Bonn, Germany
City population: 305257
Duration: 2011 – 2015
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Project area: 37000 m2
Type of area: Agricultural area or farmland, Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature, Public Greenspace Area
Last updated: October 2021

"Grünes" C is an initiative of six municipalities (Alfter, Bonn, Bornheim, Niederkassel, Sankt Augustin and Troisdorf) to secure, connect and (re)develop open and recreational spaces (agricultural, cultivated, garden, commercial landscapes, protected nature areas, rivers, transport routes). The major objective is to create an accessible, united park landscape in the original area of the "Grünes C" which spans 37 square kilometres to preserve those landscapes facing urban pressure. This is envisioned through a set of interventions initiated in and around the participating municipalities. Bonn has three interventions that will be dealt with here (3,4,5,9)

Das Grüne C
Source: https://gruenes-c.bonn.de/index.php

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Blue infrastructure
  • Riverbank/Lakeside greens
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Green corridors and green belts
  • Community gardens and allotments
  • Allotments
  • Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Regulation of built environment
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Environmental education
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Economic development: agriculture
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Protection of natural ecosystems, Knowledge creation and awareness raising

Project objectives

1) Protect natural areas and secure them for nature conservation and agricultural purposes in the face of increasing urbanization (9) 2) Link varied natural landscapes (blue-green corridors, ribbons, natural parks and reserves) (9) 3) Develop these areas for recreation, nature conservation and agriculture (9) 4) Education of locals about nature and local landscapes in the area (1, 8, 9) 5) Protect and strengthen the edges of the Green C in order to set sustainable limits to the settlement pressure of the heavily urbanized region. (9)

Implementation activities

Three relevant interventions took place in and around Bonn: 1) Redevelopment and renewal of the Rhine ferry port: creating park areas, picnic sites, putting sunbeds along the newly implemented river bed, installing green terraces and creating bicycle lanes; linking the different patches of nature with bicycle and walking paths (5) 2) Creation of 35 "Natural Portals/Gates" for the Green C demarcating the area from urban areas where the settlement pressure is the greatest. These nature-oriented places would mark the transition from the residential area to the landscape through the implementation of nature areas consisting of the planting of natural vegetation, trees etc. typical for this area, the installation of playground facilities with information boards introducing the local nature, thus having multiple functions (3) 3) Development of the Buschdorf - Rosenfeld Green corridor with the implementation of vegetable gardens for rent to promote urban farming practices, creation of extensive flower beds fostering native insect species, installation of and agriculture themed playground, multi-functional small playing field, a gymnastic meadow and fitness facilities. These development measures were adapted to the occurrence of the specially protected species. (4)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
  • Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect native species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Raise public awareness

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Private sector/Corporate/Company
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Regional government
  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

It was a joint project initiated and implemented by six municipalities Alfter, Bonn, Bornheim, Niederkassel, Sankt Augustin und Troisdorf, these parties were responsible for the project design, raising funds, local implementation and collaboration with respective stakeholders, such as citizens (providing information about newly created recreation activities and tours) as well as local farmers to be included in the project. Furthermore they have the responsibility to preserve the project for 20 years (6).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? No
... a national policy or strategy? No
... a local policy or strategy? No

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • EU funds
  • Public national budget
  • Public regional budget
  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

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

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased number of protection areas
  • Increase in protected green space areas
  • Reduced biodiversity loss
  • Increased protection of threatened species
  • Enhanced support of pollination
  • Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales

Economic impacts

  • Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Education
  • Increased knowledge of locals about local nature

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

Yes

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Das Grüne C. (2012). Das Grüne C - Sicherung des Natur- und Kulturraums unserer Region. Accessed September 1, 2020 Source link
2. Das Grüne C. (2012). „Grüne Infrastruktur NRW“ Grünes C folgt dem Förderaufruf. Website unavailable September 1, 2020
3. Das Grüne C. (2012). Die Tore - Willkommen im Grünen C. Accessed September 1, 2020, Source link
4. Das Grüne C. (2012). Grünzug Buschdorf-Rosenfeld in Bonn. Accessed September 1, 2020, Source link
5. Das Grüne C. (2012). Mondorfer Fähre in Niederkassel und Bonn. Accessed September 1, 2020 Source link
6. Das Grüne C. (2015). Grünes C. Evaluation des Projektes. Kurzfassung. Accessed September 1, 2020 Available at: Source link
7. Region Köln/Bonn. (2015). Dokumentation der Regionale 2010. Accessed September 1, 2020 Source link
8. Stadt Bonn. (2017). Grünes C: Freiräume in der Region vernetzen. Website unavailable September 1, 2020.
9. Das Grünes C. (2020). Das Grünes C. Accessed September 1, 2020, Source link
Das Grüne C
Source: https://gruenes-c.bonn.de/index.php
Das Grüne C
Source: https://gruenes-c.bonn.de/index.php