Last updated: March 2025
Masthuggsparken is a planned park in the Masthuggskajen district, which is undergoing development and construction. The park will measure about 2000 m2, and serve as a green oasis and meeting place for locals. It will have ameneties such as benches and areas for play, and a noise barrier against a large nearby road. The park will connect to the adjacent square and street, making it accessible to visit. The street will be renovated to have more trees and plants, increasing green connectivity in the district. The park will be surrounded by trees and other plants, which are planted to promote biodiversity and be adapted to a changing climate [Ref. 1-5, 7]. The park is at a low point, where up to 800 m3 of stormwater will flow during heavy rainfall, reducing flood risk in the surroundings [Ref. 1, 2, 6]. The Masthuggskajen district has a sustainability program, establishing goals for green environments which the park will contribute to. Green areas should be accessible to the entire district and provide ecosystem services such as rainwater management, climate adaptation, biodiversity and recreation. The program was created by the City of Gothenburg in collaboration with construction companies active in the area and was supported by Citylab Action, a national competence program in sustainable urban development [Ref. 7]. The City of Gothenburg is the primary responsible for the park, which will be constructed between 2025 and 2026 [Ref. 1, 2, 4].
Illustration of the future Masthuggsparken
https://goteborg.se/wps/portal/aktuelltarkivet/aktuellt/98246d8b-5cb9-4497-9ab6-2ad4e6f0ae2b
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Noise reduction
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Conversion of former industrial areas
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social interaction
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Air pollution
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Mental health issues (stress, anxiety)
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
- Disconnection from nature
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces
Project objectives
- To provide access to green space, allowing recreation, relaxation, play, and social interaction [Ref. 1-4]
- Make the park accessible and connect to the surrounding environment [Ref. 1-3, 5]
- To design the park to maximize ecosystem services such as biodiversity, stormwater management and clean air [Ref. 6, 7]
- Create a resilient environment with plants that are adapted to climate change [Ref. 1, 7]
- Preserve the history and character of the place as an industrial/harbour area [Ref. 4]
Implementation activities
1. In 2012, the planning for the development started with the creation of a program for the area.
2. In 2017, the detailed plan for the area was approved, which establishes the location and borders of the park. The creation of a detailed plan includes the consultation of stakeholders and citizens [Ref. 8].
3. In 2017, the sustainability program for the area was approved, which provides goals and considerations for the creation of green spaces in the area. The program was created by the City of Gothenburg in cooperation with construction companies and experts [Ref. 7].
4. The park was designed to include a variety of plants that are adapted to a changing climate, a lower area for storage of rainwater and amenities such as benches and other seating arrangements, a noise barrier and play sculptures [Ref. 1-4].
5. The park is planned to begin construction in 2025, and finish in 2026 [Ref. 4].
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
- Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The City of Gothenburg is the project leader for the creation of the park [Ref. 1, 2]. In the creation of the detailed plan which decides the location of the park, local stakeholders and citizens were consulted. The environmental program, which establishes goals for green spaces, was adopted in cooperation with construction companies.
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Sustainability program for Masthuggskajen [Ref. 7])
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Expected lowered local temperature
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Expected improved air quality
- Improved protection against strong wind
- Expected improved protection against strong wind
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Expected increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Expected improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Expected increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Expected increased number of species present
- Restoration of derelict areas
- Expected restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Expected improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Expected increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Improved mental health
- Expected improved mental health
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
- Expected protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Social justice and conflicts, Lack of social acceptance
References
1.
City of Gothenburg (2023). Så blir Masthuggskajens nya parker Järnvågsparken och Masthuggsparken. Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Masthuggskajen (2023). Så blir Masthuggskajens nya parker Järnvågsparken och Masthuggsparken. Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Isaksson, L. (2023). Så blir Masthuggskajens nya parker. Mitt i Göteborg, Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Masthuggskajen (2022). Kommersen ersätts med Masthuggsparken. Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Masthuggskajen (2023). Nu startar omvandlingen av Första Långgatan. Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Mayors of Europe (n.d.). Gothenburg expands green areas with two new parks in Masthuggskajen. Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Älvstaden (2017). Hållbarhetsprogram Masthuggskajen. [Source link];
8.
City of Gothenburg (2017). Detaljplan för Järnvågsgatan m.fl. inom stadsdelen Majorna-Linné i Göteborg. [Source link];
9.
Boverket (n.d.). Segregationsbarometern: Göteborg. Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link];
Illustration of the future Masthuggsparken
https://goteborg.se/wps/portal/aktuelltarkivet/aktuellt/98246d8b-5cb9-4497-9ab6-2ad4e6f0ae2b
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.