Paul Münzner

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Paul Münzner and I'm founder and editor of ECOURBANHUB. I studied engineering and management at the University of Freiberg in Germany. Since my studies, I'm taken with the question how to shape and manage a more sustainable urban future. LinkedIn

Fully Electric Ice Cream Van Concept Unveiled By Nissan For Clean Air Day

Its motor will run using a 40kWh battery

27 June 2019 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2019, Featured, MOTORING

Nissan created this all-electric, zero-emission ice cream van concept by taking the ICE (internal combustion engine) out of the truck. The said concept was revealed by the company on June 20, 2019, in London, United Kingdom during the Clean Air Day.

Nissan Electric Ice Cream Van — (Nissan)

One of the most popular traditions we have during summer is chasing the ice cream truck in our neighborhood. However, most of these trucks run on diesel engines. Older models even need their engine to keep on running to power their freezers. This means that you’ll get an extra flavor of CO2 emission on your cone.

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“Ice cream is enjoyed the world over, but consumers are increasingly mindful of the environmental impact of how we produce such treats, and the ‘last mile’ of how they reach us,” said Kalyana Sivagnanam, managing director, Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd. He adds: “This project is a perfect demonstration of Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility strategy, applying more than a decade of EV experience and progress in battery technology to create cleaner solutions for power on the go – in ways customers might not expect. By eliminating harmful tailpipe emissions, and increasing our use of renewable energy, we can help make this a better world for everyone.”

Some cities and towns in the UK are now planning to put a stop to these and even set a fine to these vehicles. Nissan believes that its “Sky to Scoop” ice cream van concept has massive potential. They believe that it’s the solution vendors are looking for to decrease the carbon footprint they’re imprinting on the environment.

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The company partnered with the ice cream manufacturer Mackie’s of Scotland to help them make the concept green. The Scottish company boasts of a family-run dairy farm powered using both solar energy and renewable wind.

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The foundation of the project prototype is Nissan’s e-NV200, a light commercial vehicle that’s entirely electric with a range reaching an impressive 124 miles. They installed Sky to Scoop with a couple of Nissan Energy ROAM power packs.

To power its coolers and soft-serve machine, the company utilizes lithium-ion cells obtained from the company’s first-gen electric vehicles. They can be charged together with the truck. Its motor, on the other hand, will run using a 40kWh battery. There are also solar panels placed on the rooftop to give it an extra boost.

“We’re delighted to have worked with Nissan on this project as it’s the perfect complement to our own vision of becoming self-sustainable in renewable energy – and eliminating carbon in the journey from ‘Sky to Scoop’,” said Karin Hayhow, marketing director at Mackie’s of Scotland. She adds: “At Mackie’s, we’ve already shifted our dependence from fossil-fuels on to clean renewable power. We now export 4.5 times more energy to the national grid than we consume. This year we will make further progress towards our vision with the installation of an innovative new low-carbon refrigeration system. We’re proud to be a ‘climate positive’ ice cream maker.”

The project demonstrates not just the Intelligent Mobility strategy of Nissan, but how Sky to Scoop can get rid of the carbon dependency of our ice cream experience at each stage.

Nissan Electric Ice Cream Van Story — (Nissan)

Mayor Announces Boston’s Zero Waste Plan

39 Percent of Boston's Trash is Recyclable

23 June 2019 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2019, Featured, Waste

Mayor Martin Walsh of the City of Boston on June 18 made an announcement regarding the first-ever zero-waste plan of the city. The proposals include plans, both near and long-term, that aims to reduce how the city consumes natural resources and greenhouse gas emissions. The plan will involve crucial parts such as the development of the composting program of Boston, which will increase access to different recycling opportunities, as well as get a recycling education campaign going across the city.

39 Percent of Boston’s Trash is Recyclable

“Preparing Boston for climate change means ensuring our city is sustainable, both now and in the future,” said Mayor Walsh. “We need to lead, and design city policies that work for our residents, and for the environment and world we depend upon. These initiatives will lead Boston towards becoming a zero waste city, and invest in the future of residents and generations to come.”

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The zero-waste plan will also follow the recommendations set by the city’s report where Boston will lengthen its current 17-week waste collection service for its residences during the months of April to December to up to 20 weeks. This step will provide citizens with more options. They will have 20 weekends where they can drop their waste off at the composting facility of Boston without any cost. The city’s community gardens will be given a few of the composts generated here at no charge as well, while some compost will be made available for residents to purchase at a lowered cost.

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Boston’s Trash Is Responsible for 6 Percent of Its Greenhouse Gases

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Aside from expanding the yard waste collection, Boston will also conduct a curbside collection of the resident’s food waste. The city will soon issue an RFP or request for proposals to find a local service provider that they can partner with for a subscription charge, where the city will cover part of that cost. The said partnership is estimated to start the fall of this year.

About 36% of what the trash residents throw away is compostable materials due to the ZERO WASTE BOSTON publication. This includes either food scraps or yard wastes like grass clippings and leaves from their garden. The main concern of the zero-waste plan is to divert the compostable components out of Boston’s trash.

Even a smartphone app called “Boston Trash Schedule & Alerts” (Google Play | App Store) supports the better way of waste disposal.

Studio NAB Presents Its Bus Stop Hotel For Insects and Humans

18 June 2019 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2019, Featured, Green Building

French architectural firm Studio NAB is looking to change commuters’ bus stop experience by introducing an ecosystem of permanent residents to bus shelters in cities. Some will be so tiny that waiting passengers may not even notice them. But they will certainly notice the environment in which these new residents will be living when Hotel Bus Stop project gets underway.

