- •Industrial emissions can make certain parts of the (as of January 2006) dure, one with the B-procedure). city unusable for sensitive usage. Share of developed land 36.1% It was also important to involve the municipalities Share of traffic areas 12.1 % around Linz to warrant a uniform approach to soil Given the wide range of problems with soil protection Share of green areas 51.8 % protection going over and beyond the city limits and spatial planning, Linz decided to take part in the (city regions!). Exact evaluation of the soils TUSEC-IP project with the following objectives Problem areas depended on mapping by soil experts. • The natural landscape conditions in the north make •to create a greater awareness In the greater Linz area, this was carried out it difficult to provide an adequate traffic infra- -for the significance of the soil by a soil survey office on behalf of the Federal structure here. At the same time there is a high -for the significance of preserving top quality soils Environment Agency. volume of traffic and a large number of commuters, with their immanent functions together with considerable pressure for further -for the significance of soil as a non-renewable settlement, particularly in the outer areas and asset which should be kept available for future favoured hillside locations. generations along the lines of sustainable town • There is a high concentration of developed land in planning so that they can go ahead with their own the inner city areas with high traffic volumes, low development quantity of green areas and only limited building -for the significance of sealed/not built over soils land reserves. as sites for green area functions and as the - New building projects usually consist of conver- production basis for agriculture, as seepage or ted use and consolidation, which do not help to filter bodies for the new formation of groundwater, The project team improve the traffic conditions and the situation in as evaporation bodies to improve the city climate, Linz Town Planning: Dipl.-Ing. Monika Mensah Offei (until June terms of green areas. as compensation areas to enhance the cityscape, 2005), Dipl.-Ing. Gunther Kolouch; Environment and -Arguments in favour of preserving green areas and as necessary features in the city's structure Technology Centre: Dipl.-Ing.Wilfried Hager. and keeping green zones clear, which is vitally in the interests of psycho-hygienic well-being The project team from Linz was responsible together with the necessary in the interests of the city climate and City of Reutlingen for developing work package 8 "Application for groundwater protection, have to be repeated in pilot projects". time and again. 34 Project partner •Creation of an instrument for soil evaluation to make it easier to introduce soil functions into the Test example No. 5: Linz, Grünzug Bergern process of weighing up the objectives and interests in the context of spatial aspect assessment during Aerial photo (left): Grünzug towards the zoning planning activities South West Orthophoto (right): There is a dense •Improved implementation of the principles for residential estate to the North of the sustainable town development. planning area. There is a certain pressure to extend this toward Grünzug. Linz has therefore decided to test the soil evaluation procedure developed in the scope of TUSEC-IP, taking two planning areas as an example:

The first, larger planning area "Katzbach" to the north Brief description of the test area Questions for the test area Brief assessment of the results of Linz with a surface area of 360 hectares should be Size of the test area: approx. 10 hectares •Is it possible to substantiate the current The terrain proves to be an outstanding This is a greenbelt area with great land use with the assistance of a soil habitat for plants and animals. The evaluated using the B-method where only secondary significance as the "lungs" of Linz and for evaluation? various soil parameters make it ideally data are available (e.g. the agricultural soil map or landscape protection. •Is it better to maintain the current suited for agriculture, forestry and leisure. the Linz soil map from 1960). However, when Zoning: green land – greenbelt, agricultural use or is the use of this land There are no further special reasons why working with the B-method on pre-test evalutation, it residential area. for construction also conceivable? it is worthy of protection. Given the transpired that there are still many uncertainties in Current use: agricultural. relatively low ability to bind pollutants, Methods used for soil evaluation the soil should preferably not be exposed The examined area was partly used for the evaluation system and many queries arose which The Federal Environment Agency pro- to any additional load. depositing excavated material (clay) from need further fundamental attention. In the secondary ceeded with soil mapping at 38 points a nearby construction site for a motorway data sources made available to the City of Linz, down to a depth of 1 m. Planning recommendations tunnel (pale brown area on the ortho- The current land use of the test area important soil parameters required for evaluation are photo). The soil details were adopted from the coincides with the soil properties of the often not available or only incomplete, so that some map in the area profile and the soil was terrain. This is good farming land. Other Planned land use evaluated for every single point. The soil soil properties could not be evaluated with any possible uses of the terrain including The current use should be retained for evaluation was based on the TUSEC degree of certainty. residential and leisure purposes as reasons of city ecology and landscape Pedological Manual of the University of well as forestry. However, any uses planning. Hohenheim. The second planning area is the planning area resulting in pollution emissions should be "Grünzug Bergern" (see box on the side). This area avoided (e.g. roads, emissions from companies, etc.). was tested using the so-called A-method, i.e. Evaluation of the suitability of the test area for use as evaluation after ascertaining the soil properties on "Residential and living area for people" the basis of detailed soil mapping, which was carried out by the Austrian Federal Environment Agency.

ideal

suitable

Field work not suitable Dipl.-Ing. Wilfried Hager, Environment and Technology Centre of Linz; soil office commissioned by the Federal Environ- ment Agency. 35 Project partner Municipality of Reutlingen Town planning and survey department and town environment protection officer

