Last updated: October 2021
While Hamburg has already had an impressive green infrastructure, it is now (since 2013) implementing an interconnected green network that will cover the 40 % of its area and support commuting by bicycle, recreation and climate change resilience. The project is planned to be completed by 2034. (Reference 9) The project aims to connect the two green belts, parks, recreational areas, cemeteries and animal habitats to each other with green paths and with the already existing “green axes” leading from the agglomeration to the urban core. The green network could not only absorb more CO2 but also prevent flooding by soaking up an increased amount of rain- and seawater caused by storms. (Reference 1, 2). An extensive network of cycle paths is also being built as part of the project. (Reference 2)
Green Network of Hamburg (2016)
Photographer: Axel Iwohn, retrieved 08/22/2018 from Oliver Ristau
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Institutional green space
- Blue infrastructure
- Riverbank/Lakeside greens
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Green corridors and green belts
- Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
- Coastlines
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: service sectors
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
- improving climate change adaptation, including the reduction of the heat island effect (Reference 1)
- limiting the effects of floods caused by precipitation and sea storms (Reference 1)
- making the city more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, promoting cycling and commuting by bicycle, decreasing the use of cars in the city.
- providing green corridors that connect animal habitats and increase biodiversity
- attract educated and competent people to live in the city
- preserve and strengthen Hamburg's 'Green Metropolis' image (Reference 1, 3, 4)
- improving key recreational areas
- promoting a healthy lifestyle and environment (Reference 9)
- strengthening the Alster-Elbe Green Corridor
- connecting the two large parks in Winterhude and Harbourg to the green network
- improving and connecting the landscape axes and the two green rings
- improving Volkspark, the Eimsbütteler and the Wilhelmsburger-Dove-Elbe-Axis
- implementation of green streets and squares around the Museumsinsel
- strengthening the Second Green Ring by closing gaps, improving signposting and linking it with the adjacent residential areas (Reference 3)
Implementation activities
The present stage of the intervention is unknown (in September 2020), but the following implementation activities are planned:
- Building an extensive network of bicycle lanes
- strengthening the Alster-Elbe Green Corridor
- connecting the two large parks in Winterhude and Harbourg to the green network
- improving and connecting the landscape axes and the two green rings
- improving Volkspark, the Eimsbütteler and the Wilhelmsburger-Dove-Elbe-Axis
- implementation of green streets and squares around the Museumsinsel
- strengthening the Second Green Ring by closing gaps, improving signposting and linking it with the adjacent residential areas (Reference 1, 3, 4 and 9)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
- Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
- Invest in public transport/bicycle infrastructure as a means to prevent car use
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Other
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
"Currently some 30 city staff are developing the green network, aided by personnel in the city's seven districts. "The visionary thinking is done by the civil servants, not by the politicians currently in charge. When politicians make the green web a priority, it will be an extensive network indeed, covering some 7,000 hectares" wrote the Guradian in 2014 (Reference 1).
The project is supported by the federal government’s “National Urban Development Projects” support programme (Reference 6).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The project is supported by the federal government’s “National Urban Development Projects” support programme (Reference 6).)
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The brochure of the project writes that following previous open space concepts "a comprehensive Open Space Concept – the “Open Space Interconnecting System” – was produced as part of the Landscape Programme [Landschaftprogramme Hamburg]. It connects the designated Landscape Axes with the Green Rings. The Landscape Programme was adopted by the city parliament in 1997 as an environmental blueprint. It comprehensively determines Hamburg’s aims for the environment and open space provision". Furthermore, "the »GrünesNetzHamburg« [Green Network Hamburg] is not only an important part of the [city's] Landscape Programme, but can also be found in the latest development plans – Spatial Masterplan and Unitary Development Plan – as a general principle for the protection of Hamburg as a Green Metropolis" (Reference 3).)
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public national budget
- 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
- Reduced emissions
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Reduced noise exposure
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Economic impacts
- Increase in GDP
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Attraction of business and investment
- Increased market share for green economies
- Other
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
- Improved mental health
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Other
Type of reported impacts
Expected 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. Braw, E. (2013). Hamburg's answer to climate change. The Guardian. [online] Available at: Source link 01 Sept. 2020].
2. Lavars , N. 2014. The Green Network: How Hamburg could be car-free in 20 years. Source link. [online] Available at: Source link 01 Sept. 2020].
3. Landeshauptstadt Hamburg. (2017). Grünes Netzwerk: The Landscape Programme Hamburg. Hamburg: Landeshauptstadt Hamburg.
4. Bressa, R. (2016). How Hamburg is becoming Europe’s greenest city. Source link. [online]. Available at: Source link 01 Sept. 2020].
5. Source link. (2017). European Green Capital. [online] Available at: Source link 01 Sept. 2020].
6. Ministry of Environment and Energy. (2016). Hamburg – European Green Capital: 5 Years On: The city takes further. Hamburg: Ministry of Environment and Energy. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 01 Sept. 2020]
7. Source link. (2017). Materialien zum Grünen Netz: Karten, Grafiken und Downloads. [online]. Available at: Source link 01 Sept. 2020].
8. Source link (nd.) Green Hamburg: Green Network. [online]. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 02 Sept. 2020]
9. Coutts, C. (2015). Green Infrastructure and Public Health. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 286-291. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 02 Sept. 2020].
2. Lavars , N. 2014. The Green Network: How Hamburg could be car-free in 20 years. Source link. [online] Available at: Source link 01 Sept. 2020].
3. Landeshauptstadt Hamburg. (2017). Grünes Netzwerk: The Landscape Programme Hamburg. Hamburg: Landeshauptstadt Hamburg.
4. Bressa, R. (2016). How Hamburg is becoming Europe’s greenest city. Source link. [online]. Available at: Source link 01 Sept. 2020].
5. Source link. (2017). European Green Capital. [online] Available at: Source link 01 Sept. 2020].
6. Ministry of Environment and Energy. (2016). Hamburg – European Green Capital: 5 Years On: The city takes further. Hamburg: Ministry of Environment and Energy. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 01 Sept. 2020]
7. Source link. (2017). Materialien zum Grünen Netz: Karten, Grafiken und Downloads. [online]. Available at: Source link 01 Sept. 2020].
8. Source link (nd.) Green Hamburg: Green Network. [online]. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 02 Sept. 2020]
9. Coutts, C. (2015). Green Infrastructure and Public Health. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 286-291. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 02 Sept. 2020].