München, Germany
City population: 1346481
Duration: in planning stage – ongoing
Implementation status: In planning stage
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Unknown
Last updated: October 2021

The Hachinger Brook is a natural water body, which level of water is highly influenced by groundwater. Due to the spatial expansion of Munich, sections of the brook were forced into concrete canals and pipes. The idea of restoring the brook into a quasi-natural state had already emerged in the committee of city panning in 1984. The city council of Munich decided in 2014 is to reconstruct the natural state on a 2,6 km stretch of the Hachinger Brook between Kampenwandstraße and Hüllgraben by excavating it and to turn it into a recreational area. In addition to the stream, the former village pond next to the stream is planned to be restored. (Reference 1) Trees and other vegetation will be planted alongside some sections of the brook. (Reference 1, 2). Because of the reluctance of the landowners on the proposed site of the intervention to accept a brook flowing through their property, in 2020, the implementation still hasn’t begun. (Reference 7)

Reconstruction of Hachinger Brook (2012)
Reconstruction of Hachinger Brook (2012)
Atelier LOIDL, retrieved 08/18/2018 from Anna Kristina Heenes

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Blue infrastructure
  • Riverbank/Lakeside greens
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Green corridors and green belts
  • Lakes/ponds
  • Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries

Key challenges

  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Improvements to water quality
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Creation of semi-natural blue areas, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas

Project objectives

- exposing a 2,5km long section of the brook (Reference 3); - restoring the former pond; - improving ecological conditions of the water; - increasing of recreational benefits (Reference 2); - creating a green corridor with predominantly extensive meadows and shrubs; - creating "calm bays" equipped with seating facilities; - implementing structural elements that support the habitats of aquatic and amphibious organisms; - planting trees along the stream and lake for shading; - ensuring permanent flow, constant water level of the brook; - creating seven culverts that meet the requirements for biological continuity; - three bridges for pedestrians and cyclists; - creating a 3,000 m long and 4.5 m wide path along the brook (Reference 1); - creating playgrounds and other recreational areas (Reference 3).

Implementation activities

The project hasn't reached to construction phase yet, no implementation activity has been made.

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
  • Restore ecological connectivity

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Researchers/University
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality
  • Researchers/university
  • Citizens or community group

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 project was initiated by the municipality as a answer of the increasing demand of the locals for reconstructing the brook (Reference 2). The project was delayed for years and still hasn't started (in 2020) because the municipality couldn't buy the privately owned parts of the site (Reference 4).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (The study for the holistic evaluation of the project refers to the 4th Article of the EU's Water Framework Directive (2000): "In line with the requirements of the European Union, all Member States are requested to "protect, improve and (re-) clean surface waters to ensure a »good condition«" (Reference 2). This was confirmed in the email correspondence with the contact person, see uploaded doc in the reference section.)
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown (The email correspondence with the contact person revealed: "The policy drivers that affects the intervention are especially the water legislation of the European Parliament (EG-Wasserrahmenrichtlinie: Richtlinie 2000/60/EG) and the federal law update (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz – WHG) (details in the „Grundsatzbeschluss“ page 5-6)" (see uploaded doc in the reference section).)
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (The study for the holistic evaluation of the project refers to local plans in the following way: "The section of Hachinger Bach to be assessed in this work has been included in the development plan (No. 1725) within the scope of the planning in 199513" (Reference 2).)

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public regional budget
  • Public local authority budget
  • Other

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

  • Water management and blue areas
  • Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Reduced biodiversity loss
  • Increased number of species present
  • Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
  • Other

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved liveability
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

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. Landeshauptstadt München, Baureferat (Ingenieurbau). (2012). Freilegung Hachinger Bach Zwischen Kampenwandstraße und Hüllgraben, flyer. München: Baureferat.
2. Disse, M., Schwarz, J. and Lisson, M. (2013). Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung: Studie zur ganzheitlichen Projektbewertung der Freilegung Hachinger Bach. München: Universität Der Bundeswehr München.
3. Reissl, A. and Messinger, B. (2012). Draft Resolution: Freilegung Hachinger Bach Zwischen Kampenwandstraße und Hüllgraben. München: Baureferat.
4. Source link. (2017). Neuer Park für Berg am Laim: Nach 80 Jahren: Der Hachinger Bach soll wieder auftauchen. [online]. Available at: Source link 31 Jul. 2020].
5. Source link. (2014). Submittals of Freilegung Hachinger Bach zwischen Kampenwandstraße und Hüllgraben im 14. Stadtbezirk Berg am Laim. [online] Available at: Source link 31 Jul. 2020].
6. Münchener Baureferat. (2017). Neuer Park für Berg am Laim: Nach 80 Jahren: Der Hachinger Bach soll wieder auftauchen. Source link [image]. Available at: Source link 31 Jul. 2020].
7. Süddeutsche Zeitung. (2020). Angst um die Wasserader. [online]. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 31 Jul. 2020]