Reutlingen •In the Reutlingen-Tübingen agglomeration, the availability of land is extremely restricted. •is the district town of the rural district of Reutlingen This is why it is necessary to concentrate (German federal state of Baden-Württemberg) with settlement activities in coordination with the needs 12 parts to the town to safeguard open spaces and free areas. In the •is the upper centre for Reutlingen/Tübingen densely populated areas of the region, there is a • belongs to the Stuttgart agglomeration need for long-term preservation of adequately • is currently the largest economic centre between sized, cohesive open space areas overlapping Reutlingen looking to the North. Photo: Waltraud Pustal. Stuttgart and Lake Constance. several municipalities located close to the estates and corresponding to the size of the settled areas. Reutlingen has processed four planning areas for Surface area 86 km2 In particular, further settlement should be avoided the TUSEC-IP project, one of which is in the Population 109,860 inhabitants here (Regional Association Neckar-Alb, 1995). smaller neighbouring municipality of Kuster- (as of March 2006) dingen (see p. 39). The first area to be processed Developed land: 28.65 km2 33.3 % • The future demand is for new residential and was an 8.6 km2 sub-area in the North of (including land for current development) commercial areas while at the same time Reutlingen as part of the pre-test phase for the B- Traffic areas: 2.77 km2 3.2 % safeguarding the existence of the agricultural method (spring 2005). The pre-test area thus (for regional traffic) businesses. Increasingly the paradigms covers approx. 10% of Reutlingen's district area Green areas: 51.7 km2 60.2 % "decentralised concentration" (e.g. in the Northern of 86 km2. During the test phase, two planning (incl. agriculture and forestry) parts of the town) and inner development before areas in Reutlingen were tested, one according outer development (revitalisation of former military to the B-method and one according to the Problem areas and commercial estates for residential use) are A-method, together with a planning area in the • The region around the upper centre Reutlingen / being used to cover demand. neighbouring Municipality of Kusterdingen. Tübingen is part of the Stuttgart agglomeration. • The original substrate of the soils on the terrace These are areas currently also undergoing the It is therefore subject to pressures from the surfaces in North Reutlingen consist of loess building development planning process. Stuttgart conurbation area with consequences in deposits in varying thicknesses. The top quality terms of the corresponding impulses and burdens. soils with yield levels way above the state average Northern Reutlingen is particularly affected. make them ideal preferred agricultural areas, used Analyses of the commercial and population primarily for crop farming. Right through to the The project team structure indicate that a further increase in demand present day, the use structure is still dominated by Christine Schimpfermann, Reutlingen Town Planning (until for building land must be expected. At the same the small parcels of land resulting from former titles August 2005); Waltraud Pustal, freelance landscape architect time it is ascertained and confirmed in the 1998 planning bureau (Pfullingen), Reinhard Bramaier, Reutlingen of inheritance. There are several full-time farmers Landscape Plan of the neighbouring association environment protection officer, Barbara Fischer, contaminated operating in the area. The town gives great priority Reutlingen-Tübingen that this area is faced with an sites officer, department for environmental protection. to preserving a viable agricultural sector to ensure urgent need for measures to safeguard the natural that the population is supplied with fresh local The Reutlingen project team was responsible for drawing up assets. the area description. produce. 36 Project partner Reutlingen has extensive data material about the soil. This material was prepared once again in the Test example No. 6: Reutlingen-Sickenhausen, "Hau" building area landscape plan. That gives planning engineers and political decision makers fast data access to informa- During the pre-test phase, North Reutlingen was evaluated tion on this topic. But the data refer only to previously according to the B-method. In this area, 17 homogeneous sub- undeveloped areas and are so approximate that in areas were demarcated and an area profile was drawn up for each. During the subsequent test phase, the sub-area "1g" principle they can really only be sensibly used on the (picture on the left) was then examined. zoning plan level. In the context of the current "Hau I" development plan procedure, an A-method evaluation was carried out (picture on Within the town itself, Reutlingen is regularly con- the right). fronted by problems with old waste deposits. Here The larger surrounding area "Hau" was evaluated again during the test phase using the B-method for comparison. consideration for soil is frequently reduced just to the Study area B-method Study area A-method issue of the old waste deposits, but this is not correct Brief description of the test area Methods used Planning recommendations and is not adequate along the lines of the soil and Test area for the A-method (Hau I): For the A-method, Hohenheim University A-method: The planned use as residential planning laws. However, it was the waste deposits approx. 7.4 hectares. proceeded with soil mapping at 28 points. area corresponds to the suitability officer of the City of Reutlingen who established A building development plan is currently For the B-method, the parameters ascertained according to the soil contact in 2002 with the planned TUSEC-IP project in being drawn up for the area. required for soil evaluation were taken properties. For the building development Test area for the B-method (Hau): from already existing data sources, e.g. plan, it is advisable to give better the scope of on-going and advanced training courses approx. 24.9 hectares (study area). soil maps. consideration to the soil's function as on "urban soils". The interest shown by the project The test area adjoins the Southern edges The results were entered in an area compensation body for the water supply. partners at the University of Hohenheim in the City of of Reutlingen-Sickenhausen. This is a profile which was then used to evaluate This has been taken into account Reutlingen finally resulted in the city's participation in gently sloping hillside which is mainly the functions and suitability for use in in various procedures: the soil is drained the TUSEC-IP project. used for farming, with traditional fruit terms of the soil. to a lesser extent than originally planned, orchards around the edges (see aerial and an area with great significance for photos). Brief assessment of the results the water supply was excluded from the Participation in TUSEC-IP should help to find a A- and B-method: The soils are highly area that was going to be built over. Planned land use significant as habitat and basis for human method of permitting rapid soil evaluation even for B-method: Given the soil properties, the Residential use is intended for the life. The ability of the soils to transform already settled areas, improving where possible on area is suitable for both residential and development plan area (A-method). organic substances and to filter and buffer the inaccuracies of previous systems. As project agricultural, forestry or leisure use. The area evaluated with the B-method is heavy metals is low to very low. When used for agriculture, it is advisable partner, the municipality also attaches great to see continued agricultural use for the The significance of the remaining soil to take measures to reduce the erosion importance to preventing any increase in bureau- immediate future. Given its position at the functions is classified as medium to low. tendency. Uses resulting in any greater edge of existing estates, increasing cratic procedures but as far as possible to indicate The area is highly sensitive to agricultural emissions should be avoided as far as settlement pressure must be expected solutions with the easiest possible handling in order erosion. possible because of the weakly pro- here too in future. to fulfil the statutory requirements for the evaluation nounced capability of the soils to filter, Given their soil properties, the areas are buffer and transform pollutants. and consideration of soil as a natural asset worth Questions for the test area particularly suitable for non-emitting protecting. A-method: What is the assessment of the structural use and for agriculture, forestry land in terms of its suitability for housing and leisure. construction? Which particularly sensitive aspects apply in terms of soil protection? How can these aspects be taken into Field work consideration in the planning process? B-method: Waltraud Pustal, freelance B-method: For which possible uses is the landscape architect (Pfullingen); studied area (particularly) suitable? A-method: also Dr. Andreas Lehmann, Which particularly sensitive aspects apply University of Hohenheim. in terms of soil protection? 37 Project partner University of Hohenheim Institute for Soil Science and Land Evaluation Unterer Lindenhof

