Theme IV  Innovative industrial estates

1. Innovative construction and mobility concepts for industrial estates
2. Guideline for commercial areas
3. Example of an ordinance to limit light pollution
4. Automatic coupling and uncoupling of truck semi-trailers and truck trailers
5. Small freight stations (as also theme II "Freight transport by rail")
6. Commercial areas in the 2nd level
7. Structural example for bridge buildings
8. 2050: Bridge buildings connect neighbourhoods
9. Public discussion of a planned industrial area
10. Calculation of tree values and replacement plantings
11. Topsoil is finite

1.1 Introduction
With the ever-increasing demand for commercial space and limited available land, it is crucial to develop sustainable ecological and innovative building concepts. This report presents innovative ideas for creating two-level commercial areas with a bridge structure to enable efficient use of limited space while preserving green areas. Furthermore, transportation systems are presented that enable fully automated traffic.

1.2 Construction concept (commercial areas with bridges over commercial estates)

The proposed construction concept envisages the construction of an additional level above an existing industrial estate. Bridge constructions will be used to create another commercial area above the existing one. Light diffusers are strategically integrated into the bridges to allow daylight down and create a pleasant working environment. Fire protection measures and extinguishing systems are of course included. (For further details, see section 6 below).

(The Göltzschtal railroad bridge was completed in 1851. Railroad bridges have a lifetime of 100 -120 years, road bridges approx. 50 - 60 years).

1.3 Separation and automation of transport systems
Within the autonomous commercial area, electric and autonomous vehicles such as the Vera from Volvo or AGVs (AGV, Automated Guided Vehicle; FTF, Driverless Transport Vehicle) are used. The arriving trucks are uncoupled manually if necessary and equipped with the KKS system from Jost, for example. The semi-trailer then drives autonomously and electrically to its destination via separate lanes. For the cars of employees, customers and guests, automatic, deserted parking garages are built at the entrances and exits and autonomous minibuses drive them to their destination and back. At the same time, connections to local public transport will also be made possible here. This also includes adequate bus stops with weather protection and good comfort. Separate wide and future-proof lanes are essential for separate footpaths and cycle paths to ensure safety and comfort. This completely separates autonomous vehicles and pedestrian and cycle traffic. The impact of vehicles will be significantly reduced and accidents prevented. Furthermore, many waiting times are reduced. (For more information on HGVs, see section 4 below).

1.4 Sustainability and green spaces at all levels
A key aspect of this building concept is the integration of large green spaces in the peripheral areas on all levels. These green spaces are to be designed like small mountains to conceal the commercial facilities and at the same time create an aesthetically pleasing environment. This will not only achieve efficient land use, but also provide green spaces that employees can use as recreational areas.

In addition, the green spaces are to be extensively planted. Lawns remain the exception. In addition to the roofs, the facades should also be greened. Overall, an area should have approx. 10 % more green space than the size of the property used. Vertical or sloping green areas are calculated in the same way as horizontal areas. Solar installations and green areas are not mutually exclusive; appropriate plants must be used.

1.5 Conclusion
The presented building concepts for two-level business parks with bridge constructions and integrated green spaces offer an innovative way to use limited space efficiently while creating a sustainable environment. The barrier-free mobility concept with separate safe footpaths and cycle paths is an incentive for use. The separate lanes for efficient, autonomous transportation and on-demand passenger transport are the basis for sustainable, future-proof and accident-free commercial areas. The implementation of these concepts is possible. It requires careful planning and cooperation between various stakeholders and consideration of the needs of all parties involved.

Today's industrial estates can also be redesigned and reused.

We can and must no longer afford the huge amount of space taken up by today's industrial estates.

See points 8.7 and 8.8 on the start page:
Overshoot days and tipping points

JM 15.12.2024

A new "Guideline for Commercial Areas" has been produced within this framework, with many questions that should be answered. It provides essential help in assessing whether a commercial area is appropriate in this location.

Our light pollution by radiating light upwards disturbs and influences nature more and more. Therefore, here are the tips on how to do it with less light pollution.

