2nd edition of the sustainability city plan

Sustainability in Kassel and the surrounding area is now even more visible: the second edition of the sustainability city map offers an expanded overview of sustainable locations in the city - and for the first time also in selected municipalities in the district of Kassel, including Baunatal, Kaufungen and Ahnatal.

Where can I buy regional food? Where can I have my bike repaired or hire a cargo bike? Where can I find places that offer educational programs or workshops on sustainability topics? Which sustainable initiatives or community projects can I support in Kassel? The sustainability city map guides students, citizens and guests to specific offers in the areas of gastronomy, consumption, food retail, education, culture and more. It provides an overview of places that are characterized by sustainable concepts. Whether it's restaurants that use regional, seasonal and fair trade products or places of learning that offer "Education for Sustainable Development" - the city map shows the many possibilities that make Kassel a sustainable and future-proof city. An enlarged map section in the second edition provides a better overview and makes other initiatives, stores and projects that are committed to a sustainable way of life visible.

Cooperative further development as part of the SDG+ Challenge

The Sustainable City Plan was developed as part of the University of Kassel's SDG+ Challenge and was overseen by the University of Kassel's Green Office. Other participants included the Office for Schools and Education of the City of Kassel, the Economy for the Common Good, Fairtrade Town and Karibu e.V.

"The second edition clearly shows how diverse and dynamic sustainable development is in our region," emphasizes Nadine Chrubasik, coordinator of the Green Office. "With the expanded city map, we want to invite even more people to put sustainability into practice in their everyday lives."

Extended variety of sustainable offers

The second edition not only includes more entries, but also an even finer categorization. Whether weekly markets, bicycle repair stations, rental offers for cargo bikes, second-hand stores or educational institutions with a focus on climate protection and social justice - all of these can be recognized at a glance. Another new feature is the inclusion of sustainable locations outside Kassel - with Baunatal, Kaufungen and Ahnatal, initiatives and offers from the district are also coming into focus for the first time.

The categories of the plan are diverse:

Food: organic supermarkets, regional weekly markets, member stores.
Gastronomy & hotels: Local restaurants and cafés with fair, seasonal products as well as sustainable hotels.
Shared use: Places to swap, borrow, repair, give away.
New & used: Fair fashion, second-hand, sustainable fashion.
Places of tomorrow: educational institutions, cultural spaces, social & counseling.
House and garden: material exchanges, second-hand furniture markets, tree nurseries.

In addition, the wide range of Kassel associations and initiatives on the subject of sustainability is made visible on the city map.

A step towards the future

"We see the sustainability city map as a lively project that helps to further strengthen Kassel as a committed municipality for education for sustainable development. It makes it clear how many initiatives, projects and places already exist here that implement sustainability in everyday life. Making such offers visible is an important step towards further promoting change in our city," says Alissa Hälbig from the City of Kassel's Office for Schools and Education.

Kassel is also showing its commitment beyond the city map: Kassel has officially been a "Fairtrade Town" since April 2024 - a visible sign of the city's commitment to fair trade and global justice. In addition, the planned "ClimateHub Kassel" will be created in 2026 as a platform to strengthen citizen participation and local commitment to climate protection.

Availability and further information

The sustainability city map is available online via the map of tomorrow Kassel, which enables intuitive and user-friendly navigation. Interested parties can filter by category and thus find specific sustainable offers. The printed version of the city map is available from the participating initiatives, restaurants and stores or from the Green Office.

Contact:

University of Kassel
Green Office
Phone: 0561 804-3737
Email: greenoffice[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
Web: www.uni-kassel.de/go/team-greenoffice