On the university campus around the 200 years old Eningen, the town of Reutlingen and in the munici- Hohenheim castle, around 5,200 students study at pality of Kusterdingen. a research-oriented, internationally aligned university. Hohenheim is a small but fine university which can The work for TUSEC-IP also links up among others compete without any problems with the major uni- with the following projects: versities, according to national surveys and studies. • Stuttgart urban soil map This applies to both agricultural sciences and biology, • Assessment of anthropogenic urban soils as well as to various aspects of economics. • Development of evaluation systems for soil resources in conurbation areas. University of Hohenheim – the castle. Soil science in Hohenheim meanwhile looks back on more than 70 years of history. Whereas initially the The Institute hopes with its research to make an focus was on agricultural issues, today attention has The University of Hohenheim contributes special- essential contribution to sustainable use and turned to ecological and international soil science. ist expertise on soil evaluation and on urban soils protection of soils. This gain in know-how benefits the Research in the field of urban soil science goes back with a pronounced anthropogenic character. soil evaluation process developed in the scope of to 1991. The current focal aspects of research in the TUSEC-IP. At the same time, one of the central tasks The University is represented by the Institute for section for General Soil Science and Petrography of the Institute is to reinforce the awareness for soils. Soil Science and Land Evaluation and the "Unte- include: rer Lindenhof" research station. • Soil ecology research for sustainable use in urban/ It therefore pursues an objective going over and industrial sites beyond the strict university limits. The aim is to • Basic principles for site use and soil management convey the concept of soils as more than just •Mineral weathering, soil distribution and soil surfaces. On the contrary, they are to be perceived as development three-dimensional structures performing fundamental •Turnover of humus, carbon and nitrogen including ecological functions. Today, greater significance is in gaseous phases. fact attributed to the functions of soil during planning activities in the open country. But soils also play a The University of Hohenheim also offers the inter- fundamental role in creating an environment worth nationally oriented, practical Bachelor or Masters living in for the urban context as well. They contribute degree course in "Soil Sciences". to a balanced climate, reduce dust levels and reduce the threat of flooding. The Untere Lindenhof ("Uli") is located in Eningen The project team Team leader: Leopold Peitz; Prof. Dr. Karl Stahr; staff: near Reutlingen. This is one of five research stations The "TUSEC-IP" instrument is a handy procedure for Dr. Andreas Lehmann, Dipl. geographer Susanne David. run by the University and is a laboratory for Life soil assessment for natural soils and urban soils. It science. That means that the "Uli" is a central aims to make land use planning engineers more The project team at the University of Hohenheim is responsible support base for the applied research being carried aware of the value and benefits of soil as a central for work package 7 "Evaluation technique". out at Hohenheim for TUSEC-IP in the municipality of basis for life. 38 Project partner Testing the soil evaluation procedure The TUSEC-IP soil evaluation method has been tested by the University of Hohenheim with three land use planning The Soil Evaluation Procedure projects. In the Municipality of Eningen, the industrial and commercial estate "Untere Bäch" was assessed; for the City of Reutlingen, soil evaluation was carried out for the planned building area "Hau I". In the Municipality of Kusterdingen on the outskirts of Reutlinger, Hohenheim University made a contribution to the building development plan. In each of the three test examples, the soil evaluation resulted in recommendations offering considerable potenti- al for optimising the land use planning measures. In Eningen, arbitrary soil compaction was ascertained during the creation of an open area. Mechanical loosening of the soil and planting suitable vegetation was recommended as measures for restoring the functionality of the soils. In Reutlingen, the surveys revealed that the planned rain storage reservoirs will not be required. The soils' capacity for absorbing precipitation in the area of the planned rain storage reservoirs even exceeds the storage volume of the A soil scientist at work.Localising the soil sampling points. Results of soil mapping. reservoirs. Mapping Assessment of mapping and Implementing soil evaluation The building area in Kusterdingen is located on a hillside Mapping is used to ascertain the basic soil evaluation Some tips which not only serve to protect with a moderate gradient: here it turned out that the data for soil evaluation. Parameters such The soil data are then the input for soil soils but also help to reduce costs are quantity of water which can seep into the soils was as soil properties (clay, loam or sand evaluation. The new TUSEC-IP still not being implemented. A lack of ex- calculated at a too low value. The reason for this wide- texture) and the humus level play a role in procedure automates soil evaluation. perience, negligence or incomprehen- spread false estimation is the low water permeability in the this process. TUSEC is available on the internet sion can be the causes. This is why lower ground of the soils on a hillside. It is frequently For the building area in Kusterdingen (http://ilse.grid-it.at/). advice and support from soil scientists which covers about one hectare, twelve It evaluates the capabilities of soils with can therefore be of great advantage in overlooked that the layers of soil near the surface in these soil samples were sufficient, with the regard to various functions, making land use planning procedures. areas are very permeable to water. This kind of soil mapping activities taking one day. It is graduations from "very high" to "very low". structure is typical not only in Kusterdingen. In fact, in such naturally also possible to revert to the soil In this way, the planning engineers can soils, water seepage is vertical for only a short distance, maps of the geological services if these make statements for example about before being diverted parallel to the hillside – so that it are available on the planning scale and which contribution a certain soil makes to swiftly makes its way down the slope to the next nearest access to the basic data is possible. flooding protection, or whether it is body of water. valuable in terms of rare plants and animals. The conventional approach to estimating soil seepage However, a soil scientist has to check ability only considers vertical seepage. This is why water Test examples using the TUSEC whether the automatically calculated has to be diverted in expensive channels. At the same time, soil evaluation method evaluation of the soil functions is the soil which had performed this service free of charge, Most of the test examples featured in plausible. The expert can then support this documentation have been tested is removed and destroyed. Even if the removed layers of the work of the planning engineers by using the TUSEC soil evaluation making suitable recommendations. soil are put back in the same place again, its structure has procedure of the University of Soil is pushed away, although it would been destroyed and it only retains a minimum level of Hohenheim. functionality. play a useful role in draining rainwater in the future housing estate. 39 Project partner Universiy of Torino Faculty for Agriculture (Di.Va.P.R.A.)

