FDP: Climate-adapted municipalities are an important goal for us Free Democrats. The approaches of the "White Paper on Urban Greening" for a climate-adapted urban development give us important impulses. For us, it is important to support the municipalities financially and to use synergies nationwide. The strengthening of urban green spaces must be achieved in partnership with citizens and the municipal economy. Dialogue with associations, chambers and universities is also important to us in order to bundle various competences.

Realistic integrated urban planning and flexible implementation of municipal regulations, such as parking space ordinances and statutes, are important to us. In addition, we want to promote space-saving construction through redensification and loft conversions in order to reduce the pressure on scarce urban space. There is a need for information on concepts such as building greening and the promotion of garden culture, and implementation in dialogue with property and land owners is necessary.

In evaluating the practical implementation of urban greening concepts, we rely on citizen science approaches, the results of which should be incorporated into the further development of the concepts.

SPD: We agree with the basic thesis of the White Paper that coordinated action in all ten fields of action across different policy areas and between all actors involved in sustainable urban development is a prerequisite for safeguarding and creating urban green space and thus for strengthening the climate resilience of cities.

Consequently, the federal government must ensure in the long term, within the framework of its responsibilities, that urban green spaces are strengthened through integrated and sustainable urban development. To this end, the New Leipzig Charter also commits us to focus on the transformative power of cities and to support them in dealing productively with the consequences of climate change.

CDU/CSU: The CDU and CSU will introduce a national climate adaptation law to provide for existence and the future in order to counter the consequences of climate change in the city, in the countryside and on the coasts, seas and mountains. We intend to take account of the approaches set out in the White Paper on Urban Green Spaces. In order to improve water retention in cities as well, we want to pay much greater attention to the use of rainwater and, to this end, we want to test the concept of sponge cities in exemplary municipalities, for example by adapting roadsides for infiltration in the course of modernisation.

DIE LINKE: Urban green and open spaces are under strong pressure of exploitation in view of the housing shortage and exploding land prices. Environmental protection, open space planning, urban planning and housing policy must be thought of holistically. Urban green spaces are part of public services. The municipalities must be better equipped for the maintenance and creation of urban green and open spaces, with knowledge, urban planning instruments and financial resources. The federal government, with its land, also has a duty. We want to stop the privatisation of public property. For the exploitation of real estate all too often means maximum sealing.

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen: WeGreens will intensively promote climate-adapted urban development - also with approaches from the "White Paper on Urban Greening" - and provide both financial resources and the appropriate legal framework. For the adaptation of cities to climate change and protection against heavy rain on the one hand and periods of heat and overheating of cities on the other are urgent requirements for urban development to avert damage and protect health.

FDP: We Free Democrats want to give the municipalities various instruments for modern land use planning through an amendment to the Building Code. With it we want to make it easier for the municipalities not only to designate new building land, but also to give additional options for the creation of new green and open spaces. Within the framework of urban development funding, we want to continue to provide financial support to municipalities for urban development. Ultimately, it is up to the municipalities and their planning sovereignty to decide to what extent they use these instruments and subsidies in urban development and thereby contribute to the development of a climate-sensitive city.

SPD: The urban development funding programmes, for which the Federal Government and the Länder have agreed on a new structure, play a key role in this: the funding programmes, which are now concentrated in three instead of the previous six, not only provide record funding totalling EUR 790 million, but the funding requirement of climate change/climate adaptation, including urban green spaces, has also been added. A comprehensive catalogue of measures for adapting to climate change, improving the green infrastructure, including soil unsealing, land recycling, climate-friendly mobility, the use of climate-friendly building materials, the preservation or expansion of green spaces and open spaces, the networking of green and open spaces, the greening of building surfaces, and increasing biodiversity are all eligible for funding. In addition, in line with the strategy pursued, there are numerous funding measures by other ministries, such as the BMU, but also the KfW.

