In two workshops, more than 80 people from 65 German municipalities discussed how cities can make themselves climate-proof and better protect themselves against extreme weather events. The twelve recommendations for action from the project "ExTrass - 'Urban resilience to extreme weather events - typologies and transfer of adaptation strategies in cities'" were presented in a policy brief.

Many homeowners find it difficult to initiate and implement energy-efficient renovations. This is the result of a flash survey conducted by the consumer protection association Wohnen im Eigentum (WiE), in which around 2,700 homeowners took part. Among other things, the survey shows that only 8 percent of the homeowners surveyed are aware that they can make energy-saving...

A landlord may not simply turn off the hot water to his tenants, not even in summer. This was decided by the Frankfurt Administrative Court (case reference 8 L 1907/22.F). In this case, a landlord had cut off the gas supply to his tenants in the summer due to the Ukraine conflict and the associated supply bottlenecks and price increases. The landlord stated that his tenants...

They are annoying, but unfortunately always necessary: minor repairs or the removal of damage to furniture in the apartment or house. The portal "schoener-wohnen.de" has put together a few tips so that tenants or owners don't have to call a handyman every time. For example, if a piece of solid wood furniture has a notch or dent, you can rely on the...

Ancillary housing costs in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have recently risen by an unusually high 9.7%. Net rents have also risen by 1.7 percent. Overall, housing costs have risen by 5 percent as a result. Tenants in NRW now have to pay an average of €13.15 per square meter per month for housing - of which €7.68 is for rent and €5.46 for...

The German Engineering Prize 2022 was recently awarded to the Stuttgart-based firm "sbp - schlaich bergermann partner" for the light rail bridge in Stuttgart-Degerloch at a ceremony. "The winning project, the light rail bridge in Stuttgart Degerloch, is characterized by an imaginative design that strengthens public transport in a major city," said...

KfW points out which aspects owners must pay attention to when insulating facades and installing solar shading with regard to funding opportunities. For example, the application for funding must be submitted before construction companies and tradesmen are commissioned. Contracts for planning, on the other hand, can be awarded in advance, for example to energy efficiency experts. In addition...

A building owner may not allow a tower crane to slew over a neighboring property without prior notice. This was decided by the Higher Regional Court (OLG) of Stuttgart (AZ: 4 U 74/22). In this case, two future neighbors in the district of Ludwigsburg were in dispute. The client had erected a slewing tower crane on the property boundary for the construction of two semi-detached houses and four garages....

If you don't just want to make your house or apartment cozy in winter, but also your outdoor area, you can also decorate it attractively. Stylish door wreaths, hardy plants in chic pots or pretty lanterns and storm lanterns are just some examples. The e-magazine "archzine.net" points this out and shows in corresponding photos how the decoration ideas...

In 2020, Germans generated around 31 kilograms of self-compostable waste per capita. This is according to estimates carried out by the Federal Statistical Office for the first time. Excluding biowaste from agriculture or the manufacturing industry, the total volume of biowaste from the municipal sector amounted to 14.4 million tons in 2020. In addition to the self-composted...