Grugliasco is located in the vicinity of Torino, 15 kilo- drained, high nutrient content and highly productive metres west from the Torino city centre. Since Ro- with no limitations for agricultural production. The mans times, Grugliasco was an agricultural village. In area represents one of the most fertile sites in the the 19th century first mechanical, chemical and textile Torino greater area. The most spread cultivations are industry were established. Between 1950 and 1970 forage, meadows, cereals. The Grugliasco agricultu- different important industries settled in Grugliasco. ral areas cover about 27% of the territory (350 ha). Since the Second World War, the population in- Grugliasco municipality pay particular attention to the creased six times to reach 40,000 habitants in 1990 management of urban green that cover about the 8% primarily because of the immigration due to the (110 ha) of the whole territory. The soils naturally Municipality of Grugliasco industrial development of Torino area (FIAT). concentration of chromium and nickel is high due to The residential areas have grown enormously into the ultra-maphic and serpentine origin of the parent Main research fields of the Faculty of Agriculture the agricultural area. The traffic is characterised by material. Traffic, industry and former agricultural prac- (Di.Va.P.R.A.) of the University of Torino (UNITO) high daily commuting between Torino satellite cities tices were main sources of anthropogenic pollution are soil chemistry, soil quality and general soil to the Torino city centre. The general road network is which participated to the high content of copper, lead science. Partner UNITO participates in TUSEC-IP represented by radial main avenues stretching from and zinc which generally exceed the Italian legislation in the following workpackages: "Legislation", the Torino city centre to the highway ring around the thresholds for agricultural land use. "User Requirements", "Evaluation technique" and metropolitan area. Grugliasco lies within the Torino "Application". highway ring. The development of Grugliasco was In the 2002 the Grugliasco urban development plan linked to the car industry and was constrained by the was presented. Several environmental aspects were The main tasks are scientific contribution to the simultaneous development of the surroundings considered within the detailed planning of a large development and testing of the soil evaluation municipalities in the Torino vicinity. The main dilemma agro-naturalistic park. The aim was to integrate non- technique. In the last year UNITO designed the that planners face is how to combine the urban / urbanised land in a Green-Belt protection area sur- land use oriented Soil Evaluation Method and the industrial development with the preservation of the rounding Torino. However soil information and soil Human Health Risk evaluation Ð a method to traditional agricultural activities and landscape. quality evaluation was not considered. assess the impact of heavy metal urban soil In the situation of Grugliasco the management of ac- pollution on the health of citizens. Geographically, the Grugliasco territory is located in tually available soil resources is extremely important an alluvial plain characterised by a mild and regular in order to preserve the open space (Green Belt park) slope in SE direction. The surface water drainage and the soil resources without the limitation of the network is composed by artificial streams, mainly expansion of the city. The construction of an urban The project team irrigation ditches. The soil developed on quaternary waste incinerator facility is planned on the southern Università di Torino, Facoltà di Agraria, Dipartimento di fluvial deposits of prevailing calcareous schist origin border of Grugliasco municipality. The agricultural Valorizzazione e Protezione delle Risorse Agroforestali that are deposited on paleo-soils. Soil is deep or very area close to the incinerator site was chosen for tes- (Di.Va.P.R.A.) University of Torino, Department of Exploitation and Protection of the Agricultural and Forestry Resources - deep, with loamy texture, without coarse fragments, ting the UNITO evaluation system because UNITO TUSEC-IP project team: Dr. Franco Ajmone Marsan, sub-alkaline, with carbonates (<3%).The permeability a) it presents the initial stage of the monitoring of the Laura Poggio & Borut Vrscaj. is good and the overall agricultural productivity is incinerator impacts to the soil and environment and high, without major rooting limitation. According to the b) it can be considered as evident result of unsustai- Development of the UNITO Soil Evaluation System and the Soil Capability Map (1:25.000) of the Piemonte nable land consumption in the area of high capability "UNITO Soil Evaluation Manual". region the Grugliasco soils are very fertile, deep, well soil. 40 Project partner

Test example No. 7: Grugliasco, incinerator area Evaluation results Current land use Soil quality index (ISQ value) Soil environmental quality index (SEQ value) Agricultural ISQ = -0.18; Soil quality is SEQ = 77; Soil has high capacity to perform below the required quality. main environmental functions and services. Planned land uses Estimated ISQ (after land use Estimated land use change impact (I value) change) (after land use change) Low emission ISQ = 0.12; Soil quality slightly Impact is highly negative: I = - 61%; Soil industry exceeds the required. capacity to perform main environmental functions is highly decreased. Residential ISQ = -0.01; Soil quality is Impact is medium negative: I = - 44%; Soil slightly below the required. capacity to perform main environmental functions is significantly decreased.

Ground view of the Grugliasco incinerator case Location of the Grugliasco incinerator case Park ISQ = 0.10; Soil quality Impact is negative: I = - 7%; Soil capacity to study study meets the required. perform main environmental functions is slightly decreased. Description of the test area The test area is about 3.5 hectares and it is actually used for agricultural purposes, mainly as Interpretation of results meadow. It is irrigated with a periodical flooding. The agricultural productivity is high. The soil is Index of Soil Quality: All separate soil quality indicators are highly evaluated but the heavy metal homogeneous within the area. The planned land use for this area is an industrial facility. The soil content. Thus, the overall soil quality of the test area for agricultural purposes is below required. was examined, sampled and described in a regular transect of six locations. Among the planned land uses the soil quality is suitable for low emission industry, residential area and park (green belt). From the soil quality and soil protection point of view the optimal planning Applied evaluation method decision would be and open green space or a park / ornamental garden. Grugliasco incinerator case study soil was evaluated using UNITO Soil Evaluation Method and the Soil environmental quality: The soils of the area have high capacity to perform main Human Health Risk evaluation. The evaluations were carried out with the help of the computer environmental functions. The main serious limitation is high heavy metal pollution which affects tools USQE.xls and HHR.xls. Level of planning detailed in scale 1:5.000. mainly food and fibre production functions. Land use change impact: The capacity of the soil of the area to perform main environmental Summary of the evaluation results functions is high. The potential of the soil resource will be decreased primarily by the sealing and by the impact of the construction. Among the planned land uses the most negative impact would have Selected soil quality indicators for the evaluation low emission industry (-61%), residential area (-44%) and green space / park ( -7%).

Soil quality indicator (SQI) Quality classes (QC) QC interpretation Human health risk Heavy metal pollution 1Highly HM polluted Evaluated land use Human health risk index (HHR) HM contamination interpreted using pH 4Slight acidity (pH 5,5-6) or neutral (pH 7-7,5) legislation thresholds Texture 4High (OM >6%) Agricultural HHR = 5.15 - High risk The concentrations of 4 heavy metals exceed the Italian limits Organic matter content 5Silt loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay loam Low emission industry HHR = 0.16 - Very low risk No concentrations exceed the Italian limits. General soil fertility 5 Medium/high buffering Residential HHR = 0.58 - Very low risk The Ni and Zn contamination threshold limits Buffering, filtering 5Very fertile are exceeded, but not in the whole area. and decomposition Park HHR = 0.20 - Very low risk The limits are exceed for Ni and Zn, but not Permeability 3 Moderate permeability (1,5 to <5 cm/h) in the whole area Human health risk interpretation (HHR values) Field work The concentrations of heavy metals in the area exceed the legislation limits of the Piemonte region. Dr. Franco Ajmone Marsan, Laura Poggio & Borut Vrscaj, University of Torino, Faculty of The risk for human health is high to very high when the area is used for agricultural purposes. The Agriculture. risk is lower when the soil is used as residential or to open green space area. The lowest HHR is when the soil land is converted to the industrial area. 41 Project partner Municipality of Maribor Environmental Protection Department and Spatial Planning Department

