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Steimker Gardens residential area in Wolfsburg In green mobility paradise

08/27/21
Steimker Gardens residential area in Wolfsburg
Reading time: 7 minutes

On the outskirts of Wolfsburg, Volkswagen Immobilien demonstrates how sustainable mobility and energy supply interact under ideal conditions: In the new “Steimker Gardens” district, everything is set up for bicycles, electric cars and solar power.

Hannes Mechler’s commute starts in the bicycle cellar: At around 7.00 a.m. the 27-year-old reaches for his mountain bike, leaves the house and starts pedalling. 20 minutes later, he arrives at the company premises. “I start every day in the cool air and arrive at the office awake,” said Mechler. The traffic engineer has been working for Volkswagen in Wolfsburg for nine months. To the east of the city, in “Steimker Gardens”, Volkswagen Immobilien (VWI) is building a district that, in addition to new apartments, provides optimum conditions for mobility – by bicycle, on foot, by bus or electric car. One of the first tenants is Hannes Mechler.
Steimker Gardens residential area in Wolfsburg
One of the keys to sustainable movement is short distances.
Frank Petershagen
Volkswagen Immobilien
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“One of the keys to sustainable movement is short distances,” explained VWI architect Frank Petershagen. This is why Steimker Gardens is just three minutes by car from the closest primary schools and seven minutes away from the city centre. “These are distances that are easily manageable by bike or electric bike,” said Petershagen. The plan is for the district to have nurseries, local amenities, cafés and other businesses. Residents should be able to complete many of their journeys on foot. Steimker Gardens has had bus service links since construction started – with other routes set to follow. The goal: Even people without their own car will be mobile at all times
Many residents will still use their own car – which is why everything has been put in place for electric mobility from the start. The charging stations in the underground car parks are already clearly visible, and the electricity is free at the moment. Several rapid charging stations in central locations are set to follow.
Steimker Gardens residential area in Wolfsburg
Everything is set up for electric mobility: Hannes Mechler starts charging in the underground car park.

However, what you can’t see yet is at least equally as important: Every private parking space is fitted with power cables, which can supply a private wallbox with energy on request. “We don’t want to force anyone to pay for a charging station that they might not need yet. Which is why we will purchase the wallboxes when the tenants want them,” said Petershagen.

Additional charging stations can also be installed on selected streetlights as required. If, contrary to expectations, the power supply is overloaded, ducts provide room for additional cables. “We can lay more cables quickly and economically because we won’t need to dig up the road,” explained Petershagen.

Steimker Gardens residential area in Wolfsburg
Sunshine in Steimker Gardens: The district will use solar power to cover part of the energy requirements in the future – the new Wolfsburg neighbourhood is a living lab for linking life, sustainable energy supply and mobility.
Unlike in existing districts, planners are able to take new requirements into account from the beginning, thus creating a living lab for linking life, sustainable energy supply and mobility. Let’s take solar power as an example: All roofs in Steimker Gardens must be designed so that they can support photovoltaic systems without any issues. In the centre of many buildings, cable ducts for the necessary power cables run down into the ground. Energy that isn’t used immediately could flow into the batteries of electric cars in the future – potentially a huge reservoir. The first solar power systems will be installed in the next few weeks. You could say that Steimker Gardens is becoming a green mobility paradise one step at a time.

For Hannes Mechler, these weren’t the decisive factors behind his move to the new neighbourhood. The young professional appreciates the fast internet and the proximity to popular cycle paths and running tracks. “At the end of the working day, I like to sit on the balcony. That’s very different from my student accommodation,” he said.

In a trial period with the all-electric ID.3, Mechler learned about and grew to appreciate the benefits of electric mobility. “The acceleration is so much fun,” he said. For him, charging – which is a concern for many people – isn’t an issue. At home, in Steimker Gardens, he was able to charge the car in the underground car park without having to sit and wait around. During weekend trips to Baden-Württemberg, one to two stops per journey were all that were needed. “I find it easy to manage. And you even meet interesting people at the charging station.”

The acceleration is so much fun.
Hannes Mechler on his trips in the all-electric ID.3.
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Steimker Gardens residential area in Wolfsburg

Over the coming months, Hannes Mechler will get lots of new neighbours – around 1800 apartments from various vendors are planned for Steimker Gardens, covering an area around the size of 30 football pitches. Several houses will form a neighbourhood with a half open courtyard and plenty of meeting places.

“The more people that move into Steimker Gardens, the more mobility offerings will be provided,” said Petershagen. The goal: The residents will always be able to choose how they reach their destination.

Steimker Gardens residential area in Wolfsburg
Steimker Gardens from above: 1800 apartments from various vendors are planned for the outskirts of Wolfsburg.
The more people that move into Steimker Gardens, the more mobility offerings will be provided.
Frank Petershagen
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