Last updated: October 2021
The areas around MarselisborgCenter in Aarhus get a new and better life. The project will contribute to the world's first city park that handles excess rainwater and invites citizens to health-promoting lifestyles. The area around MarselisborgCenter will be converted into a public city park for both MarselisborgCenter's users (people in rehabilitation) and the citizens of Aarhus in general. At the same time, the area will make the city more robust to future heavy rainfall. (Ref. 1) The purpose of SPARK is to create a new, vibrant urban space in and around the Marselisborg Center, which partly meets the need for outdoor rehabilitation activities for the center's users, and partly the need for a fully-fledged climate adaptation effort in the area. These needs are united by the construction of a new public park, which also has the potential to increase social inclusion by creating meetings between the users of the Marselisborg Center and the many residents in the district. (Ref. 6)
Aerial Image of the SPARK Project Location
Photographer: Kristine Jensens Tegnestue (2016), retrieved 08/09/2018 from Ole Mygind
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental and climate justice
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling physical activity
- Improving physical health
- Creation of opportunities for relaxation and recreation
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature
Project objectives
The project is a park surrounding Marselisborg Rehabilitation Center with multiple functions as a place for recreation, nature, rehabilitation and climate adaptation. SPARK is part of a wider urban development plan to repurpose a 100-year-old hospital into a new, innovative rehabilitation center, combining climate adaptation and outdoor activities for patients. (Ref 7)
The city park, which goes under the project name SPARK (Sunde Park Aktiviteter, Rehabilitering og Klima/Healthy Park Activities, Rehabilitation and Climate), aims to create open green areas (with the purpose to be used for rehabilitation, climate adaptation with regards to heavy rainfall, biodiversity, recreational values, social sustainability, and promote a healthy lifestyle). (Ref. 1, 2, 3) In addition to the users of MarselisborgCenter, there are 15,000 people within five minutes walk, and there are also several institutions and associations in the area, the park will aim to be these things for all of these stakeholders (Ref. 3, 2)
Part of the Marselisborg Rehabilitation Center is located on a hill top, meaning that the low lying areas surrounding it are more prone to flooding. The climate adapted area is comprised of a built area of approx. 25,700 m2 and a green area of 42,050 m2 which can handle 892 m3 of water during a 1⁄2 year rain event, in which 14.2 mm will fall in 10 minutes. During a 1-in-100 year rain event, SPARK can handle 3,427 m3 of water. The result of SPARK will be the weather proofing of a 4,500 m2 basement, local job creation, and, for the benefit of patients, as the center will see an increased number of rehabilitation courses per year. (Ref 7)
Implementation activities
The plan is to create the world's first city park which manages both rainwater and promotes a healthy life. (Ref. 3)
The project is a park surrounding Marselisborg Rehabilitation Center with multiple functions as a place for recreation, nature, rehabilitation and climate adaptation. SPARK is part of a wider urban development plan to repurpose a 100-year-old hospital into a new, innovative rehabilitation center, combining climate adaptation and outdoor activities for patients. (Ref 7)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Other
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Business association or network
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning
- Taskforce groups
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project partners are: MarselisborgCentret, Region Midtjylland, Aarhus City, Aarhus Vand (Water), Realdania (Business association). A steering group has been established across three magistrate offices in Aarhus city (the magistracy for Health and Care, MSO, the magistracy for Technology and environment, MTM, and the mayor's department). Region Midjylland, Aarhus Water and Realdania have contributed to the development of the project. (Ref. 2)
Has its own research and development department/rehabilitation research at MarselisborgCenter, thus launching 2 PhD project (focusing on outdoors solution and rehabilitation) in 2020, in relation to the SPARK project, and thereby maximizing the health, climate and business development impact of the project. (Ref. 2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Many elements of the regional and city policies/strategies will be met by the SPARK project. The regional perspective; Region Midtjyllands Vækst- og udviklingsstrategi 2015-2025 (growth and development strategy) and Lokal Agenda 21 – Strategi og handlingsplan 2012-2015 (Local Agenda 21, strategy and action plan). (Ref. 2)
The Aarhus kommune perspective, the following policies/strategies/plans will be met through the realization of SPARK: Parkprogram for Aarhus - Tæt på mennesker 2010-2019 (the park programme), Aarhus Kommunes Klimatilpasningsplan (the climate adaptation plan), Aarhus Kommune, Naturkvalitetsplanen 2013-2030 (nature quality plan) and goals in the Municipal plan. (Ref. 2)
)
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding or subsidy
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate, energy and emissions
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Increase of jobs
- Other
Socio-cultural impacts
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
Ref. 1. Realdania (n.d.) MarselisborgCentret. Information obtained: 2017-06-25. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 2. MarselisborgCentret (2015) SPARK - MarselisborgCentret. Prospekt. MarselisborgCentret. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 3. Stiftstidende (2016) Aarhus får en ny moderne bypark. Århus. Information obtained: 2017-06-25. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 4. Aarhus Kommune (n.d.) Aarhus CO2 neutral in 2030 - tackling climate change in ecocity Aarhus. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 5. Merseliborg Centret (2020). Følg med i SPARK udviklingen. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 6. Merseliborg Centret (n.d.). SPARK. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 7. Global Opportunity Explorer (2018) Rehabilitation And Climate Adaptation In One Place. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 2. MarselisborgCentret (2015) SPARK - MarselisborgCentret. Prospekt. MarselisborgCentret. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 3. Stiftstidende (2016) Aarhus får en ny moderne bypark. Århus. Information obtained: 2017-06-25. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 4. Aarhus Kommune (n.d.) Aarhus CO2 neutral in 2030 - tackling climate change in ecocity Aarhus. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 5. Merseliborg Centret (2020). Følg med i SPARK udviklingen. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 6. Merseliborg Centret (n.d.). SPARK. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Ref. 7. Global Opportunity Explorer (2018) Rehabilitation And Climate Adaptation In One Place. Source: Source link [Accessed on 19 September 2020]
Detailed image of the SPARK Project
Photographer: Ole Klintebæk (2014), retrieved 08/09/2018 from Ole Mygind