Bremen starts sponge city initiative: climate adaptation for the future!

Bremen starts sponge city initiative: climate adaptation for the future!

An exciting project was launched in Bremen today, June 23, 2025: The kick-off event for the “Sponge City of Bremen” brought together numerous actors from administration and institutions. The Senator for the Environment, Climate and Science, Kathrin Moosdorf, welcomed those present and presented the goals of this innovative approach. Climate impacts such as heavy rain, heat waves and drought urgently require new solutions to improve life in cities. senatspressestelle.bremen.de reports that the sponge city principle aims to keep rainwater where it falls - be it on roofs, in parks, on squares or streets.

But what exactly does the sponge city concept entail? Simply put: It should not only increase the quality of life, but also adapt the city to the stresses of climate change. By creating more infiltration areas and green spaces, the aim is to prevent flooding and cool the city on hot days. The focus is on rainwater management measures to create a more refreshing environment during the hot months and to create new, green retreats for the population.

Exchange and development of an action plan

The event served as an exchange between all those involved in order to develop a viable action plan. In the first phase of this process, the focus is on involving stakeholders from administration and related institutions. The goal is clear: develop concrete measures and optimize information chains. The support from the EU project “Pathways2Resilience” is also clear here, which promotes the process. But the collaboration doesn't end here. In the second phase, the action plan will also be made available to the public and further supplemented with ideas from local councils, citizens and interest groups in order to ensure broader acceptance and participation.

An important part of the German Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (DAS) is to create a cross-sectoral policy framework for adaptation to climate change. According to information from the Umweltbundesamt, the DAS offers practical tools to make cities fit for the future - particularly in terms of flood and heat prevention. This strategy also places particular emphasis on the integration of climate adaptation into urban planning and the concept of green infrastructure, which is considered a pragmatic solution to the challenges of climate change.

Easy citizen participation

An additional benefit of the sponge city concept is that private individuals can also take action to implement sponge city building blocks in their own environment. The support from the environmental department is a valuable help in making this process easier.

In summary, it can be said that the Sponge City Bremen initiative is a promising step towards climate-sensitive urban development. A variety of measures are being taken to not only make the city resistant to the consequences of climate change, but also to make it more livable for everyone. The next steps are crucial, and the exchange between all actors will be important in order to create a sustainable Bremen.