Until now, it has always been a problem to drive the trucks into industrial areas, to find a parking space, to maneuver at the loading ramps and much more. It's all very time-consuming and exhausting and there are a lot of waiting times in the truck. Furthermore, coupling and uncoupling the semi-trailers is not without danger.
Now it is done automatically.

This is a real leap into the future and for our climate.

This opens up additional new opportunities for industrial estates and new freight stations in single wagonload operation.

a.     Industrial estates
If you add electric and autonomous vehicles such as the Vera from Volvo or AGVs, (AGV, Automated Guided Vehicle; FTF, Fahrerloses Transportfahrzeug) truck traffic in industrial estates can be completely automated and become emission-free. Incoming trucks are uncoupled manually if necessary and equipped with the new KKS system from Jost. The semi-trailer then drives autonomously and electrically to its destination. The drivers can take a break or pick up a waiting semi-trailer and continue their journey. Appropriate social facilities must be offered for this purpose, see guideline for industrial estates, section 2. The cost-intensive waiting times during loading and unloading times are significantly reduced. If a separate roadway is now built for these autonomous routes, e.g. as a bridge construction with truck elevators, possibly also over the company premises, the roads are considerably relieved and offer more space for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, as well as green spaces. The bridge constructions are faster than the approval of autonomous trucks.

b.     Freight stations

These semi-trailers can now be driven onto freight wagons faster and autonomously and can be uncoupled and coupled automatically. For the freight wagons, there is also an automatic support (stabilization) of the kingpin. The new fast freight wagons will significantly reduce loading times. There would be a further boost to getting more trucks on the rails, as waiting times would be eliminated. Just like above, the semi-trailer is dropped off and the tractor unit is ready for the next job.

c.      For both areas,

the industrial estates and the freight stations, there can now be considerable relief for the drivers, but waiting times are also eliminated for the companies. Of course, AI as a control and information system is part of this.

The new freight stations or train formation facilities described cannot be built everywhere and the lorry should not have to travel so far, max. 50 km to the next freight station. Therefore, small simple freight stations are necessary. Building these small freight stations over the existing tracks or over a small passenger station saves a lot of space and facilitates lorry traffic by rail. In this way, sidings for truck traffic could also be made possible in rural areas.

Here are three videos of my own:

Video 3:

It is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the requirements for industrial estates. Furthermore, it is not justifiable today to destroy more farmland or other natural areas for industrial estates and the necessary compensation areas. It is becoming increasingly difficult to connect sufficient transport routes and more and more people are being affected by the individual traffic of employees and guests, local public transport (ÖPNV) and lorry traffic. Therefore, from an ecological point of view, we have to use our resources more sparingly.

This means that we have to use the space above the existing business parks. This is of course a challenge, but on the one hand, this space on the 2nd floor can also be sold or better leased and thus become more economical.

Here, two grand buildings bridging large areas.

Left: Pahlke Bad in Mönchengladbach Rheydt and right: Art Museum in Sao Paulo,

50 Years of Pahlkebad - Radio 90.1 (radio901.de)

(Art Museum in São Paulo, Brazil (thisismyhappiness.com)

Also included are the Philharmonie in Hamburg and the Bosch Garage in Stuttgart.

Here are the Google Maps images of Reuterstraße in Bonn, Germany from both sides and from above. Here is a multi-storey hotel above the 4-lane 565 motorway. 

Attached is a design by the architects Jasper Architects showing how such bridge structures can connect residential quarters in a space-saving way and thus create new living space in the inner cities. In the same sense, commercial enterprises can also make better use of space and save ecologically valuable land. After all, space on earth is finite.The required traffic problems for these bridge buildings can be perfectly adapted with the rail-individual transport system. The lifts of the stops for barrier-free boarding and alighting are now led upwards, directly into these new buildings.

When assessing new building land, the value of nature must therefore be assessed accordingly and included in the calculation. Here are important values for these calculations:

Our topsoil is important and also finite. The Federal Environment Agency shows us why:

If you find any errors, we are grateful for any advice.