Ms. Keller, how do you rate the progress made so far in sustainable urban development and what are your priorities for the coming years?
We have already done a lot – but there is still a lot to do! We have set an important course with our urban climate master plan and climate protection strategy as well as the associated action plan. In particular, we are taking a comprehensive approach to greening and unsealing as well as reducing CO2 emissions. In addition to reducing direct emissions from operations, my department is also concerned with indirect emissions from the construction of buildings. We are currently examining new approaches here, such as an incentive tax on indirect emissions from construction. We are densifying and converting existing buildings and want to simplify the construction of existing buildings in future by amending the law. These are the guidelines for how we want to promote sustainability in urban development over the next few years.
What measures are you taking to strengthen building culture in Basel and promote high-quality, sustainable construction?
Building culture is very important to us: the people of Basel should feel comfortable in their city. Of course, this is also a key basis for achieving the climate targets, which is why a forward-looking building culture is extremely important. A high level of building culture creates identification and quality of life. Both the preservation and further development of existing buildings, the maintenance of traditional building methods and the use of sustainable technologies and buildings make a significant contribution to this. Building culture is sustainable and sustainable planning must become an integral part of building culture. Incidentally, this is also very well illustrated in our “Basel Compass”, where building culture is mentioned and addressed as one of the first points.
What contribution can the Department of Construction and Transport make to the circular economy in order to achieve the goal of net zero by 2037?
Basel-Stadt has an ambitious strategy to promote the circular economy in the construction sector. This means that we want to design buildings and construction products in such a way that they can be used for as long as possible and are made from reused or recycled materials. An important focus is on continuing to build and use existing buildings instead of demolishing and rebuilding them. This not only reduces waste, but also cuts the greenhouse gas emissions that are normally generated during the production of new building materials. New buildings should also increasingly be constructed in such a way that they can be dismantled and made available as building material for the next structure at the end of their useful life (design for disassembly). Basel-Stadt also promotes the use of recycled materials in the construction process, such as recycled asphalt for road surfaces. We are working to create a legal framework to facilitate circular construction and we are investing in the infrastructure needed for the reuse and recycling of building materials. For example, the canton has set up its own building materials warehouse: Cantonal deconstruction material is recorded in an online construction parts catalog and made available for reuse in other projects. With these measures, we not only want to improve our carbon footprint, but also promote innovation in the construction sector.
What are the next steps in the “green asphalt” project and how do you assess the climate protection potential of this innovation?
The use of green asphalt on road construction sites in Basel is developing well. Within the city, green asphalt has been used on at least eight larger and smaller construction sites. Examples include Burgfelderstrasse, Freiburgerstrasse and the Eselweg. Further projects are currently underway in which the use of green asphalt is planned. However, green asphalt does not directly reduce CO2 emissions. However, thanks to biochar, green asphalt binds more CO2 from the atmosphere than it releases during production. In this way, we can reduce the climate impact of road construction. However, it is not yet a sure-fire success. There are still critical manufacturers and associations. We must continue to seek dialog and highlight the opportunities.
What are currently the biggest challenges in maintaining and modernizing the public infrastructure in Basel?
The challenges are many and varied. One key aspect is the need to regularly renovate existing infrastructure such as roads, bridges and streetcar tracks in order to ensure a reliable supply of water and energy. At the same time, IWB is expanding the district heating network by a total of 60 kilometers by 2037 on behalf of the canton of Basel-Stadt. This requires close coordination with the other renovation work in order to minimize the impact on residents and at the same time take the opportunity to redesign the urban climate and active transport. After all, climate change is also a challenge. On the one hand, we need to prepare the city for heat waves and extreme weather events. To avoid heat islands, we need to unseal asphalt surfaces and create green and water areas in public spaces. On the other hand, the canton has set itself an ambitious climate protection target of net zero by 2037. We are therefore increasingly focusing on renovating buildings and converting existing buildings, for example, and are focusing on sufficiency, reducing grey energy and minimizing operating energy consumption.
To what extent is digitalization, for example with new apps for passengers, part of your strategy to increase the attractiveness of public transport in Basel?
Digitalization is very important for public transport. Passengers want to use the app to find out about timetables or any service disruptions and also buy their tickets conveniently. Digitalization is also key when it comes to sharing and combining different vehicles. Many of us combine our streetcar or bus journey with a rental vehicle: depending on where we live, we take a rented bike, scooter or car to the stop or from there to our destination. The majority of us already book or pay for these rental vehicles digitally. The aim must be to have digital solutions that conveniently connect all these services. The big breakthrough has not yet been achieved; there are many players and challenges along the way. But we are working on solutions.
What are currently the biggest challenges in cross-border coordination with the canton of Baselland and neighboring countries with regard to public transport?
In our region, we are all used to crossing cantonal or national borders every day. Accordingly, we also plan a lot of things together across borders in the region – especially when it comes to mobility. Many streetcar and bus lines operate both in the Basel region and in Basel. We also have two cross-border streetcar lines – one from Basel to St. Louis (F) and one from Basel to Weil am Rhein (D). These are very successful and are well used, but financing the maintenance and operation of the sections in the neighboring countries is a challenge. However, the biggest challenge at the moment is probably not so much coordination within the region, but the fact that we as a region are sometimes not sufficiently recognized by the federal government. The current discussions surrounding the urgently needed rail expansion in Basel demonstrate this. I am grateful that we in the region are all pulling together and fighting for a tri-national S-Bahn that is worthy of the name. A continuous S-Bahn system has great potential for shifting journeys from road to rail.
What is your concrete timetable for converting the entire bus fleet to electric drive by 2027 and what challenges still remain?
This conversion is in full swing and on track. Around half of BVB buses are already electric. Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe will convert its entire bus fleet to e-buses by 2027. BVB is thus making a significant contribution to helping Basel achieve its ambitious climate targets.
You are heavily networked in national bodies. What trends or best practices from other cities and regions inspire you for Basel in particular?
The exchange with other cities is always enriching. They all struggle with the same challenges, such as conflicting objectives in tight spaces. I am watching the pilot tests with autonomous public transport services in other cities with interest. As President of the Urban Mobility Conference, it is important to me that we set the right course in this area at an early stage and are equipped for new challenges such as autonomous vehicles. Such new developments should be a win-win situation for all sides. However, this requires certain framework conditions.
Is there anything you would like to see in Basel? Something from other cities around the world that has impressed or inspired you?
When you look at Asian cities, you are sometimes impressed by the speed at which projects are realized, especially in building construction and civil engineering. On the other hand, I am very grateful that we have democratic processes in Switzerland, which are lengthy but ensure that people are involved and can have an influence. I am convinced that this participation – whether via parliament or directly via the population – is a key to greater acceptance and therefore also to social cohesion.
