Last updated: October 2021
The Oriental Park of the City of Porto is an urban natural park designed by the landscape architect Sidónio Pardal. It will be one of the largest urban parks in the country and the second-largest in the city of Porto. This NBS focused on the transformation of a derelict, depressed urban area into a green space. The first part of the park was inaugurated in July 2010 and the municipality has plans to build it through several phases over the next decade until it reaches its project area. (1)
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Real estate development
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Transformation of previously derelict areas
Project objectives
1. Social cohesion/identity: the role of urban parks in strengthening social ties, relations and cohesion.
2. House prices: the value of urban parks as part of the living environment as reflected in higher real estate prices (for both houses and apartments).
3. Biodiversity: the role of parks in harbouring and promoting biodiversity, and species diversity in particular.
4. Air quality and carbon sequestration: positive impacts of urban parks in terms of reducing air pollutant levels and carbon sequestration.
5. Cooling: the role of parks in the cooling of urban areas(2).
Implementation activities
A showcase of camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas was reclassified. The future of the Park is centred on an essential object, the fluvial course (Rio Tinto, which is nearby), whose process of depollution is fundamental to the continuity of the park. The area offers a variety of vegetation from oaks and cork oaks, which has been cleaned, requalified and integrated into the park, to countless species of wildflowers which extend, alongside grass, to the valley of the Rio Tinto. (3)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Elderly people, Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
This NBS has been initiated by the Municipality of Porto which confronted with the existence of a destitute area in a large neighborhood of Porto decided to transform it in a green space (1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Yes
(This NBS is mentioned not in direct connection with a EU strategy but nevertheless a strategy adopted by other European countries. This strategy refers at the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), whose signatories approved an index of biodiversity to cities, City Biodiversity Index (CBI), which would act as an international indicator to measure urban biodiversity and to support national governments and local authorities creating “milestones” in order to conserve biodiversity; In Portugal it was used only in 2011 but nevertheless took into consideration the present NBS (4))
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(This NBS is mentioned in connection to Plano Diretor Municipal, (2006), a fundamental instrument in municipal management, which defines the development strategy and the territorial model, as well as the main options regarding the location of equipment and infrastructures. It is fundamental for the development of the new plan, the active participation of the different local actors and the population in general, as well as a close articulation with the neighboring municipalities . (5))
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
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)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Stimulate development in deprived areas
- Attraction of business and investment
Socio-cultural impacts
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Education
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Expected 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. Porto Municipality (no date), Parque Oriental da Cidade, Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
2. Konijnendijk, C. et al (2013), Benefits of Urban Parks A systematic review, Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
3. Porto Municipality (no date), Parque Oriental da Cidade, Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
4. Magalhães Carneiro de Sousa Machado, L. (2014), Aplicação do Índice de Biodiversidade Urbana na cidade do Porto , Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
5. Publico (2003), Rui Sá força Câmara do Porto a novo traçado para Alameda de Azevedo, Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
6. Ferreira Pereira, A. , Talhadas dos Santos, J. (2011), A diversidade de vertebrados do Parque Oriental do Porto Conservação e Maximização da Biodiversidade, Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
7. Source link (2009), Parque Oriental abre em 2009. Primeira fase integra 10 hectares. Ainda não há prazo para restantes 71 hectares previstos , Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
8. AmoPortugal (2016) - Mais que Limpar, fundamental Reduzir, Reutilizar e Reciclar!, (Website not availble in 2020) (Accessed 22-6-2020)
9.Municipality of Porto (2019), Exercise in nature took dozens to the Parque Oriental, Available at Source link, (Accessed 30-7-2020)
10.Municipality of Porto (2019), Tomorrowland is held in Porto in 2019 at Parque Oriental of Porto, Available at Source link, (Accessed 30-7-2020)
2. Konijnendijk, C. et al (2013), Benefits of Urban Parks A systematic review, Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
3. Porto Municipality (no date), Parque Oriental da Cidade, Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
4. Magalhães Carneiro de Sousa Machado, L. (2014), Aplicação do Índice de Biodiversidade Urbana na cidade do Porto , Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
5. Publico (2003), Rui Sá força Câmara do Porto a novo traçado para Alameda de Azevedo, Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
6. Ferreira Pereira, A. , Talhadas dos Santos, J. (2011), A diversidade de vertebrados do Parque Oriental do Porto Conservação e Maximização da Biodiversidade, Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
7. Source link (2009), Parque Oriental abre em 2009. Primeira fase integra 10 hectares. Ainda não há prazo para restantes 71 hectares previstos , Available at Source link (Accessed 22-6-2020)
8. AmoPortugal (2016) - Mais que Limpar, fundamental Reduzir, Reutilizar e Reciclar!, (Website not availble in 2020) (Accessed 22-6-2020)
9.Municipality of Porto (2019), Exercise in nature took dozens to the Parque Oriental, Available at Source link, (Accessed 30-7-2020)
10.Municipality of Porto (2019), Tomorrowland is held in Porto in 2019 at Parque Oriental of Porto, Available at Source link, (Accessed 30-7-2020)