Hasle Bakkelandskab
Surplus earth – from environmental problem to resource
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Aarhus is a big city with a lot of building and construction work being carried out all year round. Every day, considerable volumes of surplus earth are transported on the roads of Aarhus. Previously, the soil was unloaded in quarries or used to fill waterlogged agricultural land outside the city. In many cases, this caused the natural areas in the open landscape to be destroyed. Furthermore, there were usually considerable distances between the building sites and the landfill sites which required lengthy lorry transports of soil resulting in noise and air pollution of the surroundings.
For this reason, the Municipality of Aarhus began in 1995 to consider how to change the way in which surplus earth was handled in order to transform an environmental problem into a resource.
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The objective was to find a location close to the city (and the building sites) where the surplus earth could be unloaded and constructively “recycled”.
This would reduce the transport requirement for the surplus earth and, in turn, reduce both the noise and the air pollution as well as the building and construction costs. Last, but not least, this would mean that the natural areas in the open landscape could be saved.
Surplus earth becomes a recreational area
In 1996, an area close to the city was chosen, one which had already been designated as part of the municipality’s plans for new recreational areas. The location fulfilled all the conditions for the establishment of a new recreational hill landscape.
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The chosen area is part of a recreational band that connects the municipality’s largest lake, Brabrand Sø, with an extensive wooded area that is being developed on the north-western fringe of the city.
The site where the surplus earth will be unloaded – Hasle Hills – covers an area of sixteen hectares. The municipality has approved a recreational plan comprising the building-up of three hills of up to 30 metres in height above the present ground level. This would require one million cubic metres of soil.
Originally, it was thought that the construction would take ten years. However, in 2001, after five years’ work, it became evident that the hills will be completed as early as 2003.
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Even though a charge must be paid for every load of soil deposited at the site, and even though it can be deposited free of charge elsewhere, it is nevertheless worthwhile for the hauliers to use the future recreational area as a site to unload soil as it is so close to the city that many are prepared to pay the landfill charge given the short transport time.
From the top of the hills, which will become the second-highest point in the Municipality approximately 105 metres above sea level, there is a unique view of Aarhus. When the hills are complete, footpaths will be laid out and the hills will be afforested, yet without spoiling the view over the city.
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The detailed layout of the area will be planned in cooperation with representatives of the residents in the neighboring areas and other users. A number of sports associations – mountain bikers, skiers, cross-country runners – have already shown their interest in contributing to the planning of the area.
Green corridors
The recreational hills are part of a so-called green corridor that create a recreational connection between two of the largest green areas in the municipality – the lake Brabrand Sø and the woods Brendstrup Skov.
The Municipality of Aarhus is planning a number of other green corridors with the purpose of providing the urban population with safe access out to the many areas of countryside and the old and new woods that are being developed on the outskirts of the city.
A doubling of the Municipality’s wooded areas
In the course of the last twenty years, the municipal wooded areas have almost doubled in size, and they will expand even more in future years. In addition to creating new recreational possibilities, the wooded areas can also help protect the vulnerable occurrences of groundwater.
All drinking water in the Municipality of Aarhus comes from groundwater reserves. For this reason, efforts are being made to prevent gravitational, contaminated surface water from making the groundwater unsuitable for drinking. As mentioned before, woods are very important in this respect, as gravitational surface water from wooded areas is not contaminated with pesticides, etc.
The new woods form a ring around Aarhus. For this reason, the forestry plan is known as “Aarhus encircled by woods”.
Environmental protection and recreation
Normally, environmental protection involves the safeguarding of earth, water and air. However, the hills and afforestation in the Municipality of Aarhus are good examples of how environmental protection initiatives can also contribute to improving the recreational facilities for the citizens.
In the future, environmental protection must be incorporated as an integrated part of our daily activities based on the principle that prevention of environmental problems is better than redressing damage already done.
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