Last updated: September 2024
Rike Park, centrally located on the riverbank of the Kura River, is one of the most recently developed Parks in Tbilisi. It was announced by the city hall in 2009 with the aim to increase the amount of accessible green space in the densely developed city center and stretches over an area of 7.5 ha (Ref. 1). Being the only location in the city where such a project could have been developed, it also serves as a pedestrian-friendly way to cross from the newer part of the city towards the old town via the adjacent "Peace Bridge" (Ref. 1,3). Next to its various amenities for recreation, the park has become a symbol of national identity through its design (Ref. 2). From above, one can identify the grid abstraction of the map of Georgia while in the center of the park lies a large Rose shaped mosaic, making a symbolic reference to the Rose Revolution (Ref. 3,5). Furthermore, Rike Park hosts several cultural festivities and artistic performances that invite the public to interact and socialize (Ref. 4). Despite the park's success, its development has been criticised due to the city hall's exclusion of public consultations and transparency (Ref. 1).
Overview of the Rike Park, Peace Bridge and the Musical Theatre/Exhibition Hall from afar
https://georgiantravelguide.com/en/rike-park
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Riverbank/Lakeside greens
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social interaction
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Tourism support
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
Key priorities
Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests
Project objectives
Goal 1: Restoring balance between residential and recreational areas inside the historical center of the city (Ref. 1)
Goal 2: Addressing the lack of green spaces in the city, by creating a landscaped garden project that promotes native vegetation (Ref. 1)
Goal 3: Enhancing liveability in the densely developed historical districts (Ref. 1)
Goal 4: Creating access to the river as well as a crossing over it (Ref. 1)
Goal 5: Promote national identity by including symbolic references to the Rose Revolution and also to Georgian geography in the spatial design of the park (Ref. 3)
Goal 6: Marge a historical site with modern public space, joining the eastern and the western banks of Mtkvari River (Ref. 3)
Goal 7: Create opportunities for social interaction and enhance tourism attraction by designing picnic and playground areas, a circuit for running and other sports activities, meeting areas, and a public square where music and theatre can be performed (Ref. 4).
Implementation activities
1) The area was cleared of restaurants in the area and new structures were constructed throughout the park, such as a theatre, tunnel, and cable car station, playgrounds, fountains. It was the only location in the city centre that could developed into a park and provide a link between the old town and newer areas of Tbilisi, which lay on opposing ends of the river. (Ref. 1) The link between these two districts is provided by the "Bridge of Peace" which was constructed at the same time as the park (Ref. 1)
2) In terms of greenery, landscaping emphasises the use of native plants. (Ref. 5)
3) The Park promotes national identity by a) being designed in the form of the country and b) the installation of a rose pattern in the middle of the park is a symbolic reference to the Rose Revolution (Ref. 3)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
- Other
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- The project didn't involve any form of stakeholder participatory activities
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
"In 2009, Tbilisi City Hall took up work on the idea of rehabilitation and development of the city’s historical part." (Ref. 1)
"Client: Old City Rehabilitation & Development Fund" (Ref. 2)
"Designer: CMD Ingenieros " (Ref. 2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€2,000,000 - €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Attraction of business and investment
- Achieved attraction of business and investment
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief
- Achieved enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Achieved promotion of cultural diversity
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Achieved increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
Type of reported 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
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Economic impacts, Temporary or permanent closure of local markets or businesses, Other
References
1.
Gonçalves, J., Asanidze, D., Pinto, P. (2016). The River and the City: A Look at the Changes in the Post-Soviet Urban World . Accessed on August 28, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Vercher, S. (n.d.). Rike Park - Connecting the Old City with the New One. Accessed on August 28, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Uzarek, P. (2015). How Rike Park Merged a Historical Space With a Modern One . Land8: Landscape Architecs Network , Accessed on August 28, 2024, [Source link];
4.
OrexCA (n.d.). Rike Park, Tbilisi. Accessed on August 28, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Archinect (n.d.). Tbilisi Rike Park. Accessed on August 28, 2024, [Source link];
Rike Park view of the Rose intallation
https://archinect.com/silviavercher/project/tbilisi-rike-park
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.