CDU/CSU: For us, more green spaces in the city means not only ensuring a better inner-city climate through climate oases, but first and foremost making our cities even more attractive and increasing their resistance to global warming and thus also biodiversity through climate adaptation. In particular, we want to strengthen green roofs and facades and work with the federal states to accelerate local projects in this area. We are committed to ensuring that the development of green spaces plays a greater role in urban and village development. This must go hand in hand with appropriate water management to ensure a good climate in cities even at high temperatures. We are looking into setting up a separate programme for green and blue urban infrastructure for this purpose.

DIE LINKE: In the case of redensification, the principle of double internal development, i.e. the associated expansion and upgrading of urban green spaces, must be enshrined in law. We want to abolish the regulation on the accelerated designation of building land in external areas (§ 13 b BauGB), which is usually used for the construction of single-family housing estates on the outskirts of towns and has just been extended by the coalition government. We want to increase urban development funding to two billion euros a year and thus also promote green infrastructures such as parks, allotments and community gardens. Such areas are essential not only for climate adaptation but also for local recreation, especially in structurally weak urban districts. In addition, unsealing, reconnection and production-integrated compensation (§ 15 sentence 3 BNatSchG) should not only be examined as compensatory measures for unavoidable impairments to nature, but should be established as a priority.

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen: Our Green election manifesto includes a separate project for a climate-sensitive city and for more nature in the city. In concrete terms: We want to define an urban planning grievance in the building code as a lack of green spaces. We will expand urban development funding with a new funding programme "Green Open Spaces and Water for Cool Cities" worth 800 million euros. Among other things, concepts such as sponge cities and large-scale green networking are to be eligible for funding. New buildings of a certain size are to be required to have green roofs and facades. A minimum of green provision in areas and on properties is to be established in building law and it is to be examined how measures for species protection, for example for building breeders, can be enforced in the context of building renovation.

FDP: We Free Democrats want to introduce a building gap and potential area register. On its basis the municipalities with strained housing markets can develop concrete time and measure plans for the development of these areas. Obstacles to the reuse of brownfield sites must be consistently removed. Within the framework of the Conference of Building Ministers, the Federal Government must also urge the Länder to cut red tape in connection with roof extensions and additions, for example with regard to the obligation to provide parking spaces and lifts, and to set up an appropriate support programme through the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). In this way, we will achieve a redensification of the inner cities without creating a considerable need for additional land sealing. In addition, we are making an active contribution to the implementation of triple inner-city development.

SPD: The claim of the triple inner development undoubtedly poses great challenges to the cities, which they can only master with the help of the federal and state governments. To this end, they need reliable financial and personnel resources, to which the federal government and, above all, the federal states must contribute. The guiding principle and at the same time the task for the future is the dense, mixed and compact city of short distances. However, we also need sustainable long-term solutions for conflicts of use, land use and distribution, which result from the growth of cities and the necessary focus on housing construction, and which can lead to temporary losses of open space. With the amendment of the Building Code, we have created the possibilities for the necessary redensification in the cities. The tasks for the coming years are described by the mobility turnaround we are striving for and the continuation of urban development funding at the high level already achieved.

CDU/CSU: It is important to us to make optimum use of the land available to us. We therefore want to exploit the great potential of redensification, adding storeys to buildings, extensions and extensions, building over car parks and supermarkets, and brownfield development. We will therefore step up brownfield development as part of urban development funding and promote redensification. Equally, we want to make our cities resilient. The development of green and also blue infrastructure must therefore be given additional consideration. Where towns and villages are burdened by traffic, we will provide relief through smart traffic management and the strengthening of local public transport. But we will also continue to build local bypasses. And where there are frequent traffic jams, we will expand our federal roads and motorways. Less congestion means more climate protection. We will vigorously implement and further develop the National Cycling Plan. We are counting on well-developed and well-connected cycle paths, cycle expressways as well as more safety for cyclists and more parking facilities. With regard to green spaces, we refer to the answer to question 2.

