LAUSR

This chapter takes up the great vision of the ecological city of the future and describes its roots, approaches and implementation. The first section defines and describes ideal cities as models. It is shown that the modernism as initiator of functional and efficient urban development took up existing approaches and developed them further. The model of the so-called sustainable city of the twenty-first century, whose interpretation is diverse, includes ecological components and requires binding assessment and design criteria, was based on this. In the second section, the criteria that form the concept of eco-cities are explained in more detail. It should become clear that, depending on the perspective and in relation to natural processes (“ecological” criteria), a large number of criteria or only a few can be used. The third section presents the eco-city model using examples in new building projects “top down”, and in district projects and in actions for more open space and nature “bottom up”. In this way, the eco-city model takes on real form, can be assessed from various perspectives, and must therefore be redefined in each individual project. It is shown that the grand vision of the eco-city is often certainly ambitious and must be redefined in each individual project, but that it can also be pursued in small steps. In this way, a constructive approach to the topic is created, which turns the vision into a practically manageable project.