Hotel Bus Stop inner view - Insect Hotel - Studio NAB — (Studio Nab)

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Studio NAB aims at creating living and functioning ecosystems in urban bus stops to provide an ecological and educational experience for commuters by letting them reconnect with nature while they await their ride. At the same time, NAB hopes the shelters will assist in combating the current erosion of biodiversity in cities by providing homes for birds, plants, and those pollinating insects which play a vital part in the reproduction cycle of about 85% of all vegetables, fruit trees and flowers. Where possible, NAB also intends to introduce those insects which fight the natural pests which destroy those plants, such as aphids.

Adding Nature to Utility

The Hotel Bus Stop Project shelters will provide a vastly different visual impact from that created by the starkly utilitarian bus stops currently serving waiting passengers in many busy urban areas. Instead of metal, glass or open rack siding, they will be walled with large vertical gardens growing on water absorbed from rain, which will filter and purify the air around them of fine particles. The basic structure is to be built using recycled materials such as cardboard, wood and stainless steel, and the roofs will be specially designed to provide cover for nesting birds.

Hotel Bus Stop - Insect Hotel - principle of operation - Studio NAB — Principle of operation due to Studio Nab’s Hotel Bus Stop – CLICK TO ENLARGE (Studio Nab)

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The Hotel Bus Stops are named after, and fashioned on, the architecture used in the manufacture of “insect hotels” of various shapes and sizes. These man-made nesting and hibernation sanctuaries have been introduced by gardeners as well as vegetable and fruit farmers concerned about the variety of insects which are currently falling prey to habitat destruction, urbanization, pesticides and pollution.

Hotel Bus Stop front view - Insect Hotel - Studio NAB — (Studio Nab)

VITAE’s Green Roof Is A Public Ascending Footpath & Vineyard

Vitae By Carlo Ratti Associati Won The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group “Reinventing Cities” Competition

14 June 2019 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2019, Featured, Green Building

Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA), an Italy-based international design and innovation studio bagged the first place award at the recently concluded competition “Reinventing Cities” by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. The company won the honor to develop a new office and scientific research center in a vacant space in Serio St. located in the south of Milan, which is a former industrial lot.

Carlo Ratti Associati-CRA-Reinventing Cities-Vitae-vineyard-Milan-c40 — (Carlo Ratti Associati)

The winning entry of CRA called VITAE proposes a 250 meters or 650 feet long urban vineyard design. The firm developed it in response to the challenge made by the C40 network of the megacities of the world to come up with a unique public space for one of the flourishing areas of the city with sustainability and climate change in mind.

Public Ascending Footpath = VITAE’s Green Roof

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The principle of the successful project includes a biophilic design that will cover an entire building. This means the creation of an open to the public ascending footpath starting from the street level all the way to the rooftop. The most important aspect of the design is bringing nature back in the urban setting.

VITAE Connects Residents With The Natural Environment

The name VITAE befits the entire concept of the project as it’s the Italian word for vine and life in Latin. By putting vegetation at the core of its design, VITAE will connect the residents of the city to the natural environment.

Carlo Ratti Associati-CRA-Reinventing Cities-Vitae-piazza-Milan-c40 — (Carlo Ratti Associati)

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People will have a chance to walk on a green footpath beneath a pergola covered in vines that rises gently along building walls approaching the rooftop. As they climb down, they’ll pass by various terraces, as well as greenhouses designed for hydroponic cultivation and urban farming. The complex with over 5000-square meters total of public space will also house a new piazza.

CRA developed the project together with Covivio, a well-known real estate company and a team of environmental specialists from the Habitech organization. Construction of VITAE will commence before 2019 ends.

Kö-Bogen II – Ingenhoven Breaks Ground On Eight Kilometer Supergreen Project For Düsseldorf

Inner city heat effect reduction with greenery on the roof and facade

12 June 2019 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2019, Featured, Green Building

Düsseldorf, Germany – Ingenhoven Architects, a German-based architectural firm has broken ground on a sustainable supergreen project for Düsseldorf in May 2019. The mixed-use development is visualized as Düsseldorf’s new green heart.

Facade Vegetation of Kö-Bogen II Provides Natural Cooling

The distinct design of Ingenhoven acknowledges the encompassing urban framework. The two-part ensemble has a total floor area of 42,000 square meters and the structure will have spaces for different functions including local recreation, offices, retail, gastronomy, and underground parking garage. They will also give the Düsseldorf Theater’s public areas, facades, and roof a renovation.

Kö-Bogen 2 with green roof by Ingenhoven Düsseldorf Germany supergreen-project DGNB platinum — (Ingenhoven)

The design will extend from the inner city to the adjacent Hofgarten park with eight-kilometer long hornbeam hedges and plantings that envelopes the oblique facades of the two buildings of the Kö-Bogen II.

The 27-meter high sloping rooftop of the main building will feature vast greenery, and together with the hedges will help purify and clean the air, as well as fight the inner city heat effect by producing a cooling microclimate.

Kö-Bogen 2 in summer by Ingenhoven Düsseldorf Germany supergreen-project DGNB platinum — (Ingenhoven)

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The walk-on roof of the other 10-meter triangular building extending in the Dreischeibenhaus area will also have plenty of plantings. The combination of the structure’s turfed surface and gastronomic functions will surely draw in people passing by to take a few minutes of their time to enjoy the sun, rest, and relax a bit.

Kö-Bogen II Designed in Partnership With the Werner Sobek Group

Ingenhoven designed the green facades and roof in partnership with the Werner Sobek Group. They based their design on the expert reports regarding local conditions and what planting will be suitable to it. On the other hand, the main design concept of the Kö-Bogen II is a revamp of the Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz design.