1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Belfast
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Walkway Community Garden
Short description of the intervention
An environmental improvement programme has helped to clean up a previously derelict plot of land on one of Belfast’s main thoroughfares, by transforming it into a community garden. A vegetable garden was officially launched in July 2009 at Walkway Community Association, on Finvoy Street in east Belfast. The scheme is part of Belfast City Council’s ongoing £150 million Investment Programme of work across the city. (Ref 1, Ref 5)
Address

1-9 Finvoy Street
at the junction of Newtownards Road and Tower Street
Belfast
BT5 5DH
United Kingdom

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
POINT (5.885943 54.597006)
POINT (5.885706 54.596971)
POINT (5.885864 54.596741)
POINT (5.886022 54.596835)
NBS area image
Source of NBS area image
https://www.google.com/maps/place/1-9+Finvoy+St,+Belfast+BT5+5DH,+UK/@54.5968323,-5.8859792,63m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x4861097596980ca9:0xb5a55e536a79f99!8m2!3d54.5972165!4d-5.8855762
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Previous derelict area
Website of the intervention
https://www.walkway.org.uk/mission
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2008
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2009
End date of the intervention
2015
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
1. To develop meanwhile uses on derelict land on the Newtownards Road (Ref 1)
2. create a positive impact on the local physical environment and neighbourhood (Ref 1).
3. demonstrate the value of investing in and developing the capacity of local people in delivering their vision of derelict space and place, to a valuable community resource/asset. (Ref 2)
Quantitative targets
unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of natural heritage
Implementation activities
1. The project saw a previously derelict plot of land transformed into a new community space. ( Ref 4)
2. The Walkway Community Garden, includes a greenhouse, raised beds, seating and decking. (Ref 1)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Transformation of previously derelict areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Community gardens and allotments
Community gardens
Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens
Unknown
Vegetation Type
Other
Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS
seating and decking. (Ref 1)
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Other
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Non-government actors
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Citizens or community groups
Coalition with multiple of the above
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Council worked in partnership with the Department for Social Development and the East Belfast Partnership to implement the project. Walkway Community Association works with the community garden activities and community participation. Groundwork NI supported the local people by providing landscape technical assistance, facilitating a community-led design process, implementing physical regeneration works. (Ref 1)

The project was a partnership between Groundwork NI and the two principal funders, namely Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. The project was carried out out through a grant of just under £20,000 from Groundwork NI’s Greencare III Programme. (Ref 5)
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
Public sector institution
Non-government organisation/civil society
Citizens or community group
Other
Please specify other key actors – Initiating organization
Northern Ireland Housing Executive (Ref 5)
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Public sector institution
Non-government organisation/civil society
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an 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
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
Belfast city council's environmental improvement programme : "Renewing the Routes" under the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan
(BMAP) 2005. (Ref 3)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The scheme is the latest stage of the ‘Renewing The Routes’ programme, which was set up ten years ago to address environmental degradation on the city’s arterial routes and thus bolster economic and physical regeneration ( Ref 1)
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Municipal / city level environmental plan or programme
General municipal plan
Please specify other vegetation type
Vegetable garden (Ref 5); Greenhouse; raised beds (Ref 1)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Belfast City Council’s ongoing £150 million Investment Programme of work across the city. (Ref 4)
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
roughly 21900 EUR (Ref 5)
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
The project was a partnership between Groundwork NI and the two principal funders, namely Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. The project was carried out out through a grant of just under £20,000 from Groundwork NI’s Greencare III Programme. (Ref 5)
Source(s) of funding
Public local authority budget
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Green densification model
Local stewardship model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Social
Cultural innovation
Please specify social innovation
The project demonstrates the value of investing in and developing the capacity of local people in delivering their vision of derelict space and place, to a valuable community resource/asset (Ref 1).
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
unknown
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Restoration of derelict areas
Description of environmental benefits
Greenhouse, raised beds and vegetable gardens implemented (Ref 1, 5)
The project saw a previously derelict plot of land transformed into a new community space. ( Ref 4)
Economic impacts
Unknown
Please specify other socio-cultural impact
influence local change: “This project demonstrates the importance of communities engaging and acting locally to enable positive change and making a difference within their neighbourhoods.” (Ref 5)
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved social cohesion
Increased opportunities for social interaction
Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
Increased access to healthy/affordable food
Health and wellbeing
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
Education
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Other
Description of social and cultural benefits
Rachael Davison, centre manager at Walkway Community Association, said: “This community vegetable garden is dedicated to the memory of a well known and respected local resident Jim Laird and is a fitting and lasting tribute....This really is an oasis in the middle of a built up urban environment and will provide a valuable social, recreational and educational space for local residents for years to come.” (Ref 5)

Melvyn Waddell, senior project development officer at Groundwork NI, said: “This project demonstrates the importance of communities engaging and acting locally to enable positive change and making a difference within their neighbourhoods.” (Ref 5)
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
1. Area of previously derelict plot of land transformation into a community garden. ( ref 2)
2. developing the capacity of local people to create a valuable community resource/asset. (ref 1)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Voluntary work opportunities
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of 22 September 2020
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
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
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
Growing Communities 2012 – 2022 page 16 (2.08 MB) 2.08 MB
List of references
Ref. 1. Active Belfast (2012) Growing Communities: A Citywide Strategy for Belfast 2012 – 2022. Source: https://ubwp.buffalo.edu/foodlab/wp-content/uploads/sites/68/2019/07/growingcommunitiesstrategy_B-.pdf [Accessed 22 September 2020]
Ref. 2. Belfast City Council. 2015. New community garden brings derelict site to life. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 3. Belfast City Council. nd. Renewing the Routes. Source: https://minutes3.belfastcity.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=11245 [Accessed 22 September 2020]
Ref. 4. Totalis solutions. (2015) Urban Regeneration. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 5. Belfast Telegraph. (2009) Grant helps new community garden. Source: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/grant-helps-new-community-garden-28485983.html [Accessed 22 September 2020]
Comments and notes
Public Images
Walkway community garden
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/grant-helps-new-community-garden-28485983.html