Nygaard Park

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Bergen

Region

Europe

Native title of the NBS intervention

Nygårdsparken

Short description of the intervention

Nygård Park is an old, large park in central Bergen that has been undergoing transformation since 2014, as the park had degraded over the years and had been heavily used by drug users (Ref. 6). The restored park serves to act as a natural meeting place in the city, consisting of green areas, a pond, playgrounds, flower beds, an amphitheater, walkways and much more. The restored park retains its traditional British design, and also includes a more universal character allowing for more users of the park and facilitating access to the different parts of the park. (Ref. 1, 2).

Address

Thormøhlens Gate 50A
5006 Bergen
Norway

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 (5.325579 60.386163)

POINT (5.324191 60.386281)

POINT (5.323897 60.385386)

POINT (5.330616 60.381767)

POINT (5.332212 60.382575)

NBS area image

Source of NBS area image

Source: Ref. 6

Total area

70820.00m²

NBS area

70820.00m²

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Public Greenspace Area

Website of the intervention

https://www.bergen.kommune.no/innbyggerhjelpen/natur-klima-miljo/natur/park/nyg…

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

unknown

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2013

End date of the intervention

2016

Present stage of the intervention

Completed

2. Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

The NBS aimed to transform the formerly degraded Nygårdsparken into a people’s park, where children, youth, adults and elderly can meet to relax or be active. (Ref. 1,2)

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

Regulation of built environment

Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)

Social interaction

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Creation of opportunities for recreation

Implementation activities

Restoration of the park, including a new gathering point, an upgrade of vegetation and the water body, new walkways, flowerbeds etc. The universal design of the park is made to be suitable for as many users as possible. (Ref. 1, 2).
Vegetation should surround the meeting point of the park and form a lush frame. A lush perennial bed around the old tree shall be established, and be full of colors, height differences and have colors varying with the seasons. (Ref. 1)

Type of NBS project

Maintenance and management of urban nature

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

Vegetation Type

Trees

Flower beds

Please specify how many trees were planted

380 (Ref. 2)

Amenities offered by the NBS

Benches and drinking water stations

Playgrounds

Cultural (museum, concert areas)

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Habitat and supporting services

Habitats for species

Cultural services

Tourism

Aesthetic appreciation

Inspiration for culture, art and design

Recreation

Social and community interactions

Scale

Spatial scale

Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level

Beneficiaries

Primary Beneficiaries

Citizens or community groups

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

Led by municipal government (Ref. 2)
The Urban Environment Agency has been responsible for the construction work in the park (Ref. 2)
Smedsvig Landskapsarkitekter AS (company) prepared plan for upgrading upper part of the park (Ref. 12)

Key actors - initiating organization

Local government/municipality

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

Local government/municipality

Private sector/corporate actor/company

Citizens or community group

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used

Unknown

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"

The Blue green infrastructure plan of Bergen (Ref. 5)

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Mandatory (based on policy)

Intervention is mandatory

Spatial planning guidance

Enablers

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

The Blue green infrastructure plan of Bergen (Ref. 5)

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.

City specific green space strategy or plan

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

Unknown

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

€2,000,000 - €4,000,000

What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?

Unknown

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)

22.2 million NOK (≈2.3 million EUR) (Ref. 3)

Source(s) of funding

Public local authority budget

Type of fund(s) used

Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Please specify other Business model

Urban regeneration (Ref. 5)

Business models

Green health model

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Public actor (e.g. municipality)

5. Innovation

Type of innovation

Technological

Infrastructural innovation

Social

Cultural innovation

Please specify technological innovation

infrastructural changes to the park (Ref 1)

Novelty level of the innovation

Unknown

Please specify novelty level of the innovation

Unknown

Replicability/Transferability

The innovation is not referred to as being transferred to new initiative(s)

Please specify Replicability/Transferability

Unknown

6. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Green space and habitat

Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Restoration of derelict areas

Description of environmental benefits

Green Space Management/ Restoration:
- As of 2020, the park has 258 large deciduous trees of the species maple (Acer), horse chestnut (Aesculus), birch (Betula), beech (Fagus), oak (Quercus), willow / willow (Salix), linden (Tilia) and elm (Ulmus), and 75 deciduous trees of other species. Horse chestnut, beech and linden are the dominant species. There are far fewer conifers than deciduous trees in the park, a total of approx. 50 large trees. (Ref. 2)
- Upper park of Nygard Park has been restored as of autumn of 2017 (Ref. 8)
- Restoration of 17.5 ha of green space (Ref. 11)

Economic impacts

Unknown

Description of economic benefits

Unknown

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Indicators

Number of trees (Ref. 2); Area of green space [ha] (Ref. 11)

Environmental, social and economic impacts

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Cultural heritage and cultural diversity

Analysis of specific impact categories

Job creation: The NBS created ...

No information available

Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...

Improved access to green and/or blue spaces

Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?

