Győr, Hungary
City population: 130308
Duration: 1998 – 2017
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 2500000 m2
Type of area: Public Greenspace Area
Last updated: October 2021

Püspökerdő is a 250-hectare large forest in Győr, situated in the inner part of the city. The forest is split into two parts by Moson-Danube river. The forest is maintained by the company Kisalföld Erőgazdálkodási Zrt, which since 1998, has added new facilities to the area with the primary goal of serving the needs of those who visit the forest (Reference 1). It is equipped with educational trails, fireplaces, a clearing suitable for playing ball games, an outside gym and a playground. The educational trails give information about the flora and fauna of the forest in their natural environment. In 2013, a new adventure park was established to attract the nature-lover visitors looking for active recreational opportunities. In 2017, the local government planned a large-scale watersports project in the area, but it was cancelled due to criticism from citizens. In 2020, the forest was granted environmental protection by the local municipality (Reference 9). Step by step the area has been developed since 1998, with the help of municipal and regional funds (educational trails), and private investment (adventure park). The adventure park was opened in 2013 and the latest development happened there in 2016.

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Blue infrastructure
  • Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure

Focus

Maintenance and management of urban nature

Project objectives

The goals of the intervention include: - strengthening the connection between humans and nature; - improving and reconstructing the forest for recreational purposes serving social welfare; - protecting the forest as the green lungs of Győr and as an important place of biologic activity (Reference 2, 3); - preserve the characteristic landscape structure, landscape elements and characteristic wildlife. (Reference 10).

Implementation activities

- in the recent year's new pathways, educational trails, outdoor gym equipment, playgrounds, fireplaces and rain shelters have implemented that support the visitors to the forest. - in 2013 an adventure park was opened (Reference 1).

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality
  • Private sector/corporate actor/company

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

Beginning with 1998, the forest has been developed into a recreational area by the Kisalföld Erőgazdálkodási Zrt. (the regional forestry) and the Municipality of Győr (Reference 3). The Government of Hungary also financed part of the investment through the Modern Cities programme (Reference 11)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (The city's strategy for urban development mentions the regeneration of the Püspök forest (Reference 2). The city's environmental protection strategy of 2012 mentions the project (Reference 7).)

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Public national 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
  • Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Increased green space area
  • Increase in protected green space areas

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research

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

1. Source link (2017). Parkerdők. [online] Available at: Source link 20 Jul. 2020].
2. HHP Contact Tanácsadó Kft. (2008) Győr Megyei Jogú Város Középtávú Integrált Városfejlesztési Stratégiája. Győr: Győr MJV Közgyűlése.
3. Településfejlesztési főosztály (2003) 0412/2013. (IV. 18.) Kgy. előterjesztés: Javaslat az Önkormányzati Környezetvédelmi Alap felhasználására (A Püspökerdő 2013. évi fejlesztésének támogatása). [online] Available at: Source link 20 Jul. 2020].
4. Győr Megyei Jogú Város Önkormányzata. (2005). Településfejlesztési koncepció: Győr Megyei Jogú Város településrendezési eszközeinek felülvizsgálata, 2003-2005. Győr: Győr MJV Közgyűlése. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 20 Jul. 2020]
5. Szokolay, Ö. (2009). Győr fenntarthatósági programja: Local Agenda 21. Győr: Ceurina
6. Source link [2017]. Adrenalin bomba a kalandparkban. [online] Available at: Source link 20 Jul. 2020].
7. Győr Megyei Jogú Város. (2012). Települési Környezetvédelmi Programjának felülvizsgálata, aktualizálása. Győr: Győr Megyei Jogú Város.
8. Magyarország Kormánya. (2017). A Kormány 1387/2017. (VI. 27.) Korm. határozata Magyarország Kormánya és Győr Megyei Jogú Város Önkormányzata közötti együttműködési megállapodásvégrehajtásával összefüggő feladatokról. Magyar Közlöny. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 20 Jul. 2020]
9. Source link (2020). Fiatalodik a Kiserdő, védett lesz a Püspökerdő. [online] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 20 Jul. 2020]
10. Source link (2020). A Püspökerdő Győr tüdeje marad. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 20 Jul. 2020]
11. Fekete, D. (2018). Latest Results of the Győr Cooperation Model. 195Civic Review, Vol. 14, Special Issue, 2018, 195-209, DOI: 10.24307/Source link. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 20 Jul. 2020]