City of Bergen
Bergen is increasingly incorporating nature-based solutions into urban planning and city investments. The city has been redeveloping the Mindebyen industrial area not only to deliver new infrastructure and waterways but also to create nature-based areas for people and fish, supporting natural ecosystems.
Bergen is exploring how to include biodiversity criteria in infrastructure projects, especially concerning blue infrastructure. The city's ambition is to systematically create integrated projects that support natural ecosystems and human activity, such as revitalising harbour areas. This includes restoring waterways and increasing recreational areas by water bodies while considering biodiversity.
Bergen will validate project learnings and be one of the first adopters of project outputs. The city will have the opportunity to conduct small-scale pilots with the local community, focusing on citizen engagement and empowerment. Bergen aims to develop strong international networks for cooperation and knowledge exchange, embracing state-of-the-art practices to benefit both its people and natural ecosystems.
City of Brest
Brest is known for its strong participation policy, actively involving its community in urban planning. Their team oversees the construction and maintenance of primary schools, including their outdoor educational spaces. Recently, Brest has embarked on an initiative to renovate schoolyards with a focus on greening and gender equality, working closely with teachers, educators, parents, associations, and children to achieve this.
The initiative to green schoolyards is new and presents the challenge of uniting various stakeholders around a common goal. Creating schoolyards rich in nature and biodiversity is essential for their use as pedagogical tools and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in promoting a more sustainable city. Given that the schools are in densely populated areas, it is crucial for children to connect with nature and gain an understanding of environmental issues.
Brest aims to draw inspiration from the tools, methods, and experiences of the consortium. By learning from the accumulated knowledge, the city seeks to avoid common mistakes and ensure they incorporate essential elements for the success of their schoolyard greening projects.
Agency for Roads, Bridges and Water (LSBG - Hamburg)
The Agency for Roads, Bridges and Water (LSBG) is the technical service agency of the City of Hamburg, responsible for infrastructure planning, project realisation, and maintaining existing infrastructure in areas such as streets, bridges, traffic systems, and water bodies, with a particular focus on flood and coastal protection. Hamburg is increasingly integrating blue-green aspects into urban planning, and LSBG aims to showcase state-of-the-art developments in infrastructure planning and development.
The agency prioritises two main areas: planning and constructing rainwater cleaning facilities for polluted surface runoff in areas with separated rainwater sewage systems, and implementing measures for the ecological improvement of habitats for endangered species and enhancing the ecological connectivity of water bodies.
Hamburg faces competition for land in its densely built urban areas, and in the limited available areas, there is a high need for adaptation to the surroundings. Ecological improvement efforts face challenges such as local pushback, private land use, and property issues. Additionally, complex boundary conditions due to water management regulations and protected natural areas add to the difficulty of ecological improvements in water bodies.
The Agency for Roads, Bridges and Water will engage in the transnational exchange of best practices among consortium partners and provide a validation opportunity for project learnings to assess their applicability and adaptability.