Healthy Neighborhoods and the Effects of Kiezblocks on Ecological Sustainability and Air Quality

The research team behind the project "Healthy Neighbourhoods and the Effects of Kiezblocks on Ecological Sustainability and Air Quality" is investigating the impact of low-traffic neighbourhoods on human health, the environment, sustainability and social justice. The researchers are studying both the health and environmental benefits of these innovative measures as well as the extent to which they can help to reduce existing health inequalities.

A central focus of this research is the implementation of a low-traffic concept known in Germany as a "Kiezblock" or "Superblock": What factors favour or hinder their introduction? How does the policy and administrative context affect their implementation? This research aims to identify key factors and governance processes that facilitate the successful implementation of this concept in cities and municipalities.

What are Kiezblocks?

Low-traffic neighbourhoods - known as "Kiezblocks" in Berlin - are urban planning interventions with benefits for sustainability and health. They combine traffic calming measures with modifications to improve the utilisation of urban spaces, addressing both environmental and health aspects in an integrated solution. This research will also examine whether Kiezblocks can help to reduce health inequalities between different social groups. To investigate this, neighbourhoods with different socio-economic structures are specifically included in the evaluation.

While Kiezblocks are viewed as a promising approach to urban development, it remains unclear to what extent findings from international studies can be applied to the German context, as urban planning and legal frameworks can differ significantly between countries. This is where the KiezTransform study comes in: using a quasi-experimental design, the project will systematically analyse the causal effects of Kiezblocks. In doing so, the study will make an important contribution to scientific evidence in Germany.

Since Kiezblocks incorporate fundamental principles of traffic calming and urban redesign, the insights gained through this research are likely to be relevant for other cities and communities across Germany. Beyond impact analysis, a comprehensive process evaluation will identify key success factors and potential challenges in implementation. These findings aim to support local administrations in integrating Kiezblocks more effectively into their urban development strategies, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and healthier cities.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg's Center for Preventive Medicine and Digital Health, and the FU Berlin. RIFS will contribute resources for air quality evaluation, local project coordination in Berlin, the evaluation of ecological sustainability and governance-oriented process evaluation.