Maribor is • The Geographic Information System (GIS) was introduced parallel to these activities. Spatial •the second largest city in Slovenia planning developed along the lines that the growth •the economic, cultural, scientific research, of urban areas has encroached into good agri- congress and tourist centre of North-East Slovenia cultural land. Since 1995, water protection and •also a traffic hub, situated at the crossroads from View of the city of Maribor Natura 2000 areas have been respected. Maribor West to East and from North to South Europe, just . urban development concept was adopted in 2000 11 km from the Austrian border Fundamental common interests and aims in and is founded on the above mentioned principles. spatial development include sustainable urban • 275 metres above sea level, lying between Pohorje, the Slovenian hills and Kozjak, on the development, networking urban and rural areas, Environmental impact assessment and soil gravel terraces of the River Drava. safeguarding spatial resources for economic and protection social development, preserving and raising the 2 quality of living space and maintaining the Total city area 146.5 km • The Environmental Protection Law also regulated continuity of urban planning. Inhabitants 114 349 the environmental impact assessment procedure, Urban development area 44 km2 but only with regard to building projects. The EUROPAN planning zone has been chosen Designated building land 34.1 km2 • Some soil protection regulations have been as test area in Maribor, which is to be used for Developed building land 22.9 km2 or 67.2% introduced since 1996. But these only stipulate the housing. Good agricultural land 2.7 km2 tolerable limit values for the content of dangerous Other agricultural land 1.65 km2 substances and plant nutrients in the soil. Forest land 4.14 km2 Water area 1.55 km2 • Environmental legislation also stipulates conditions for soil monitoring. So far, there are not sufficient Situation in terms of spatial development soil sampling points yet in Slovenia. The national environmental programme states that a network of •Slovenia adopted its first environment protection sampling sites is to be established throughout law in 1993. Attention focused on aspects of air and Slovenia by 2008, referring however only to non- water protection in accordance with the prevailing urban areas. The new Environmental Protection The project team environment problems, but scarcely any attention Project leader: Dr. Vesna Smaka Kincl, graduate engineer, Law of 2004 amended the environmental impact was paid to soil protection. Director of Maribor Environmental Protection Department; assessment procedure, bringing it into line with Project coordinators: Dr. Vlasta Krmelj, Suzana Prajnc Potrc • Soil was only protected to increase agricultural European law. Environmental impact assessment is and Olga Mravlje, staff at Maribor Environmental Protection Department. potential. As far as spatial planning and land use now also mandatory for national and local spatial were concerned, discussions were restricted to the planning. The Environment Protection Department works very closely alternatives "agricultural use" or "building land", with Maribor Land Use Planning Department on the TUSEC-IP while a system of suitable measures was project. developed for water and nature protection. 42 Project partner Maribor and TUSEC-IP •Today Maribor is in the process of preparing a Mu- Test example No. 8: Maribor, "EUROPAN" nicipal Spatial Development Strategy, based on the Picture on the left: overview of the new sustainable planning principles. EUROPAN planning area; picture on the right: orthophoto about the same area, •Within the framework of the TUSEC-IP project, which was investigated by TUSEC-IP. Maribor decided to test the soil evaluation method in the EUROPAN planning zone, which had already been planned for use as housing. The soil evaluation system was only used theoretically, because Maribor did not have any soil data available. The results of the national soil evaluation were collected over a period of 3 years. Short description of the area Soil evaluation methods Discussion of results • By using the area profile tool, it transpired that the Size of the test example: approx. 10 No soil mapping was carried out in the Use of the B-procedure was exacerbated decisions already taken for the housing estate hectares. It is located at the edge of a tested area: soil evaluation was carried by problems with data collection. The soil correspond with the principle of sustainable soil residential area (blocks of flats, gardens), out on the basis of the existing data of the parameters were taken from maps of the management. The soil evaluation shows that the and is currently used for agricultural national Soil Monitoring System. This national Soil Monitoring System, because study area still just offers the qualities required for a purposes (grassland and fields). includes information about the structure of legalities and a lack of funds prevented The area is limited by two main roads in the soil profiles and levels of different any detailed soil mapping. housing estate. This is not a special water the North and in the West. Maps with soil contaminants, soil maps and topographic protection area, not a Natura 2000 area, nor a data exist for the tested area; mapping mals, geological reports, general Recommendations for the planning contaminated site, has a low humus content and a was carried out 1 km to the east with the environment information, aerial photo- process high silt content at all depths. These data all same land use. graphs and a local development plan. Slovenia has only very few soil experts. indicate that the area can be used for housing with The evaluation was carried out using the Soil evaluation is scarcely developed on Planned land use Planning Manual, the area description a national level so that the situation on a green spaces. However, more detailed analysis In Maribor's city development concept, (B-level) and the Pedological Manual of local scale is even less satisfactory. would entail soil mapping. the tested area is planned for housing the University of Hohenheim. Although Maribor Environment Protection use, also including green spaces and Department is staffed with soil scientists, playgrounds. additional assistance was required to proceed with the soil evaluation. After concluding the process, it can be said that the soil quality is just sufficient to Evaluation of soil functions permit use for housing. Basis for life and living space, clean of pollutants 2 Basis for life for meso- and micro-organisms 2 Component of the water balance 2 Filter and buffer for heavy metals 3 Transformation medium for organic pollutants 5 Location for agricultural and biomasse production 1-2 Archive of natural heritage no Field work Environmental Protection Department Archive of cultural heritage no and Spatial Planning Department of the City of Maribor in collaboration with the Evaluation scale: 1 = very high functionality, 5 = very low functionality Bio-technology Faculty of the University of Ljubljana.

