Hamburg, Germany
City population: 1698688
Duration: unknown – 2013
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Previous derelict area, Public Greenspace Area, Other
Last updated: October 2021

The 100-hectare site that is situates in the socially disadvantaged neighbourhood and river island called Wilhelmsburg was designed for the IGS 2013 (International Garden Show) and was opened to the citizens of Hamburg in 2014. On the 9-hectare large area that was a former brownfield site, mostly free or inexpensive outdoor leisure facilities were planned. The new park, named “Island Park” aims to attract people of all ages to do sport, including recreational and professional sports outdoor. Among others, the park is equipped with a high-rope course, a climbing wall, a canoeing canal a running track, a boules pitch and a garden for meditating (Reference 1, 2). The park also offers additional services, such as workshops and hands-on activities for people who want to experience a sport under expert guidance. (Reference 3)

Sportspark Wilhelmsburg
Sportspark Wilhelmsburg
https://inselpark.hamburg/

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Conversion of former industrial areas
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Environmental education
  • Social justice and equity
  • Social cohesion
  • Social interaction
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Improving physical health
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Economic development: service sectors
  • Real estate development
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Promotion of cultural diversity

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Transformation of previously derelict areas

Project objectives

General goals: - the aim of the IGS - together with the IBS (International Building Show that the city hosted in the same time - was to socially and economically redevelop the stigmatized neighbourhood. (Reference 5) - implementing a pilot project as an example of a modern sport park of the 21st century. The main aim of this is to adapt to changing urban lifestyles characterized by stress and sedentary jobs, which increase the demand for independent self-organized sport with the long-term goal of creating a mobile, health-conscious and international city. (Reference 1) - turning the park created for the Garden Show and the Building Show into a “Volkspark”, that is a park for the public. (Reference 2) Specific goals: - promote exercise and attract young people and children to the park - promote a healthy lifestyle for all age groups in the park (Reference 1) - implementing cheap and free sport facilities, thematic gardens and playgrounds. - providing additional services, such as workshops and hands-on activities for people who want to experience a sport under expert guidance. (Reference 3)

Implementation activities

The park was created in an approximately 100-hectare large area. Since 14 October 2013, it is accessible for the public. A total of 200 trees were planted, (Reference 2, 3) and 64 smaller parks were created and maintained after the show ended (Reference 2, 3). Cheap and free sport facilities, thematic gardens and playgrounds were implemented. (Reference 1) For the duration of the Garden Show, a monorail drove through the approximately 100-hectare garden exhibition area on a 3.4 km long, elevated circuit (rail height 4 to 6 meters). The trains, reached a top speed of 16 kilometers per hour, were not maintained after the IGS. An indoor swimming pool with a 25-meter pool, diving board and children's area was also created. (Reference 6)

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups
  • Marginalized groups: Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The project is initiated and led by the municipality of Hamburg. (Reference 6)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (In 2011, Hamburg was chosen to be the Green Capital of the EU (Reference 7). This programme, which is in line with aims of the 7th Environmental Action Program of the EU, aims to promote and award commitment and innovation to resolve environmental challenges in cities (Reference 8). The leisure park in the Wilhelmburg island is in line with the green strategy that the Green Capital Award projected and it is mentioned in the selective report of the city ("Hamburg: European Green Capital: Five years on") being published in 2016 (Reference 7).)
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (The project was part of the complex regeneration strategy ("Leap across the Elbe") of the area that aimed to socially and economically redevelop the highly stigmatized neighborhood of the Wilhelmsburg island (Reference 5).)

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Other

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Unknown

Economic impacts

  • Increased property prices

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

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. IGS Internationale Gartenschau Hamburg 2013 GmbH. (2013) ParkSport –besser draußen! Neue Wege für Sport und Bewegung im öffentlichen Raum. Hamburg: IGS Internationale Gartenschau Hamburg 2013 GmbH. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020]
2. Source link (2017). Wilhelmsburg: Wilhelmsburger Inselpark. [online] Available at: Source link 03 Sept. 2020].
3. Source link. (2017). Sport und Bewegung. [online] Available at: Source link 03 Sept. 2020].
4. Gerbitz, J., Müller, K., Jacob, K. (2014). Hamburg, Wilhelmsburh: Implementation Plan. Hamburg: IBA Hamburg GmbH.
5. Breckner, I. (2013). Urban Poverty and Gentrification. In: Petersen, H-C, ed., Spaces of the Poor: Perspectives of Cultural Sciences on Urban Slum Areas and Their Inhabitants. Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 04 Sept. 2020]
6. Source link. (2017). Internationale Gartenschau 2013. [online] Available at: Source link 03 Sept. 2020].
7. 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: 04 Sept. 2020].
8. 5. Source link. (2017). European Green Capital. [online] Available at: Source link 03 Sept. 2020].
9. Source link (2017). Wilhelmsburg: Wilhelmsburger Inselpark. [image] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 03 Sept. 2020].
Playground in the Inselpark
Playground in the Inselpark
https://www.tripadvisor.co.hu/Attraction_Review-g187331-d8460824-Reviews-Wilhelmsburger_Inselpark-Hamburg.html