DIE LINKE: Our guiding principle for urban development and spatial planning policy is socio-ecological restructuring. In addition to the preservation and new construction of affordable housing in booming cities, we want to consistently orient federal regional policy and urban development funding towards the principle of double internal development, accompanied by a transport turnaround towards sustainable mobility. LEFT urban development policy means investing in future tasks: Housing construction and building renovation, an improved living environment, age-appropriate and barrier-free conversion, and expansion of public transport and cycling infrastructure. Public space in towns and villages must be reallocated - away from the priority of car traffic and towards more safety, more togetherness and quality of stay. We oppose the displacement of allotment gardens with an allotment garden protection programme. We want to promote urban green spaces such as parks, allotment gardens and community gardens (urban gardening) through investment.

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen: By strengthening the double inner development, i.e. cautious densification and the expansion of the green infrastructure, as described under 1 and 2, we want to make better use of existing building areas and cautiously densify them. In this way, valuable green spaces can be preserved and land consumption reduced. This goes hand in hand with improved mobility concepts that strengthen the environmental network. More space for pedestrians and cyclists in the town centres makes them more attractive, and there is still room to expand green infrastructures such as shade-giving, cooling trees and water-storing areas. Settlement development should take place in compact structures and not through extensive urban sprawl. In this way, building areas can be developed more easily and more cost-effectively, also in an environmentally compatible manner. For this purpose we GREENS abolish §13b in the building code and strengthen measures of inner development in the building law and the mixed-use city of short distances in the building regulation.

FDP: We Free Democrats want to relaunch the so-called "Golden Plan" for the renovation and modernization of sports facilities. The sports associations are to be involved in this. We want to make more use of EU structural funds and to build and renovate sports facilities all over Germany over many decades. In addition, we Free Democrats also want to enable informal sports activities in public spaces. A quantitatively and qualitatively good supply of green and open spaces in the cities is essential in this respect. In order for the municipalities to be able to use sufficient funds for this purpose, we Free Democrats demand a reform of municipal finances.

SPD: We are committed to the expansion of health-preserving and health-promoting measures in all areas of society. To this end, we also want to promote informal sports activities through numerous projects. We will launch a federal programme "Community Centre 2.0". With this, we are creating local centres as social infrastructure, among other things for community sports practice for all generations. For children, we have also designed a new basic child allowance, which includes free access, for example, to sports clubs, swimming pools, etc. For the employed, we want to create incentives for employers for health-preserving measures, so that sport and exercise can be integrated into the company infrastructure, the acceptance of joint sports activities increases and these then actually become part of everyday company life.

CDU/CSU: Access to public open spaces offering sports and exercise has become more of a focus for society as a result of the Corona pandemic. It hurt us all to have to temporarily close such playgrounds and sports facilities. After all, in addition to the fun factor for those who use them, they also have an important preventive effect on improving general health. We therefore want to support sports development in all areas and, above all, expand preventive health care. For this reason, we encourage local authorities and Länder to further expand the basic provision of sports and exercise facilities in public open spaces.

DIE LINKE: To ensure that being able to do sport does not depend on income and social status, access conditions must be improved for both top-level and popular sport. We promote inclusive, integrative, nature- and environment-friendly and gender-equitable sport. Therefore, funding for fan projects, initiatives and projects against extreme rights, discrimination and violence as well as for the integrative effect of sports clubs should be increased and made permanent. Sport must also become a compulsory municipal task. Many sports halls, sports fields and swimming pools are in a state of disrepair, and some have already been closed. That is why our programme for the future provides for sufficient investment to renovate the facilities in a barrier-free and ecologically sound manner. Once the infrastructure has been restored, admission prices, for example at swimming pools, must be made affordable for everyone so that all children can learn to swim or use it in a sufficiently practical way.

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen: For us, needs-based and barrier-free sports facilities and spaces for exercise are part of the provision of public services in cities and rural areas. We Greens want to draw up a sports development plan. To this end, we will draw on the expertise of sports associations and clubs, science and industry, the federal states and local authorities, and we will rely on the mandatory participation of citizens. With concepts for play- and exercise-friendly cities, we want to improve everyday exercise and increase environmentally friendly mobility. The daily route to daycare, school, work, shopping and culture should be made safe - in the city and in the countryside. Land and real estate owned by the Federal Real Estate Agency (Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben, BImA) should only be sold to non-profit organizations or organizations that are oriented towards the common good. We have presented our comprehensive and modern concept "Making our inner cities fit for the future" to the German Bundestag (19/23941) and will continue to develop it further.

