The Earth is increasingly being shaped by cities. According to UN estimates, by 2050 the populations living in urban centers worldwide will grow by 2.5 billion people. But where does nature fit in with this growth in large cities? A close look shows the following: Nature is already right in the midst of our cities - from moths to bats! In future this will mean consciously shaping and using urban nature to preserve and enrich species diversity. In urban planning the issue of biodiversity is still a completely new one, and with Animal-Aided Design it is being specifically integrated into the Schumacher Quartier. 

Animal-Aided Design is a proprietary term of the landscape design company bgmr Landschaftsarchitekten with Polinna Hauck GbR - Studio Animal-Aided Design. It is a planning method in which open spaces and buildings are designed in such a way that the needs of specific animal species are met. At the same time, the residents of the Quartier are able to rediscover nature. To watch a squirrel scrambling up a tree or to hear the song of the skylark in the evening - experiences like these convey a very special feeling of the quality of life in the very midst of the city.

14 target species for the Schumacher Quartier

Experts have identified 14 promising target species for the Schumacher Quartier. Living conditions appropriate to these species are being created for them in the adjacent Landscape Park on the site of the former airport.

  • 2 species of mammal: European red squirrel, serotine bat
  • 6 bird species: nightingale, crested lark, starling, house sparrow, swift, kestrel
  • 1 amphibian: green toad
  • 5 species of insect: swallowtail butterfly, brown argus butterfly, privet hawk-moth, short-fringed mining bee, bow-winged grasshopper

Consistent with biodiversity, it is to be expected that more species will become established in the Quartier in addition to those targeted. The Animal-Aided Design planning method was developed by the ecologist Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Weisser of Technical University of Munich and the landscape architect Dr. Thomas E. Hauck of the University of Kassel. These scientists describe their approach as “Building for people and animals”.