Brno, Czechia
City population: 384333
Duration: 2010 – 2011
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 74000 m2
Type of area: Previous derelict area
Last updated: November 2021

The project involved the revitalization of the area in Cacovická island in order to create conditions for year-round recreation and relaxation in the natural environment and to restore the ecosystem in the floodplain of the river Svitavy (Ref. 3). The project also restored the cultural heritage of the area by integrating elements of Celtic heritage within the design, as well as environmental education (Ref. 4).

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Green playgrounds and school grounds
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • 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)
  • Environmental education
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Preservation of historic traditions

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Knowledge creation and awareness raising

Project objectives

The project: - Created conditions for year-round recreation and relaxation in the natural environment, including activities such as walking, running, sunbathing, enjoying nature, and playing on the park's playground equipment. (Ref. 1, Ref. 10) - Restored the ecosystem of the floodplain of the river Svitavy through the planting of appropriate vegetation (trees and shrubs). (Ref. 2, Ref. 11) - Reduced heat in the southern part of the island through the depressing the terrain for natural channelling of heat (Ref. 4) - Improved the quality of life for the inhabitants of the borough Maloměřice (Ref. 3), particularly through increasing accessibility for the elderly, children and others.

Implementation activities

The creation of several zones occurred over the course of a year: 1. On the northern part of the island, moisture-loving herbaceous and woody vegetation within an artificially created depression was created to decrease heat. (Ref 1). Oaks were also planted in a circle with Celtic relics and archaeological finds displayed. (Ref. 4) 2. On central part of the island, a park (578 m2 with 9 play areas) was constructed out of wood (Ref. 2). 3. The southern part of the island was ecologically restored by planting appropriate trees and shrubs. A connecting footbridge was also constructed. (Ref. 2) Cycling paths were also constructed, as well as footpaths (natural and paved) running through the island connecting the above-mentioned zones (Ref. 2, Ref. 10). Dry trees and stands that didn't correspond to the floodplain type were removed. Acacias and fruit and ornamental trees were removed and replaced mainly by floodplain oaks, maples, lindens and ash trees, and bushes, viburnums, dogwoods, hawthorns and some species of willow among the bushes. In total, more than 500 new trees and almost 350 new shrubs were planted. Overgrown vegetation was also replaced grassland, natural for the floodplain of the Svitava River. (Ref. 4).

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Create or improve outdoor spaces to help people escape from urban heat
  • Increase the use of climate-resilient plant species (resistant to drought, fire, and pests)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
  • Restore valued species
  • Restore ecological connectivity
  • Public engagement
  • Other

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups
  • Marginalized groups: Elderly people, People with functional diversities, Other
  • Young people and children

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Unknown

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The project was initiated by the city of Brno and implemented by the construction and engineering company Přemysl Veselý Ltd.. 20% was funded by the city of Brno and 80% by the EU. (Ref. 1; Ref. 6)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (The intervention was sponsored by the ERDF through the Operational Program Technical Assistance 2007 - 2013 (Ref. 3). The ERDF was governed by Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the European Regional Development Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1783/1999. (Ref. 9).)
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (It is mentioned that the intervention will fulfill the ecological-stabilization goal of the Territorial System of Ecological Stability (TSES) (Ref. 3). The TSES is a conservation programme governed by regulation 114/1992 Coll. of the Czech National Council of 19 February 1992 on the protection of nature and landscape. (Ref. 9))
... a local policy or strategy? Unknown

Financing

Total cost

€500,000 - €2,000,000

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
  • Lowered local temperature
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved waste management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Reduced biodiversity loss
  • Increased number of species present
  • Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
  • Restoration of derelict areas
  • Other

Economic impacts

  • Unknown
  • Increased property prices

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved liveability
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Improved physical health
  • 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
  • Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
  • Other

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

No evidence in public records

References

Ref. 1. City of Brno (2011). Město oživilo největší brněnský ostrov. [online] [Available at: Source link. [Accessed on July 26 2020].
Ref. 2. Brnovinky (2011). Na Cacovickém ostrově v Brně vzniklo regionální biocentrum. [online] [Available at: Source link [Accessed on July 26, 2020].
Ref. 3. ROP Jihovýchod (No Date). Regionální biocentrum Cacovický ostrov - revitalizace. [online] [Available at: Source link. [Accessed on July 26 2020].
Ref. 4. Štěpánková, A. (No Date). Největší brněnský ostrov znovu ožije. [online]. [Available at: Source link. [Accessed on July 26, 2020].
Ref. 5. eBrno (2011). Cacovický ostrov. [online] [Website unavailable in 2020].
Ref. 6. Přemysl Veselý Ltd. (No Date). Home page. [online] [Available at: Source link. [Accessed on July 26, 2020].
Ref. 7. City of Brno (2011). Referát Územního systému ekologické stability (ÚSES). [online] [Available at: Source link. [Accessed on July 26, 2020].
Ref. 8. EUR-Lex (2006). Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the European Regional Development Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1783/1999. [online] [Website Unavailable in 2020].
Ref. 9. City of Brno (No Date). Referát Územního systému ekologické stability (ÚSES). [online] [Available at: Source link. [Accessed July 26, 2020].
Ref. 10. Denik. (2008). Cocovice Island will be an oasis of relaxation. [online] [Available at: Source link. [Accessed on: July 27, 2020].
Ref. 11. Denik. (2012). The people of Brno want to attract a beaver. Plants floodplain forest. [online]. [Available at: Source link. [Accessed on July 27, 2020].