43 Project partner TUSEC-IP Project Coordination Association of Switzerland: * Canton and City of Zurich, Canton of Grisons and City of Chur and Association for Family Gardens of the City of Zurich top picture: City of Zurich bottom picture: City of Chur In Switzerland, the TUSEC-IP project involves entrusted with the task of examining the legal and participation from the cities of Zurich and Chur, the technical requirements made on an EU, national, Canton Soil Protection Departments of Zurich and regional and municipal level with regard to planning, Grisons, the Canton Spatial Development Depart- responsibilities and participation possibilities in the ment of Grisons, the Soil Syndicate of Switzerland scope of work package 5 "Legislation" to provide a (up to 2004) and the Association for Family Gardens basis for development and implementation of Zurich. They formed an association in order to optimum soil evaluation in city regions. coordinate the demands of the project partners and The results of this study are compiled in the report safeguard exchange with the international partners. Creato & Leimbacher (2004): "Soil Protection in The TUSEC-IP project is an opportunity for Urban Environments – Legislation and Planning exchanging knowledge and experience about soil Procedures of Selected City Regions". protection with other countries. The initial situation In terms of soil evaluation and implementation in the The "TUSEC-IP Project Coordination Association regarding soil protection differs greatly in the various planning process, the following findings were of Switzerland" coordinates the work of the Swiss countries taking part in the project. obtained, among others: partners with the aim of defining the require- The Swiss aim is to obtain a soil evaluation system ments for Swiss institutes involved in the for daily use in canton and city administration • Fundamental statutory perquisites are evaluation of soils in urban environments and to departments. The tests of the soil evaluation system acknowledged and available to proceed with test practical application possibilities for the developed as part of TUSEC-IP were carried out in qualified soil evaluation in the individual countries, developed evaluation procedures in terms of their Switzerland in the city of Zurich and town of Chur. regions and municipalities and to integrate soil suitability for soil protection and spatial planning. In Chur, a munitions site was examined with regard protection issues within the existing planning to the possible creation of a manmade lake and other procedures. habitats. The result could be a recreation and leisure • Accordingly, the TUSEC-IP evaluation system area for the population and its visitors. Soil evaluation The project team should have a flexible, modular structure in order to (TUSEC-IP Project Coordination Association of Switzerland) provides a basis for assessing the intended use. take account of the differing formal legal conditions Alex Borer, Director of the Association; Esther Casanova, In Zurich, several plots of land are examined in an Department for Spatial Development, Canton of Grisons; and the technical and financial conditions prevailing overview with regard to suitability for use as gardens. Peter Eckert, Association Family Gardens, City of Zurich in the individual countries and urban regions. Marc Fürst, Green City Zürich; Reto D. Jenny, Soil Syndicate A more detailed examination is given to a former of Switzerland; Urs Tischhauser, Horticulture Department, City flower nursery. Proven, executable methods of The Swiss team therefore attached particular value to of Chur; Gianfranco Tognina, Department for Nature and the studying soils are to provide the data for soil testing the feasibility of various procedures in the test Environment, Canton of Grisons; Dr. Thomas Wegelin, Department for Soil Protection, Canton of Zurich. evaluation. The TUSEC-IP system is to act as an areas in Zurich and Chur. important decision-making aid to assess future use. The Swiss project team was responsible for the work package 5 "Legislation" which was prepared by the "Creato" bureau At the start of the project, the TUSEC-IP Project *Contract project partner for the Interreg IIIB project and submitted to the lead partner. Coordination Association of Switzerland was TUSEC-IP is the City of Zurich. 44 Project partner

Test example No. 9 a: Zurich, former flower nursery Test example No. 9 b: Chur, munitions site Rossboden

View from the East. The disused flower View of Rossboden munitions site. The Chur nursery was examined regarding the soil Lake Association has set itself the objective of condition following decades of intensive creating a lake on Rossboden. Is this cultivation and with regard to pollutant objective realistic in the light of the soil infiltration. Photo: Hans Grob, 2006. evaluation? Photo: Alex Borer, 2005.

Attention focused on the primary substances Brief description of the test area Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, PAK. Rossboden munitions site is near to the In the scope of TUSEC-IP, the evaluation was motorway exit and adjoining Western part of carried out using the A-procedure on the basis the town of Chur. The land measures 57.7 of the TUSEC method developed by the hectares and is currently used for military Brief description of the test area University of Hohenheim with the area exercises. Contamination The property in Zurich Albisrieden covers description and ILSE, and also on the basis of Heavy metal contamination in the area of the Planned land use about 5,000 m2 and was cultivated intensively the evaluation method developed by the shooting ranges (Pb, Cu), no known physical In the context of the reforms of the Swiss in the last 40 years as a flower nursery. Visible University of Torino. and biological contamination. army, it is possible that the area will no longer traces have been left of different kinds of use be put to military use, so that various ideas Methods used in space and time. Buildings remains Expectations are being discussed and new claims for use Evaluation with the B-procedure using the soil respectively heaps of building rubble can be Green City Zurich expects the survey and being made. For example, as designated evaluation procedure of the University of seen throughout the site, together with organic analysis of the soil properties and contami- building zones for extending the settlement Hohenheim, with area description. material. Existing contractual relationships nation in the scope of the soil evaluation areas, or to enhance the recreational activities were terminated when the business was system to provide sound arguments with Conclusion by creating a lake and water landscapes, or closed, so that the area can be put to a new regard to the suitability for use to facilitate and While the evaluation of the soil functions re- left open as traditional common land. use. support the use planning process from the veals clear indications of the suitability for use point of view of the soil. Soil properties (this was also the case without TUSEC-IP), Future use of the land Using the Swiss soil suitability map the procedure cannot be used to conclude any The land is meanwhile rented again. But the Conclusion (1:200,000) together with an inspection of the binding preferential uses for the planning planned use as an ornamental public garden is Soil properties respectively soil parameters site, the soil can be characterised as follows: procedure. not certain in the long term. Options include can be ascertained using standard (Swiss) gravely fluvisol, medium thickness, rich in putting the land to other use, such as for methods with subsequent derivation of soil skeletal material, high water permeability, low Field work gardening or landscaping, or even a complete functions. Suitability for use can also be ability to store nutrients, consequently Esther Casanova, Spatial Planning Depart- restructuring of the land. derived accordingly. The TUSEC-IP tools are moderately suitable for cereal crops, forage ment, Canton of Grisons; Urs Tischhauser, basically suitable for these purposes. But the and cattle grazing. Gardening Department, City of Chur; Methods used results cannot be used directly for spatial Gianfranco Tognina, Department for Nature The soil properties have been recorded and planning decisions because they are frequen- and the Environment, Canton of Grisons. depicted under instruction from the Depart- tly highly indifferentiated and cannot be inter- ment for Soil Protection in the Canton of Zurich preted without further specialist knowledge. Evaluation of soil functions Evaluation of suitability for use "Surveying the quality of soil recultivation". Suitability for use for spatial planning provides Central basis for human life 3 Natural preservation (biotope protection) 4 The corresponding data were used on the no statements for the elementary protection of Central basis for flora/fauna life 4 Landscape/gardening 2 basis of the form "Surveying the anthropogenic soil as a resource. Soil evaluation for spatial Water balance and regulation 3 Green area / open space 5 properties of soils" issued by the same planning purposes should therefore be supple- Nutrient balance and cycle 3 Seepage area/flooding protection 4 department to ascertain the anthropogenic mented with general aspects of soil protection. Heavy metal buffer 3 Housing (extensive) 3 influence and transformation. Transformation medium 3 Housing (compacted) 3 Soil contamination was ascertained using the Field work Soil archive function 4 Industrial estate 4 manual "Sampling and sample preparation for Marc Fürst, Green City Zürich and Dr. Ulrich Agricultural production 2 Traffic area 3 pollution studies in soils" issued by the Federal Hoins, Soil Protection Department of the Scale of values: 1 = minimum, 5 = maximum Scale of values: 1 = not suitable, 5 = very suitable Department for the Environment (BAFU). Canton of Zurich. 45 Index Addresses of the Project Partners