No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project

COVID-19 pandemic

In August 2020, the park was used to hold events for new students - one of the participants had tested positive for Covid-19. (Ref. 9)

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

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

7. Sources

References

Web links relevant to the intervention

Ref. 2 The Nygård Park

Ref. 3 Suggestion of Budget 2014/Economy plan 2014-2017

Ref. 5 Blue-green Infrastructure in Bergen Green Environmental Plan 2012-2020

Ref. 6 Has been Bergen's 'narcotics park' for more than 40 years

Ref. 7 The Nygård Park

Ref. 8 The lower part of Nygårdsparken will be upgraded

Ref. 9 Corona-infected student participated in the sponsor week in Bergen

Ref. 10 Jon (5) and Storm (5) took Nygårdsparken back

Ref. 11 Case – Nygårdsparken

Documents relevant to the intervention

Attachment	Size
Ref. 12 Nygårdsparken Renovation Plans (6.09 MB)	6.09 MB

List of references

1. City of Bergen (n.d.). Nygård Park Upper Part, Pre-project./Nygårdsparken Øvre del, Forprosjekt. [Not available in 2020].
2. Urban Environment Agency. (2020). The Nygård Park/Nygårdsparken. City of Bergen. Available at: https://www.bergen.kommune.no/innbyggerhjelpen/natur-klima-miljo/natur/park/nygardsparken [Accessed: 27 October 2020].
3. City of Bergen (n.d.). Suggestion of Budget 2014/Economy plan 2014-2017. Social services, Housing and District Affairs./Forslag til budsjett 2014/Økonomiplan 2014-2017. Sosiale Tjenester, Bolig og Områdesatsing. Available at: https://www3.bergen.kommune.no/bksak/utv_caseinfo.asp?caseno=68472&utvkode=BEBY&db_source=1&dayno=282&Year=18.12.2013 [Accessed: 27 October 2020].
4. Flatlandsmo, S. (2015). The Nygård Park one year later/Nygårdsparken ett år etter. Studvest. [Not available in 2020].
5. City of Bergen (2012). Blue-green Infrastructure in Bergen Green Environmental Plan 2012-2020./ Blågrønn infrastruktur i Bergen Grøntmiljøplan 2012-2020. Available at: https://www.bergen.kommune.no/omkommunen/planer-i-kommunen/informasjon-om-enkeltplaner/byradsavd-for-klima-miljo-og-byutvikling/kommunedelplan-for-blagronn-infrastruktur-i-bergen-2012-2020 [Accessed: 27 October 2020].
6. Victoria, R. (2014). Has been Bergen's 'narcotics park' for more than 40 years/Har vært Bergens narkopark i over 40 år. NRK. Available at: https://www.nrk.no/hordaland/dette-bor-du-vite-om-nygardsparken-1.11810148 [Accessed: 27 October 2020].
7. Vikan, M. and Kringstad, A. (2020).The Nygård Park/ Nygårdsparken. City of Bergen. Available at: https://www.bergen.kommune.no/hvaskjer/tema/vi-bygger-bergen/veier-byrom-og-parker/park-og-natur/nygardsparken [Accessed: 27 October 2020].
8. Prestegården, H. (2020). The lower part of Nygårdsparken will be upgraded/. City of Bergen. Available at: https://www.bergen.kommune.no/politikk/byradet/behandlede-saker/bymiljo/nygardsparkens-nedre-del-skal-rustes-opp [Accessed: 27 October 2020].
9. Vik, S. et al. (2020). Corona-infected student participated in the sponsor week in Bergen: - Should not have been at a party/ Koronasmittet student deltok på fadderuken i Bergen: – Burde ikke vært på fest. NRK. Available at: https://www.nrk.no/vestland/studenter-i-trondheim-og-bergen-smittet-av-korona-1.15118860 [Accessed: 27 October 2020].
10. Bolstad, J. (2017). Jon (5) and Storm (5) took Nygårdsparken back/ Jon (5) og Storm (5) tok Nygårdsparken tilbake. NRK. Available at: https://www.nrk.no/vestland/nygardsparken-i-bergen-opna-igjen-etter-tre-ars-oppussing-1.13680422 [Accessed: 27 October 2020].
11. Waagen, S. (2018). Case - Nygårdsparken Available at: http://fila.is/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Vi%C3%B0auki-2-_-Sara-Waagen-Nyg%C3%A5rdsparken-historisk-park.pdf. [Accessed: 27 October 2020].
12. City of Bergen. (2014). PROJECT FOR RENOVATION OF NYGÅRDSPARKEN - UPPER PART JUNE 2014 / PROSJEKT FOR OPPRUSTING AV NYGÅRDSPARKEN - ØVRE DEL JUNI 2014. Available at: [Document provided].

Comments and notes

Comments

In general very limited data availability.

Additional insights

As of 2020, the city council is submitting a proposal for renovating the lower part of the Nygard Park. Restoration measures will include: groundwork, improvement of grass areas, vegetation and planting, rehabilitation of roads, stairs and squares, lighting, furnishing and the establishment of a new fountain. The plan is scheduled to be completed during 2022, with an expected budget of NOK 67 million (6.12 million EUR) (Ref. 8)

Public Images

Source: Ref. 2

Source: Ref. 2, Kari Ingvaldsen

Source: Ref. 2, Christine Hvidsten

Source: Ref. 7, TAG landscape

Source: Ref. 8, Nina Blågestad

Source: Ref. 10, Jon Bolstad