1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Adana (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Merkez Park Short description of the intervention The Adana Central Park stretches along both riverbanks of the Seyhan River. The idea was first introduced by the former mayor of the city, Aytaç Durak, in the late 80s to address the need for accessible green spaces in the developing area (Ref, 2). Previously, citrus gardens and informal settlements were located on these riverbanks, which now host over 400.000 plants and 67 different tree species on an area of 33 ha (Ref. 2,5,6). In 1998 construction of the park began, which lasted until 2004 (Ref. 2,5). The park is appreciated by visitors for its aesthetically landscaped appearance and the many amenities for children, youth, relaxation and socializing (Ref. 7). The two sides of the river are connected via bridges or, alternatively, visitors can board the Venetian style gondolas to access either side (Ref. 5). In 2021, park lighting infrastructure has been extensively replaced to ensure accessibility and safety during day and nighttime (Ref. 3). Website of the intervention https://www.adanabaska.com/en/3/exceptional-adana/bir-baska-doga/adana-central-… Principal problems Health, Well-being and Social cohesion Inadequate access to recreational opportunities Insecurity in public spaces Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Rivers/streams Urban or built environment Address Reşatbey, Doğa Park 01120 Seyhan/ Türkiye Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image https://erasmusu.com/de/erasmus-adana/erasmus-fotos/central-park-518991 Total area 330000.00m² NBS area 195000.00m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Informal settlement or slum area Other Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS Citrus Garden and Central Bus Terminal Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) pre-1990 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 1998 End date of the intervention 2004 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention 1) Repurpose the riverbanks on which citrus gardens and shanty houses stood for the benefit of the broader public. (Ref. 6) 2) Offer several amenities that can be used by children and youth to facilitate physical activity and social interaction. (Ref. 2) 3) Offer a space for recreation in the densely developed city centre. (Ref. 2) 4) Expose visitors to different plants from the region and abroad (Ref. 6) 5) Enhace safety and attractiveness of the park (Ref.3) Key Priorities Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Habitat and biodiversity restoration Regeneration, land-use and urban development Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Enabling opportunities for physical activity Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social interaction What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention? Species-focused What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets? Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified) Restore ecological connectivity Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities Goal 1: Redevelopment of the Citrus Garden, removal of ca. 100 shanty houses, relocation of the central bus station in 1998 (Ref. 2) Goal 2: Installation of diverse amenities such as playgrounds, skating ring and amphitheatre by 2004 (Ref. 6) Goal 3: Ensure that the park remains well-maintained and aesthetically landscaped while also providing areas designed for relaxation. (Ref. 2,7) Goal 4: Landscaping of 400 000 plants from 67 species, 40 types of cacti and aromatic plants. (Ref. 2) Goal 5) Entensively replacing lighting infrastructure / lamps in the park in 2021 (Ref.3) Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests Maintenance and management of urban nature n.a. 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Parks and urban forests Large urban parks or forests Amenities offered by the NBS Benches and drinking water stations Playgrounds Sports areas and equipment Cultural (museum, concert areas) Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café) Viewing and outlook points Other Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS Mosque, amphitheatre, Venetian gondolas, kids train, sculptures Design elements for well-being Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation) Olfactory elements (e.g., floral scents, earthy smells) Tactile elements (e.g., natural materials like wood or stone, exposure to sunlight) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Aesthetic appreciation Recreation Mental and physical health and wellbeing Spiritual and / or emblematic (symbolic, sacred and / or religious) Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area unknown Socio-economic profile of the area Unknown Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Young people and children Specify primary beneficiaries "Central Park also appeals to children with its playgrounds, poultry exhibition area and train." (Ref. 5) "The amphitheatre,[...], hosts many events, especially festivals, in Adana. The theatre,[...], has a capacity of 3,000 people." (Ref.5) Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Native plant vegetation Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Government-led Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative "The idea to create a large city park on the banks of the Seyhan River was first introduced in 1988 by Mayor Aytaç Durak City map included" (Ref. 2). "Adana Metropolitan Municipality Parks and Gardens Department teams' park and renovation work " (Ref. 3) Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Public sector institution Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) The project didn't involve any form of stakeholder participatory activities Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Unknown Land owners Public space owned by the city Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Unknown Mandatory or voluntary intervention Voluntary (spontaneous) Please specify other type of voluntary intervention By initiative of a former Mayor of Adana Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Unknown Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. Mayor Aytaç Durak in 1988 Governace and decison-making instruments Unknown Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers