Settlement and transportation infrastructure

Settlement and transportation infrastructure (SuV) is the most important category within Germany’s official land-use statistics. As one component of land classified according to actual use, it consists of buildings and urban open space, industrial/commercial sites, transport infrastructure, areas for relaxation as well as cemeteries. The SuV has been calculated every year since 2001 (for administrative units) on the basis of the real estate cadastre. The national strategy for sustainability pursues the goal of reducing the daily growth in SuV to 30 ha by the year 2020.

Growth in settlement and transportation infrastructure is not entirely suitable as an indicator for the consumption of land by settlements and transport as it also includes leisure areas with a high proportion of vegetation.

Note: the indicator "Proportion of settlement and transport space to reference area" of the Monitor of Settlement and Open Space Development is calculated on the basis of the ATKIS Basis-DLM and is therefore not identical with the SuV ratio indicated in official land-use statistics.