Last updated: October 2021
The two-year project "Integrationsgärten" aimed at the creation of three social integration gardens for refugees at different residential districts: transitional house Arbergen 2 (2016), a transitional house at Tannenbergstraße (2016/2017), and in Huckelriede (2017). The project involved various gardening activities and cultural events that aimed at increasing social integration of the refugees, improving their language skills, as well as stimulating neighborhoods to social engagement and participation in environmental issues in the neighborhood (Ref. 2, 3).
http://www.oekostadt-bremen.de/integrationsgaerten/ig-am-niedersachsendamm/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Social justice and equity
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature
Project objectives
Goals of the intervention:
1) Providing another component of a diversified green infrastructure in the chosen districts;
2) Helping with the social integration of the immigrant groups in the Bremen society;
3) Helping with the language acquisition by refugees;
4) Organizing diversified gardening activities;
5) Stimulating neighborhoods to social engagement and participation in environmental issues in the neighborhood (Ref. 2, 3).
6) Increase in social integration between different societal groups in Bremen; Increase in language abilities of the participating disadvantaged groups (Ref. 2, 3).
Implementation activities
Community gardening; Organized trips to the environmental organizations; Organized activities with the local residents, associations, and clubs (Ref. 2, 3).
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project was initiated and is coordinated by the local organization ÖkoStadt Bremen with the financial support of multiple actors, including: the local government, local NGOs, local banks as well as community groups (Ref. 3).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The project falls under the city program "Environmental and nature conservation projects" and is supported by it (Ref. 1).)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
- Commercial banks
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Donations
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Expected 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
No evidence in public records
References
1. Frei Hansestadt Bremen (n.d.). 'Promotion of environmental projects' ('Förderung von Umweltprojekten'). Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 20, 2020).
2. Department for Environment, Building and Transport in (2016). 'Overview of the work carried out by the Department for Environment, Building and Transport in 2016, projects in the field of environment and environmental protection', ('Übersicht über die vom Senator für Umwelt, Bau und Verkehr im Jahre 2016 geförderten Projekte im Bereich Umwelt- und Naturschutz'), (Document attached).
3. Ökostadt Bremen (2017) 'Integration gardens' ('Integrationsgärten'). Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 20, 2020).
4. Hellwik, Sike (2017). "Integration übern Gartenzaun". Weser Kurier. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 20, 2020).
2. Department for Environment, Building and Transport in (2016). 'Overview of the work carried out by the Department for Environment, Building and Transport in 2016, projects in the field of environment and environmental protection', ('Übersicht über die vom Senator für Umwelt, Bau und Verkehr im Jahre 2016 geförderten Projekte im Bereich Umwelt- und Naturschutz'), (Document attached).
3. Ökostadt Bremen (2017) 'Integration gardens' ('Integrationsgärten'). Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 20, 2020).
4. Hellwik, Sike (2017). "Integration übern Gartenzaun". Weser Kurier. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 20, 2020).
http://www.oekostadt-bremen.de/integrationsgaerten/ig-am-niedersachsendamm/