unknown Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) Unknown What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? Unknown Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Type of fund(s) used Unknown Non-financial contribution Unknown Co-finance for NBS Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Green densification model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits 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 Description of environmental benefits -Increased green space area: "green area capacity of 195 thousand square meters in the Seyhan section" (Ref. 6) -Increased number of species present: " [...] consists of 67 plant varieties, 40 of which are trees, and more than 400 thousand plants." (Ref. 5) Environmental impact indicators Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced 400.000 Green space area created (in ha) 19.5 Economic impacts More sustainable tourism Achieved more sustainable tourism Description of economic benefits -More sustainable tourism:"Owing to its strategic location and utility, this park has been a huge crowd-puller." (Ref. 7) Social and 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 Improvement in people’s connection to nature Expected improvement in people’s connection to nature Safety Increased perception of safety Achieved increased perception of safety Social and cultural impact indicators Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha) 19,5 Total area of recreational green space created or restored (in ha) 19,5 Description of social and cultural benefits -Improved access to urban green space: "The Central Park Adana (Merkez Park) is the large city park on both banks of the Seyhan River in the center of Adana" (Ref. 2), "It is also very easy to go to Merkez Park by public transport, and there are many alternatives" (Ref. 5) -Increased opportunities for social interaction: "The amphitheatre, located in the northern part of Merkez Park, hosts many events, especially festivals, in Adana." (Ref. 5) -Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: "There is also 3 km running and Bike paths." (Ref. 2). "There are also round relaxation terraces" (Ref. 2). "A rowing club in Central Park offers rowing on the river." (Ref. 2) -Enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief: "This is the perfect place for those who want to get away from the busy pace of the city and experience peaceful moments in nature. " (Ref. 1) -Improvement in people’s connection to nature: "For today's children, who generally live far away from animals, it will be a pleasure to see these animals up close and communicate with them" (Ref. 4) -Increased perception of safety: "By strengthening the lighting, the park becomes a safer place" (Ref. 3) - Mental health benefits Restoration and relaxation Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Input indicators Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Unknown Justice Community satisfaction Positive: The majority of feedback and reports indicate high levels of satisfaction and appreciation for the NBS project within the community. Description of locals satisfaction with the project "Owing to its strategic location and utility, this park has been a huge crowd-puller." (Ref. 7) Trade-offs & Negative impacts Ecosystems and biodiversity Introducing of non-native species Social justice and conflicts Displacement of vulnerable or marginalized communities Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement Unknown High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas. Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts B. Particular population groups have reported unequal distribution of project impacts or dissatisfaction. Reason for unequal distribution of project benefits Due to not adequately targeting existing and known justice or inclusion issues Transformative capacity Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them) Magnitude of change Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Kamp Adana (2024). Merkez Park. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Eslam (n.d.). Adana Park . Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Adana Büyükşehir Belediyesi (n.d.). Merkez Park şimdi daha güvenli ve ışıl ışıl. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Adana'da Çocuk Olmak (2017). MERKEZ PARK’TA ÇOCUKLARLA YAPILABİLECEK 8 AKTİVİTE. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Cukurova Development Agency (2018). Adana Central Park . Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Yapi (2004). Adana Merkez Parkı Hem Park Hem Bitki Koleksiyonu Olacak . Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. Cityseeker (n.d.). Popular Urban Park . Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Comments The only recent developments since the 80s is the introduction of new light features? Yes, as far as I can tell that is the only mayor intervention since the 80's - regular maintenace/ landscaping takes place but that is true for every park Displacement of vulnerable or marginalized communities: " The realization of the project started in 1998 with the demolition of around 100 houses." Goals: Are you reflecting on the original creation of the park in the 80s? - Yes, with the exception of goal 5 where they installed new light features in 2021 - I am not sure what other goals to include there since there are no more recent ones Regarding section 4: there is really no information on how the park came to be and how it was financed etc. I included "Insecurity in public spaces" as an additonal principal problem in section to reflect the recent installations of the new lamps for safety and accessibility. Public Images Image Extendsive view of the central park https://cityseeker.com/adana/881222-merkez-park Image Walkway towards the Sabanci Mosque on the southern end of the park https://www.kampadana.com.tr/merkez-park.html Image Ventian style gondolas taking visitors over the seyhan river between the two sides of the park https://www.adanadacocukolmak.com/merkez-parkta-cocuklarla-yapilabilecek-8-aktivite/
Image Walkway towards the Sabanci Mosque on the southern end of the park https://www.kampadana.com.tr/merkez-park.html
Image Ventian style gondolas taking visitors over the seyhan river between the two sides of the park https://www.adanadacocukolmak.com/merkez-parkta-cocuklarla-yapilabilecek-8-aktivite/