FDP: The competence to create sympathetic and lively centres lies with our municipalities. They know best what is necessary locally. They can, for example, make the public space inviting by implementing green, water and seating elements and ensure the necessary order and cleanliness. They can achieve a diverse mix of uses through targeted development policies for the inner cities and make the town centres accessible and liveable through sensible traffic concepts. In the area of building and urban development, simplifications are needed in building planning and building regulations law so that necessary conversion measures in shops can be carried out quickly and cost-effectively. To this end, we are striving for an amendment to the building code that gives local authorities the necessary room for manoeuvre. Within the framework of urban development funding, we Free Democrats want to continue to support the municipalities financially in the development of modern centres.

SPD: In the 2020 federal budget, a total of 200 million euros has been made available for the first time from the Energy and Climate Fund for the federal programme "Adapting urban areas to climate change". The funding also includes, in particular, the sustainable renewal of publicly accessible parks and green spaces from the perspective of climate adaptation, as well as the innovative, climate-adapted creation of new urban green spaces. These investments contribute to_{CO2 reduction} and to improving the climate in urban areas. In addition, the biodiverse and multifunctional design also takes into account the diverse importance of green and open spaces for recreation and health, but also as a social meeting place and as a biotope network. We want to make this programme permanent in the medium term.

CDU/CSU: We want to preserve our inner cities, district centres and town centres. They must be redesigned after the Corona crisis and strengthened in their function as places of encounter and diversity. Vibrant pedestrian zones and marketplaces make our cities worth living in. That is why we will forge a pact for the future of inner cities. As an important part of the pact, we will launch a funding programme entitled "Attractive inner cities", from which smaller towns and municipalities will also benefit. In this way, we want to make significantly more funds available. In particular, it is important to support retailers, to renovate pedestrian zones and arcades. Today, this necessarily includes green spaces and open spaces that are attractively designed with plantings. Within the framework of the pact for the future, it should also be possible to promote inner-city and village managers with relevant know-how who accompany the balanced overall development.

DIE LINKE: The decades-old misguided development of urban planning geared to car traffic, the boom of shopping centres on the outskirts and, most recently, online trade favoured by de facto tax privileges has left many inner cities and town centres desolate. The Corona pandemic has exacerbated the plight of town centre traders. We want to protect the operators of retail, gastronomy, cultural and social institutions by means of a social commercial tenancy law. Municipalities are to be made more capable of acting by means of a comprehensive and price-limited right of first refusal and better financial resources. The increase and consistent orientation of urban development funding towards the guiding principle of social-ecological urban development should, among other things, improve climate resilience and the quality of life in cities. The maintenance and expansion of open spaces and green infrastructure is one of the core tasks here.

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen: WeGreens are committed to attractive, well-maintained and green open spaces in the cities, also as part of a strategy to save the inner cities. Appropriately attractive public spaces, where families with children, for example, like to spend time and which also offer cooling and shade in hot summers, also serve trade and gastronomy, because they attract people. Green spaces should be preserved during development and land consumption reduced, for example by raising roofs instead of taking up new land. With improved mobility concepts that strengthen the environmental network by providing more space for pedestrians and cyclists in the town centres, they become more attractive, and there is still room to expand green infrastructures such as shade-giving, cooling trees and water-storing areas. See also the answers to questions 2 and 3.

FDP: For us Free Democrats, trees in urban areas are an essential part of adapting to climate change and improving air quality. The promotion of street trees is a municipal decision. We promote the financial and sovereign autonomy of the municipalities and thus also strengthen a climate-adapted municipal infrastructure. At the federal level, we want to enable the planting of climate-sensitive and site-adapted tree species and set the legal framework for this.

