In its position paper "Urban Block 4.0: The Smart Neighborhood", the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Germany calls for legal reforms in the field of classic perimeter block development. According to RICS, in order to be able to build innovative residential quarters in the future that meet people's current requirements and lifestyles, reforms are necessary with regard to building density, among other things. For example, the limits on the number of floor areas (GRZ) and the number of floor spaces (GFZ) in the German Land Use Ordinance (BauNVO) should be lifted in order to be able to create more affordable housing.
According to RICS, the current restrictions of building planning law and building regulations also need to be reformed. Specifications regarding immission and fire protection, parking space requirements and other technical specifications must be adapted. According to RICS experts, the trend of urbanization will continue to increase in the coming years and more and more people will be looking for housing in city centers - especially in metropolitan areas. Perimeter block development and creation of innovative neighborhoods would counteract the housing problem, according to RICS.
In addition to higher residential density, modern neighborhoods are characterized by digitalization and pluralism. Accordingly, the "Urban Block 4.0" is intended to link the areas of "Life, Work, Shop, Play" in the residential quarters and lead to a so-called functional mix of uses and social mixing. New technologies and forms of real estate as well as digital networking characterize "Urban Block 4.0" just as much as public community spaces, multifunctional halls used as manufactories or for craft purposes, or smart mobility solutions such as the car-sharing principle.
Source: RICS
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