Bergen, Norway
City population: 259360
Duration: 2012 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level, Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Industrial
Last updated: October 2021

This blue and green infrastructure project of Bergen involves the development of a river park with riverside promenades, bridges and recreation areas. Bergen municipality wishes to develop the area along the Møllendalselven to a park that in the long run will extend from Store Lungegårdsvann to Svartediket and further up to the mountains. The area's industrial history forms the backdrop of a new park that will act as a green lung for the city's residents, both locally and in a slightly larger perspective, where Møllendalselven will become the central element. (Ref. 1, 2)

BEGIN Bergen
Source: Ref. 1

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Blue infrastructure
  • Riverbank/Lakeside greens
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries

Key challenges

  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Flood protection
  • Improvements to water quality
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Regulation of built environment
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas

Project objectives

This NBS aims to: - Ensure integration of the river, park and city center via a blue-green network around the river (Ref. 1,8) - Help Møllendalselven achieve "good environmental status" (Ref. 3) - Improve water quality so that it is suitable for bathing (Ref. 2) - Support adaptation to flooding events (Ref. 2) - Restore local sea trout populations in Store Lungegårdsvann (Ref. 8) - Facilitate active use of the park area and create accessibility to the river both visually and functionally (Ref. 2)

Implementation activities

Establishment of a park along the river (Ref. 1) The river itself will be equipped with water levees, thresholds, ducts and edges towards its sides. As Møllendalselven is exposed to flooding, the river banks and the park shall be shaped in such a way that water in a flooded situation flows in a controlled manner. This means that parts of the park must be tolerant to flooding. The river should be shaped to so that there will be good spawning conditions for fish (especially trout). (Ref. 2) Stop supply of sewage into the river Map and stop other sources of pollutants into the river Map cultural heritage along the watercourse Establish thresholds and secure minimum water flow in the waterway Develop a nature and cultural trail along with certain parts of the waterway (Ref. 3)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Unknown

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

Local Government: Project led and funded by Bergen municipality, specifically the Green Agency and Agency of Planning and Geodata (Ref. 8) Private Sector: The engineering and architect company Asplan Viak did a thorough feasibility study for the Møllendalseleven area and developed a detailed plan for the layout/design of the park along the river. They calculated flood levels in the river and necessary measures along the river banks to make the area flooding-tolerant, and they proposed measures against the spread of contaminated sediments in the river basin. (Ref. 2) EU/ Transnational Network: Bergen municipality are cooperating with the European Union project "BEGIN" for this intervention, which is a "unique project where 10 cities and 6 research institutes combine forces to come towards Blue and Green Infrastructure (BGI) solutions and gather learning experiences." (Ref. 5)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (Partly a response to the climate and energy plan of Bergen (Green Strategy) (Ref. 4), as well as the regulation plan for the Møllendal west area, (Studentaccommodation on Grønneviksøren) (Ref. 7))

Financing

Total cost

€2,000,000 - €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • EU funds
  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved water quality
  • Increased protection against flooding
  • Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No

References

1. European Union - Interreg (n.d.). North Sea Region Programme, BEGIN. Bergen. Available at: Source link. [Accessed: 24 October 2020].

2. City of Bergen (2010). Møllendalselven feasibility study/Møllendalselven forprosjekt. Asplan Viak. [Document provided].

3. City of Bergen (2005) B6 Møllendalselven (056.5). [Not available in 2020].

4. City of Bergen (2016). Green Strategy. Climate and Energy Action plan for Bergen/Grønn strategi. Klima- og Energihandlingsplan for Bergen. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24 October 2020].

5. European Union - Interreg (n.d.). North Sea Region Programme. About us. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 22 October 2020].

6. City of Bergen, City Council (Byrådet) (2011). Møllendal West - Grønneviksøren/Møllendal vest - Grønneviksøren. Årstad. Byrådssak 1289/11. [Not available in 2020].

7. City of Bergen (2009). Regulation plan for Bergenshus, part of the Møllendal west area/Reguleringsbestemmelser for: jf plan- og bygningslovens (pbl) § 26 Bergenhus, del av planområde Møllendal vest, gnr. 163 del av bnr 7. Studentboliger på Grønneviksøren. Plannr. 60930000 Saksnr. 200907960. [Document provided].

8. City of Bergen (2009). Møllendal - Urban Space concept for Møllendal with cost estimates/Møllendal - Byromskonsept for Møllendal med kostnadsoverslag. Available at: Source link. [Accessed: 24 October 2020].
Moellendalselven River Park
Source: Ref. 1