City of Munich (MUC) Project team: Department of Health and Environment, Reinhard Braxmaier, Barbara Fischer, Waltraud Pustal, Christine 7 5 3 Precautionary Environmental Protection Schimpfermann (until August 2005). 6 1 Bayerstraße 28a, 80335 Munich, Germany University of Hohenheim (UHOH) Department for Spatial planning Schloss 1, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany 10 4 Blumenstraße 28b, 80331 Munich, Germany Research Station "Unterer Lindenhof" 2 9 Project team: Unterer Lindenhof 25, 72800 Eningen, Germany Thomas Bork, Annette Eickeler, Werner Gruban, Helmer Honrich, Project team: Günter Wegrampf, Werner Hasenstab, Susanne Hutter von 8 Gabriele Clostermann, Susanne David, Andreas Lehmann, Knorring, Ulrich Illing, Brigit Kögler. Leopold Peitz, Karl Stahr. Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol (BZ_EPA) University of Torino (UNITO) State Agency for Environment Faculty for Agriculture (Di.Va.P.R.A) Via Amba Alagi 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy Project team: Project team: Giulio Angelucci, Giovanna Dessi, Walter Huber (until June 2004), Franco Ajmone Marsan, Laura Poggio, Borut Vrscaj. Project partners TUSEC-IP in the Alpine region Monica Stefani, Antonella Vidoni. 1City of Munich Municipality of Maribor (MARIBOR) 2 Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol Federal Environment Agency (FEA) Departments for Environmental Protection and Spatial Planning 3 Federal Environment Agency Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria Ulica heroja Staneta 1, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia 4 Leopold Franzens University of Innsbruck Project team: 5City of Linz Project team: Gebhard Banko, Andreas Bartel, Alexandra Freudenschuß, Sigbert 6 Municipality of Reutlingen Vlasta Krmelj, Olga Mravlje, Suzana Prajnc Potrc, Vesna Smaka- Huber, Günther Lichtblau, Erik Obersteiner, Alarich Riss, Ingrid 7 University of Hohenheim Kincl. Roder, Monika Tulipan, Martha Wepner. 8 University of Torino 9 Municipality of Maribor TUSEC-IP Project Coordination Association of Switzerland Leopold Franzens University of Innsbruck (IGUI) 10 TUSEC-IP Project Coordination Association of Switzerland (City and Canton of Zurich, Canton of Grisons and City of Chur, Institute for Geography (City and Canton of Zurich, Canton of Grisons and City of Association for Family Gardens of the City of Zurich, Soil Syn- Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Chur, Association for Family Gardens of the City of Zurich) dicate of Switzerland (until end 2004). The official project partner Project team: for the Interreg IIIB Project TUSEC-IP is: Clemens Geitner, Johann Stötter, Markus Tusch, City of Zurich (ZRH) Yvonne Moser, Christoph Mitterer, Christine Wanker. Green City Zurich, Beatenplatz 2, 8023 Zurich, Switzerland City of Linz (LINZ) Project team: Environment and Technology Centre / Town Planning Department Alex Borer, Esther Casanova, Peter Eckert, Marc Fürst, Ulrich Hauptplatz 1, 4020 Linz, Austria Hoins, Reto D. Jenny, Urs Tischhauser, Gianfranco Tognina, Thomas Wegelin. Project team: Wilfried Hager, Gunther Kolouch, Monika Mensah Offei (until June Involved in project organisation: 2005). blue! advancing european projects Municipality of Reutlingen (RT) P. O. Box 1115, 85311 Freising, Germany Town Planning Department / Environment Protection Officer Staff: Marktplatz 22, 72764 Reutlingen, Germany Eva C. Lupprian (up to February 2006), Dorothea Palenberg, Markus Tusch (from March 2006). 46 Index Bibliography

