Last updated: November 2021
As a solution to the increasing population, pollution and high energy consumption, the municipal government of Shiraz has launched the Green City project in 2008. The main aim of this initiative is to reforest the city's periphery and encourage citizens to plant gardens on rooftops and the private sectors to adhere to the city’s development plan with all construction projects. [1]
The Green City Project
https://use.metropolis.org/case-studies/shiraz-the-green-city
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Green parking lots
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
- Green areas for water management
- Rain gardens
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Soil quality improvement
- Air quality improvement
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
The main aim of this initiative is the reforestation of the city’s periphery, other specific goals include:
1. To improve the air and water quality in Shiraz.
2. To reduce energy consumption by planting and maintaining trees.
3. To reduce the intensity and volume of water runoff (by building roof gardens), urban flooding (by extending the green belt and controlling floods in the heights) and prevent soil erosion (by cultivating appropriate plant species).
4. To reduce energy costs and create municipal income by harvesting olives to produce olive oil from the olive trees planted.
5. To improve the living conditions of marginalised people.
6. To create recreational spaces within the city [1].
Implementation activities
The Green City project consists of four actions:
1. The Urban Forest Development Project planted trees in an area of 14,195 hectares in the heights and mountains surrounding the city. The Barme Shour Olive Plantation Project has been nominated by the International Olive Council as the biggest olive garden in the world. There were altogether eight planting projects within the Urban Forest Development Project. The majority of the planted trees are olive trees (13,500 hectares), but needle leaf trees and almond trees have also been planted.
2. Roof Parks: The goal was to create recreational spaces within the city, mainly on the roofs of multi-storey car parks. Six roof parks were built, of which two with an area of 5,000 sq. m built by the municipality. The other four roof parks were built in cooperation with private sector entities. The total area of roof parks is estimated to be 23,560 sq. m.
3. Linear Parks: These parks will make the city ascetically more attractive and create a suitable path for pedestrians to spend their free time. The first park was built along the Chamran Boulevard in 2008, covering an area of 10 hectares. Eight other linear parks have been built with a total area of 43 hectares (including the Chamran Boulevard).
4. Roof Gardens: The municipality encouraged both construction companies and citizens to establish roof gardens in their projects. The steering committee for the project comprised members of the “Parks and Green Spaces Organization” of the municipality of Shiraz who worked in collaboration with the local university. [1]
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- 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
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Other
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Shiraz Municipality, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Agriculture and the Organization of Municipalities. [1]
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public regional budget
- Public local authority budget
- Private Foundation/Trust
- Commercial banks
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Loan
- Tax exemption
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- More sustainable tourism
Socio-cultural impacts
- Safety
- Decreased crime rates
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Improved mental health
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. Urban Sustainability Exchange Case Study (2018). Shiraz- The Green City. URL: Source link. Accessed on 12th November, 2021.
2. Deloitte (n.d.) Green Planning of Public Spaces. URL: Source link. Accessed on 12th November, 2021.
2. Deloitte (n.d.) Green Planning of Public Spaces. URL: Source link. Accessed on 12th November, 2021.
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the UNA global extension project funded by the British Academy.