Purpose / Context – Political topics like energy efficiency and climate protection are en vogue. There are manifold funding programmes, but since these are bound to the goals of the respective programmes, the implemented projects do not adequately consider integrative aspects. It is necessary to analyse the purpose of those funding programs and to bring them in correlation with higher goals of urban development. Methodology / Approach –In the case of ‘Bottrop Innovation City’, 5 depth-interviews were conducted to provide initial impressions of the modernization of municipal structures Results –Some of the assessed municipalities show elaborated(?) strategies to develop promising energy efficiency projects, all of which with a grand amount of funding resources. Key Findings / Implications – Political top topics have influence on the urban development for centuries. Originality – Germany as a model for energy efficiency strategies has a vast funding scheme which does not exist in other countries. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse the organisation and to develop guidelines for an even better and more sustainable funding scheme. Funding schemes affect city development and have impacts on the housing and the neighbourhood. It is necessary to understand which impacts a funding scheme has, to review the aims of programs with the superior goals and to give guidance for a better use of the respective funding scheme. Other countries could learn from those strategies and could adapt to certain degree to establish a similar funding scheme. Additionally, municipalities could be supported in their strategies for sustainable city development, be it with or without funding resources.