Last updated: November 2024
Bring Nature Home project, partly financed by and implemented under the New European Bauhaus programme by the organisation "UrbanizeHub", is an initiative focused on encouraging and helping the city of Iasi to become more green while strengthening urban communities (1 & 3). More concretely the project sought to transform an unused space in a residential area of a neighborhood in Iasi through a "biophilic design", with the involvement of the local community (1 - 5). The space was then transformed into a green area that would help the residents reconnect with nature (1 & 4). The implementation later helped develop a handbook that could be used to reproduce the methods of the initiative in other urban settings (4 & 5). Involving the local community, including children from the nearby daycare, the project conducted five workshops. These workshops focused on educational activities, improving the connection with urban nature, and ultimately creating an urban garden which included perennial plants, and insect and bird houses (5, pp. 53 to 58). Beyond community engagement and inter-generational dialogue, the project highlighted the importance of natural elements and biodiversity in urban settings. It also facilitated knowledge exchange among public institutions, NGOs, and private companies. With additional funding from IULIUS and municipal approval, the initiative successfully transformed the unused space into a thriving green area (4 & 5, p. 67 & 71).
Garden arranged by the project
https://urbanizehub.ro/bring-nature-home-a-reconectat-copiii-si-adultii-din-iasi-cu-natura/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Other
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social interaction
- Environmental education
- Sense of community and community engagement
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Rapid urbanization
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Disconnection from nature
- Loss of sense of place and identity
- Social fragmentation and isolation
- Poor community engagement
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Strategy, plan or policy development, Creation of city-wide or neighborhood green and blue infrastrcuture protection or enhancement strategies/plans, Improved governance of green or blue areas, Establishment of inclusive governance mechanisms involving local communities
Project objectives
To empower the local community and involve them in the design and implementation processes.
To integrate a biophilic design into the urban fabric, enhancing the quality of the environment, showcasing the importance of natural elements, and creating a garden with flower beds (low maintenance plant species).
To improve the overall well-being of the surrounding community and provide a recreational space.
To develop an inclusive co-design framework available to all, capable of replication in different urban settings.
To facilitate knowledge exchange between different stakeholders potentially interested in the project.
To strengthen the local community by establishing a shared sense of belonging and pride, as well as fostering interaction.
To help the local community reconnect with nature and educate the community about the importance of nature through workshops.
To a mitigate the heating island effect and support local pollinators by increasing urban biodiversity
(1-5)
Implementation activities
The initiative employed a structured methodology to implement its activities. Initially, an online questionnaire was distributed to gather citizen input on problem areas and potential implementation opportunities. (4) Once the location was selected, five workshops were organized with the local community. These workshops covered community building, human-space dynamics, nature exploration and co-creation, garden implementation, and project reflection. (4 & 5, pp. 49 to 64) A total of 120 children from the nearby daycare participated in the workshops. Following the workshops, a handbook was developed, outlining step-by-step guidelines for replicating the methodology and workshops. The handbook also provided information on gathering partners for future projects and introduced the concept of "participative landscaping." (2-5)
The project took the form of a temporary landscaping of a 36 sqm area, involving the placement of two raised plant beds with perennial plants perpendicular to the direction of travel (according to the access point), the placement of wooden roundels and boulders at ground level to delineate play/sitting/relaxing areas, as well as wooden garden furniture, bird and insect houses. Plant selection prioritized low-maintenance species (5).
Additionally a mural was painted showcasing birds, plants, and a colorful scene (4).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Non-government organisation/Civil Society
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The NGO UrbanizeHub applied for and got granted funds from the New Bauhaus programme created by the EU organism EIT Urban Mobility and also got funding from the private company IULIUS (1 to 5). The NGO then carried out the project planning and implementation together with the local community, which inputed suggestions and helped implementing the garden, participating in the activities (1 to 5). A daycare and the childrens enrolled in it (up to 120) also participated in some activities (1). The NGO finally developed a handbook open to all interested stakeholders (5). The municipality of Iasi provided expertise an approved the implementation plan (5, p. 67 & 71). An independent artist painted a mural related to the project with natural elements such as flowers and birds (4).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Yes
(26 sqm/inhabitant value of green space per capita standards (5, p. 13). // New European Bauhaus programme guidelines (3). )
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation, NBS research project (e.g., H2020, Urban Living Labs, national research projects), Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
Less than €10,000
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
- EU funds
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Expected lowered local temperature
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Enhanced support of pollination
- Achieved enhanced support of pollination
- Other
Economic impacts
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Achieved generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Achieved improved social cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Achieved increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Achieved improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Achieved increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Increased appreciation for natural spaces
- Achieved increased appreciation for natural spaces
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Bojneagu, A. (2023). Bring Nature Home a reconectat copiii și adulții din Iași cu natura . UrbanizeHub, Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Stirea de Iasi (2023). UrbanizeHub a lansat proiectul Bring Nature Home care va regenera un spațiu urban subutilizat din Iași. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Bojneagu, A. (2023). Ce este New European Bauhaus și ce înseamnă pentru comunitățile urbane. UrbanizeHub, Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
4.
UrbanizeHub (n.d.). Bring Nature Home Project List. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
5.
UrbanizeHub (2023). BNH_Handbook_Final_12.23. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
6.
UrbanizeHub (n.d.). About UrbanizeHub . Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Andrei, A. (2017 ). Tu știi în ce cartier stai_ Delimitarea cartierului Alexandru cel Bun (IV) ». APIX , Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
8.
STORIA (n.d.). Trai, Storia, Alexandru Cel Bun. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link];
Garden
https://urbanizehub.ro/bring-nature-home-a-reconectat-copiii-si-adultii-din-iasi-cu-natura/
Garden
https://urbanizehub.ro/bring-nature-home-a-reconectat-copiii-si-adultii-din-iasi-cu-natura/
Aereal photo of the garden and work
https://urbanizehub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BNH_Handbook_Final_12.23.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawFaFc1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVieBUfWO2t6yuuPhnPr236L61EIr7gGoMAo-tKEFMogtW_G5MEj-aVKxA_aem_PICAB0TZu86KSh3ErxO6tQ
Mural painted with nature scenic images
https://urbanizehub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BNH_Handbook_Final_12.23.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawFaFc1leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVieBUfWO2t6yuuPhnPr236L61EIr7gGoMAo-tKEFMogtW_G5MEj-aVKxA_aem_PICAB0TZu86KSh3ErxO6tQ
Garden
https://urbanizehub.ro/bring-nature-home-a-reconectat-copiii-si-adultii-din-iasi-cu-natura/
Garden
https://urbanizehub.ro/bring-nature-home-a-reconectat-copiii-si-adultii-din-iasi-cu-natura/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.