Vleuten, Netherlands
City population: 315851
Duration: 2007 – 2013
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 3000000 m2
Type of area: Residential
Last updated: October 2021

The project focuses on the development of a sustainable, social and ecological park that promotes citizen participation (ref. 2), which is one of the largest city parks in the Netherlands. It combines various blue-green infrastructure elements (ref. 1). The park includes recreational facilities, a butterfly garden and special constructions that provide habitat for species. The Máximapark runs largely on volunteers and the citizen participation is the outstanding character of the development of the park (ref. 2).

Máximapark
Máximapark
Source: https://maximapark.nl/?q=galleries

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Blue infrastructure
  • Riverbank/Lakeside greens
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Green corridors and green belts
  • Other
  • Community gardens and allotments
  • Community gardens
  • Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Environmental quality
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
  • Inclusive governance
  • Effective management
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social cohesion
  • Social interaction
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Improving physical health
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Creation of semi-natural blue areas, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity

Project objectives

The overarching goal is to create a sustainable, social and ecological park that promotes citizen participation (ref. 2). Additional goals include: -Social cohesion, by means of a large variety of recreation, sports and other activities (ref. 2) -Participatory governance: citizen involvement is a key character in this park. Citizens have been involved in the design of the park, are engaged in -Monitoring implementation and maintenance and participate in organizing events (ref. 1)

Implementation activities

Sport, recreation and eating facilities (ref. 1) Protection of archeological locations (ref. 1) Flower and butterfly gardens (de Vlinderhof), thereby supporting biodiversity (ref. 1) Forest playground (ref. 1) Restoration of canal in order to improve water management (ref. 1) Restoration of Roman forts, building a theatre and museum (cultural heritage) (ref. 1) Building a green corridor that supports flora and fauna (biodiversity) (ref. 6) Community garden (ref. 7) Educational walking tours (ref. 5) Green playground (Bosspeeltuin) (ref. 4)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Create new habitats
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use
  • Raise public awareness
  • Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

  • Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality
  • Non-government organisation/civil society
  • Citizens or community group

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
  • Co-management/Joint management
  • Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
  • Citizen monitoring and review

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The municipality of Utrecht has initiated the development of the Maximapark. A meeting group was created to develop plans regarding the plans ('Parkberaad') which included Stichting Landschapsbeheer Vleuten, Stichting de Bosspeeltuin (foundations), Natuur en Milieu Leidsche Rijn (NGO), de Vlinderhof (maintenance group of the park), Castellum de Hoge Woerd (historical fort) and citizen organization 'Stichting Vrienden van Maximapark' (that was created in 2004) (ref. 2, 4). The meeting group involved citizens in the design of the park. Together with the municipality, the board of Stichting Vrienden van Maximapark develops the park in terms of design, management and park activities (ref. 4). A part of the park, de Vlinderhof, is initiated by a citizen (Marc Kikkert), designed by a landscape desinger and implemented by volunteers (ref. 11).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (As the park pergula (green corridor) is funded through the European Regional Development Fund, it can be viewed as in line with the EU cohesion policy that is directed at economic, social and territorial cohesion (ref. 9, 10).)
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Unknown

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • EU funds
  • Public local authority budget
  • Private Foundation/Trust
  • Crowdfunding

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
  • Donations

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of land
  • Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
  • Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Environmental quality
  • Improved soil quality
  • Green space and habitat
  • Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased number of species present
  • Enhanced support of pollination

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved social cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Improved physical health
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

Type of reported 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. Doc Player. (2014). Beheerplan Máximapark Beheer- en onderhoudsplan Publieksversie. Gemeente Utrecht[pdf]. Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
2. Gemeente Utrecht. (n.d.). Parkorganisatie. [online] Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
3. Gemeente Utrecht. (n.d.). Zoekresultaten voor ‘Bestuursopdracht ‘Van participatie naar samenwerking Máximapark. Utrecht: Municipality of Utrecht. [pdf] Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
4. Stichting Vrienden van Máximapark. (n.d.). Máximapark. Groene allure in Utrecht. [online]. Available at: Source link
5. tuincursus-online. (n.d.). Fotoverslag van de wildplukwandeling tijdens het event De Duurzame Week Utrecht. [online] Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
6. West 8. (n.d.) Parkpergola Leidsche Rijn Park. Rotterdam: West 8. [pdf] Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
7. Buurtmoestuin Castellum. (n.d.). Vereniging [online]. Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
8. European Commission. (n.d.). European Regional Development Fund [online]. Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
9. Abt. (n.d.) Parkpergola Maximapark. [online] Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
10. West 8. (n.d.) Parkpergola Máximapark. Rotterdam: West 8. [pdf] Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
11. De Vlinderhof. (n.d.). De Tuin. [online] Available at: Source link
12. Source link. (n.d.). De Vlinderhof in Utrecht ontworpen door Piet Oudolf. [online] Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
13. Piet Oudolf. (n.d.). Planting: a new perspective. [online] Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
14. Maximapark. (n.d.). Utretch. Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
15. West 8. Maximapark. (n.d.). Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
16. Maximapark. Jaarplan. (2018). Available at: Source link (Accessed 27 July 2020)
Máximapark
Máximapark
Source: https://maximapark.nl/?q=galleries
Máximapark
Máximapark
Source: https://maximapark.nl/?q=galleries
Máximapark
Máximapark
Source: https://maximapark.nl/?q=galleries
Máximapark
Máximapark
Source: https://maximapark.nl/?q=galleries
Máximapark
Máximapark
Source: https://maximapark.nl/?q=galleries