On 15 February 2017, the Bundestag Committee for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety held a public hearing on the new urban planning law.
Eight experts were invited to discuss the 'Draft Law on the Implementation of Directive 2014/52/EU in Urban Planning Law and on Strengthening the New Coexistence in the City'. The focus was on the two controversies surrounding the introduction of a Section 13b BauGB and the new building area category `Urban Areas'.
The hearing was characterised by the opinions of individual lobby groups and less by scientific, professionally independent expertise. The explanations of the expert Prof. Dr. Arno Bunzel (DIFU) were different. He presented the committee members with the results of the simulation game on the urban planning law amendment 2016/2017. The recommendations of the simulation game municipalities on the two above-mentioned controversies are summarised as follows:
- The temporary inclusion of outdoor areas in the accelerated procedure according to the planned § 13b BauGB is assessed as understandable, but unanimously critical in its effect, as it contradicts the fundamental planning objective of "inner development before outer development" and compensation requirements also apply to areas on which a structural intervention has still taken place.
- The introduction of the urban area is welcomed in principle. Differentiated recommendations are made in this respect.
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