This bibliography contains works and publications which are part of GRUBAN W., EICKELER A., HONRICH H. et al. (2006): Zusam- PUSTAL W., FÜGNER H. (2006): Bodenerosion als Bewertungs- the project TUSEC-IP. The published contributions are available as menfassende Projektbewertung. Interner Endbericht zu kriterium im Rahmen von TUSEC-IP. Literaturstudie im Auftrag download documents at www.tusec-ip.org. In this index you may Arbeitspaket 10 "Umsetzungsstrategien" für das Projekt TUSEC- der Stadt Reutlingen - Reutlingen. 18 p. find also the internal final reports of the individual work packages IP im Rahmen der EU-Gemeinschaftsinitiative Interreg III B STASCH D. (2004): Bodenbewertung in Stadtregionen der which can be served as a statement of account for the Interreg IIIB Alpenraum. - (Koordination Arbeitspaket 10: Landeshauptstadt Alpenraumländer. Literaturstudie im Auftrag der Landes- Alpine Space programme. München). - München. hauptstadt München, Referat für Gesundheit und Umwelt - HAGER W., PUSTAL W., MENSAH-OFFEI M., KOLOUCH G. et al. München. 84 p. (2006): Praktische Erprobung der Bodenbewertungsmethoden in TUSCH M., GEITNER C., HUBER S., TULIPAN M. (2004): Testgebieten der Partnerkommunen. Interner End-bericht zu Bodenbewertung in Stadtregionen des Alpenraums – Projekt ANGELUCCI G., DESSÌ G., STEFANI M. (2006): Interner End- Arbeitspaket 8 "Testphase in den Partnerkommunen" für das TUSEC-IP. - Mitteilungen der Österreichischen Bodenkundlichen bericht zu Arbeitspaket 4 "Öffentlichkeitsarbeit" für das Projekt Projekt TUSEC-IP im Rahmen der EU-Gemeinschaftsinitiative Gesellschaft, Heft 72, p. 93-101, Wien. TUSEC-IP im Rahmen der EU-Gemeinschaftsinitiative Interreg Interreg III B Alpenraum. - (Koordination Arbeitspaket 8: TUSCH M., GEITNER C., STÖTTER J. (2005): Soils and Urban III B Alpenraum. – (Koordination Arbeitspaket 4: Autonome Pro- Landeshauptstadt Linz und Stadt Reutlingen). - Linz. Planning – Requirements for a Soil Evaluation Tool. In: local land vinz Bozen-Südtirol, Landesagentur für Umwelt). - Bozen.19 p. Information booth at the Transnational Workshop on Rural & soil news, The Bulletin of the European Land and Soil Alliance DAVID S., LEHMANN A., STAHR K. (2004): Klassifizierung von Development of the Alpine Space Programme, Innsbruck, 7-8 (ELSA e.V.) 12/13, 1/05: p. 23-25. Bodenbewertungssystemen im Bereich der Alpenraumländer. April 2005. TUSCH M., GEITNER C., STÖTTER J. (2005): Soils in Urban Studie im Auftrag der Stadt München, Referat für Gesundheit KIPP T. (2006): Soil Protection in Urban Environments. Legislation Planning (Project TUSEC-IP). A Survey in Alpine City Regions. und Umwelt - München. 40 p. and planning procedures of selected city regions. Interner In: CABERNET 2005 (International Conference on Managing DAVID S., LEHMANN A., STAHR K. (2005): Bodenbewertung in Endbericht zu Arbeitspaket 5 "Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen" Urban Land, Belfast), Conference Proceedings, p. 395-401, Deutschland und die neue TUSEC-Methode für den Alpenraum. für das Projekt TUSEC-IP im Rahmen der EU-Gemeinschafts- Nottingham. - Mitteilungen der DBG 107, p. 307-308. initiative Interreg III B Alpenraum. - (Koordination Arbeitspaket 5: TUSCH M., GRUBAN W., TULIPAN M., GEITNER C., HUBER S. Excursion guide, available as download at www.tusec-ip.org, Stadt Zürich - Verein Projekt TUSEC-IP Koordination Schweiz (2004): Bodenschutz in den Städten des Alpenraums – Anforde- “Böden der ‘Unteren Bäch II’ - eine bodenkundliche Exkursion für und Landeshauptstadt München). - München. 37 p. rungen an die Bodenbewertung. - Interner Endbericht zu Planer in ein Gewerbegebiet der Gemeinde Eningen” in the KLEINDIENST H., FECHT M., TUSCH M., GEITNER C. Arbeitspaket 6 "Benutzeranforderungen" für das Projekt TUSEC- context of the annual meeting of TUSEC-IP 13-14 Sept 2004. (submitted): ILSE – Informationsystem on Land and Soil IP im Rahmen der EU-Gemeinschaftsinitiative Interreg III B GEITNER C., TUSCH M., STÖTTER J. (2005): Abschlussbericht: Evaluation. - 20th International Conference on Informatics for Alpenraum. - (Koordination Arbeitspaket 6: Institut für Geogra- Bodenkartierung zur Bewertung der Bodenfunktionen im Environmental Protection, 6.-8. September 2006, Graz. phie, Universität Innsbruck). - Innsbruck. 83 p. Gemeindegebiet von Wörgl (Tirol). - 37 p.; Innsbruck (available LEHMANN A., DAVID S., STAHR K. (2005): Bodenbewertung für TUSEC-IP - Flyers with project information (in German, Italian, as download at www.tusec-ip.org). Stadtregionen – das TUSEC-Verfahren. - Mitteilungen der DBG Slovenian, English) GRUBAN W. (2002): TUSEC-IP (Technique of Urban Soil Evaluati- 107, p. 377-378. TUSEC-IP - Homepage: www.tusec-ip.org (in German, Italian, on in City Regions – Implementation in Planning Procedures). LEHMANN A., DAVID S., STAHR K. et al. (2006): Technique of English) since December 2003. Entwicklung länderübergreifender Verfahren zur Bewertung von Urban Soil Evaluation in City Regions – Methoden zur Bewer- TUSEC-IP - Newsletter, till now (six times) as a insertion of the Böden in Stadt-Regionen des Alpenraums sowie Entwicklung tung natürlicher und anthropogen überformter Böden. Interner local land and soil news, the bulletin of the European Land and von Strategien zu deren Umsetzung in kommunalen und Endbericht zu Arbeitspaket 7 "Entwicklung von Verfahren zur Soil Alliance (ELSA) e.V. regionalen Planungsverfahren. Dokumentation des Workshops Bodenbewertung" für das Projekt TUSEC-IP im Rahmen der EU- TUSEC-IP - Planner manual with vom 15. Juli bis 17. Juli 2002 in der Ökologischen Tagungsstätte Gemeinschaftsinitiative Interreg III B Alpenraum. – (Koordination -Planner guide (textbook for the area description) Linden - München. 67 p. Arbeitspaket 7: Universität Hohenheim, Versuchstation „Unterer -ILSE – instruction manual GRUBAN W. (2005): Partner der europäischen Allianz für den Lindenhof“). – München. - Pedological manual for soil evaluation. Bodenschutz. - Münchner Stadtgespräche 39: 9 ff, München. LUPPRIAN E., TUSCH M., GRUBAN W. (2005): Auf dem Weg zur TUSEC-IP - Protocols: GRUBAN W., EICKELER A., HONRICH H. et al.(2006): Strategien Bodenschutzrichtlinie: Bodenschutz in urbanen Räumen. - -Starting conference in Munich, 2003 zur erfolgreichen Umsetzung der Bodenbewertung in Planungs- Garten und Landschaft 9, 28 ff, München. - Annual meeting in Hohenheim, 2004 verfahren als Beitrag einer nachhaltigen Raumentwicklung. LÜSCHER C., MEYER K., ZÜRRER M., LEIMBACHER J. (creato - Annual meeting in Zurich, 2005 Interner Endbericht zu Arbeitspaket 9 "Umsetzungsstrategien" & J. Leimbacher) (2004): Soil Protection in Urban Environments. -Final conference in Tutzing, 2006. für das Projekt TUSEC-IP im Rahmen der EU-Gemeinschafts- Legislation and Planning Procedures of Selected City Regions. initiative Interreg III B Alpenraum. - (Koordination Arbeitspaket 9: Studie im Auftrag der Stadt Zürich, Grün Stadt Zürich - Zürich. Landeshauptstadt München). - München. 107 p. 47