SPD: Street trees as part of the green infrastructure should be considered as part of municipalities' urban development concepts and climate protection plans, in which the federal government - and, incidentally, the Länder - provide them with a wide range of support.

CDU/CSU: Large trees/street trees are particularly important in the city for biodiversity, air purification and temperature regulation. We advocate that the planting and renewal of street trees/alleyes be eligible for funding in corresponding federal and state programs. In addition, trees lend themselves to donations and sponsorships. Private funds can be activated very well for tree planting programs. This is a task that local authorities must and can carry out themselves.

DIE LINKE: Our cities must be adapted to climate heating and made more resilient. We want to make a contribution to environmental justice and to give more space to environmentally friendly transport. Street trees play an important and positive role in all these challenges. The key words here are quality of stay, shade, green spaces in poorer neighbourhoods and green city squares. We are committed to making the planting and maintenance of urban trees a central part of these urban design strategies. This will result in an expansion of the stock of street trees and their care.

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen: To this end, weGreens are advocating a separate funding programme for green open spaces and water for cool cities (see answer to question 2) and also want to strengthen urban green spaces in the building code. We want to redistribute road space in order to give more room to the environmental alliance of pedestrian and bicycle traffic as well as public transport. We also want to provide for additional trees and their preservation as part of a green infrastructure along traffic routes and in municipal areas.

FDP: We Free Democrats reject an ever more profound differentiation and detailing of support programmes and individual measures, as this restricts municipalities in their planning sovereignty and self-administration. Instead, we call for a reform of municipal financing. In this context, the trade tax should be replaced by a higher share of the municipalities in the value-added tax and a municipal surcharge with its own right of assessment on the income and corporation tax. This should enable municipalities to better fulfil their diverse tasks.

SPD: Ensuring sustainable care and maintenance of green spaces in the city is undoubtedly a prerequisite for the effectiveness of the functions of urban green spaces - especially in the face of climate change. The necessary support for the municipalities should essentially be provided within the framework of urban development funding. Separate funding programmes would contradict the recently revised structure of the urban development funding programmes. The preservation and maintenance of urban green spaces is also a joint task. It is therefore not only a field of activity for politicians and administrators, but also for the housing industry, for example, but also for civic involvement in the city, which should ideally be supported in all urban development funding programmes.

CDU/CSU: We will examine the extent to which care services can also be promoted. In addition, we want to ensure that improved maintenance of existing green spaces to promote biodiversity can also be recognised as a compensation and replacement measure for interventions in nature. Where land use interferes with nature and the landscape, we will review the compensation provisions of nature conservation and building law and develop compensation measures in such a way that they promote biodiversity in the region in a targeted manner. In doing so, we will focus on the qualitative upgrading of biotopes and the use of compensation payments for the maintenance and preservation of biotopes.

DIE LINKE: In order to enable municipalities to provide professional care and maintenance of public green spaces in the long term, they must first be adequately funded by the federal and state governments for the tasks assigned to them. We want to promote urban green spaces such as parks, allotment gardens and community gardens (urban gardening) through investments. We oppose the displacement of allotment gardens with an allotment garden protection programme. In order to overcome the one-sided focus on automobility and to increase the quality of life, also through urban greening, we also need an investment programme for urban redevelopment. We want to abolish the municipal contribution to upgrading measures.

Bündnis90/Die Grünen: In order for cities and municipalities to be able to decide for themselves which new green spaces they want to create and how they want to professionally maintain and care for their public green spaces, the municipalities must be provided with adequate financial resources that are fundamentally in line with their tasks. In order to help the municipalities in principle, we want, for example, their Corona-related tax losses to be compensated by the federal and state governments. We Greens want to set up an investment fund endowed with 500 billion euros, to run for 10 years and also to be available to municipalities. We want to further develop the trade tax so that it is less volatile and to set up an old debt assistance scheme together with the Länder. We want to make the existing (almost 1000) support programmes for municipalities less bureaucratic and more transparent.