Frankfurt's green future: Heike Appel fights against climate change!

Frankfurt's green future: Heike Appel fights against climate change!

In a Cologne district known for its vibrant green spaces, Heike Appel is committed to preserving urban nature in Frankfurt. As the head of the Frankfurt Parks Department, she has taken responsibility for an area that is increasingly under pressure since 2020. Around 750 employees support her, including cemetery gardeners, trainees in park maintenance and urban foresters. In times of climate change, Appel is particularly sensitive to the wishes of Frankfurt residents for more green spaces, because like that Show article about urban greening, these areas are essential for a city worth living in.

Heike Appel faces a multitude of challenges. It has to defend existing parks and green spaces against a wide variety of usage requirements. A current example is the planning of a public viewing zone for the 2024 European Football Championship on the banks of the Main, which could potentially encroach on existing green spaces. Even if the need for more urban greenery is great, short-term solutions such as planting tiny forests in the city center cannot meet with their approval because their philosophy is aimed at sustainability. “I reject spectacular actions and prefer to focus on sustainable quality,” says Appel, who studied landscape architecture in Geisenheim in the Rheingau.

Climate change and its effects

The extreme weather events of recent years, such as heat, drought and heavy rain, have not spared Frankfurt. Between 2018 and 2022, there were noticeable changes in the climate that influenced the planning of urban spaces. Loud Research by Fraunhofer IBP Cities heat up particularly strongly, which is known as the urban heat island effect. To counteract this, cities need to be made green to improve air circulation and microclimate. The goal is clear: to offer citizens better living conditions.

In order to meet these challenges, a guideline for the climate-friendly redesign of city squares was created. This includes important principles such as the promotion of biodiversity, health aspects, good air quality and shade. When planning, the focus must always be on the benefits for people and the impact on the urban climate. Heike Appel pays attention when it comes to these innovations because she knows how important the participation of citizens in urban design is. Her highlights include the planning of the harbor park on the banks of the Main and the racetrack park, in which she actively involved the citizens.

A personal green

Although Heike Appel's professional center is in Frankfurt, she is deeply connected to her homeland. In her free time, she maintains a garden with at least 120 plant pots and works passionately without gloves, which underlines her closeness to nature. “Gardening is a real hobby for me,” she says with a smile. Their personal connection to the green space and their experiences also shape their decisions in office.

Overall, Heike Appel's efforts show that the preservation and redesign of green spaces is not only a beautiful undertaking, but above all a necessary one. The goal of improving the quality of life in urban areas is not only a challenge for city planners, but also for all Cologne residents who want to live in a city worth living in.