Last updated: October 2021
The project addresses a current issue: the integration between cities and the countryside, and the relationship between the urban and the agricultural context. The NBS focuses on enhancing the west peri-urban area of Bologna through the promotion, recovery and valorisation of old rural settlements as new nodes of the productive-fruit network (4). The intervention is extended over 50 ha of municipal property and focuses on natural restoration of the rural landscape and the infrastructure in proximity of it in order to improve local agricultural businesses and recreational activities. As of July 2020, the project is still in full force.
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Other
- Community gardens and allotments
- Allotments
- Community gardens
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Improving mental health
- Improving physical health
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Employment/job creation
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Preservation of natural heritage
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
The NBS has the following goals (Ref. 4):
- Promotion of innovative and sustainable landscape planning.
- Landscape protection.
- Quality improvement in the local environment, including cultural heritage, buildings, public spaces and landscapes.
- Educational programs for the protection and planning of rural environments.
- Conservation and re-qualification of existing natural landscapes.
- Involvement of residents and raising awareness.
- Following the targets set by the European Convention on Landscapes.
- Promotion of a sustainable culture through public participation in the decision-making process.
Implementation activities
The area is approximately 50 hectares of municipal property on which are mostly farmed agricultural land and rural courts that could be retrained for the establishment of agricultural, recreational and social activities. The project involves the landscaping of green areas of municipal property with the introduction of new activities, as well as the implementation of those already present on the territory. In addition to creating a true park with cycling and pedestrian paths, the natural characterization of natural features will be guaranteed by biological and biodynamic uses, through an agricultural company that will implement the existing zero-kilometer organic market. Educational and social activities will also be directed to nature: for example, educational gardens, social reintegration of people with psychological discomfort through green maintenance work, hippotherapy, etc (2, 8, 11 and 12).
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore ecological connectivity
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Elderly people, Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed), People with functional diversities
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
An agricultural company was given the application phase of the NBS while the Fondazione Villa Ghigi has been involved as well (2 and 12).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Yes
(It was designed respecting the EU regulation on landscape planning (4 and 12). )
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(It was part of the implementation of the Project for Protection, Recovery and Enhancement (L.R. 20/2000 – art.49) (2). )
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The following regulations are at the basis of this project (2, 4 and 12):
- L.R. 24/03/2000 n. 20 “Disciplina generale sulla tutela e l'uso del territorio”;
- Piano Territoriale di Coordinamento Provinciale della Provincia di Bologna;
- Documento Preliminare al Piano Strutturale Comunale di Bologna; and
- documento di indirizzo per gli spazi verdi non urbani.)
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public regional budget
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Fair distribution of social, environmental and economic benefits of the NBS project
- Improved liveability
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Achieved 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
Yes
References
1. Comune di Bologna (2013), Parco città campagna di villa Bernaroli, Available at Source link, (Accessed 19-6-2020)
2. Comune di Bologna (2013), ATTUAZIONE DEL PROGETTO PARCO CITTA -CAMPAGNA DI VILLA BERNAROLI .INDIRIZZI PER L'AFFIDAMENTO DI IMMOBILI DI PROPRIETA COMUNALE, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
3. Comune di Bologna (no date), Villa Bernaroli - terreni agricoli, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
4. Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (no date), Parco Città Campagna - Villa Bernaroli (Bologna), Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
5. Comune di Bologna (no date), Progetto Villa Bernaroli: parco città campagna, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
6. Comune di Bologna (no date), Progetto Villa Bernaroli: parco città campagna Le campagne urbane nel dibattito internazionale e nella normative, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
7. Comune di Bologna (2006), Comitato Interistituzionale elaborazione PSC Gruppo di lavoro spazi verdi non urbani, Documento di indirizzo per gli spazi verdi non urbani, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
8. Comune di Bologna (2005), Project description and to do list, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
9. Comune di Bologna (no date), Stakeholders, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
10. Comune di Bologna (no date), Progetto Villa Bernaroli: parco città campagna Tutela, ripristino e arricchimento del paesaggio rurale, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
11. Comune di Bologna (no date), Progetto Villa Bernaroli: parco città campagna (project description), Available at Source link, (Accessed 19-6-2020)
12. Centro Sociale e Orti Vila Bernaroli (no date), News section, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
2. Comune di Bologna (2013), ATTUAZIONE DEL PROGETTO PARCO CITTA -CAMPAGNA DI VILLA BERNAROLI .INDIRIZZI PER L'AFFIDAMENTO DI IMMOBILI DI PROPRIETA COMUNALE, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
3. Comune di Bologna (no date), Villa Bernaroli - terreni agricoli, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
4. Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (no date), Parco Città Campagna - Villa Bernaroli (Bologna), Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
5. Comune di Bologna (no date), Progetto Villa Bernaroli: parco città campagna, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
6. Comune di Bologna (no date), Progetto Villa Bernaroli: parco città campagna Le campagne urbane nel dibattito internazionale e nella normative, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
7. Comune di Bologna (2006), Comitato Interistituzionale elaborazione PSC Gruppo di lavoro spazi verdi non urbani, Documento di indirizzo per gli spazi verdi non urbani, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
8. Comune di Bologna (2005), Project description and to do list, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
9. Comune di Bologna (no date), Stakeholders, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
10. Comune di Bologna (no date), Progetto Villa Bernaroli: parco città campagna Tutela, ripristino e arricchimento del paesaggio rurale, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)
11. Comune di Bologna (no date), Progetto Villa Bernaroli: parco città campagna (project description), Available at Source link, (Accessed 19-6-2020)
12. Centro Sociale e Orti Vila Bernaroli (no date), News section, Available at Source link (Accessed 19-6-2020)