1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Berlin (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Prinzessinnengarten auf dem Neuen St. Jacobi Friedhof Short description of the intervention The Prinzessinnengarten Kollektiv Berlin is a community garden in the New St Jacobi Cemetery in Berlin-Neukölln that invites people to join in gardening and experience nature. As part of open gardening days, people can participate in the design of the garden areas and gain experience in the local, ecological cultivation of useful plants. The main aim of their work is to provide opportunities for education and participation. Activities are open to everyone and range from sowing, planting and harvesting to seed production, processing and preserving vegetables, keeping bees to questions of community-based urban habitat design.The community also has its own farm shop where seeds, food and processed products are sold. (Ref. 1; Ref. 4) Numerous projects for recycling and upcycling, innovative cultivation methods, organic beekeeping, composting methods and post-fossil mobility use the Prinzessinnengarten as a platform for sustainable urban living. Artists also work in the garden with participatory methods on the question of how cities and their coexistence can be designed in a sustainable and resource-saving way. Outside the Prinzessinnengarten, offshoot gardens are set up and collaborations are developed to build nationwide and European networks. Through lectures, workshops, study visits and participatory research in the garden, we endeavour to include and further develop the topics associated with the Prinzessinnengarten in discussions and education. (Ref. 7) The project is located on a cemetery, which has been partially closed since 2016. This means that burials are no longer carried out on the site and the existing rights of use of the 500 or so remaining graves will no longer be extended after expiry. The church association lends the land to the project in exchange for maintenance work on the surrounding grounds. (Ref. 6) Website of the intervention https://prinzessinnengarten-kollektiv.net/ Principal problems Land use and Socio-economic change Agriculture/ crop production Unequal availability and access to public green spaces Health, Well-being and Social cohesion Social fragmentation and isolation Other Please specify other principal problem Loss of cultural heritage and traditional knowledge (Ref. 1) Implementation area characterization Climate Continental (Cold-summer humid continental, Cold-winter dry continental, Cold-summer dry continental) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address Hermannstraße 99-105 12051 Berlin Germany 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 Google Maps (https://www.google.de/maps/place/Prinzessinnengarten+Jacobi/@52.4687237,13.4251257,188m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x47a84fb31fd1aae9:0xe9fd9a0ebf1c80a2!8m2!3d52.4692307!4d13.4297416!16s%2Fg%2F11h6r_glf5!5m1!1e4?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkzMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) Total area 75000.00m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Other Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS Cemetery Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2018 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2019 End date of the intervention ongoing Present stage of the intervention Ongoing 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention To create opportunities for education and communal participation and involvement in decision making processes and implementation To improve waste management (Ref. 1) To preserve native and rare crops. (Ref. 7) To create free spaces for intercultural exchange in a public environment. (Ref. 5) To learn and share cultural agricultural traditions. (Ref. 1) To preserve free urban green spaces and introduce new management approaches to unconventional green spaces (Ref. 5) Key Priorities Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Environmental quality Waste management Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Habitat and biodiversity conservation Cultural heritage and cultural diversity Preservation of historic traditions Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16) Inclusive governance Effective management Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social interaction Environmental education Sense of community and community engagement Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12) Sustainable consumption Sustainable production Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention? Species-focused Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Protect and enhance urban habitats Create new habitats Protect species Undertake specific measures to protect native species Undertake specific measures to protect endangered species Means for conservation governance Protect and apply traditional knowledge and conservation practices Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities The community garden was founded in 2009 in Berlin Kreuzberg and was structured as a mobile urban community garden. After 10 years of activities, the organization moved to the St Jacobi graveyard in Neukölln. (Ref. 1) Looking for free space, the organization contacted the Protestant Cemetery Association and was invitated to implement a garden on free green space on the St Jacobi cemetery in 2018/2019, funded by the Berlin Programme for Sustainable Development (BENE). (Ref. 2; Ref. 5) Before the implementation, people using the cemetery were asked for their opinion and consent on the gardening activities and university researchers tested the soil for pollution. (Ref. 5) In exchange for using the land, the community garden has to support the cemetery through maintenance work and helping its users. (Ref. 6) There are open gardening days, joint projects with daycare centres and schools, workshops on composting, seed production and preserving, collaborations with artists or neighbourhood initiatives. In the free eductaional programmes, topics such as crop diversity, organic farming, participation and sustainable urban development are dealt with. The produce is used privately by the volunteers, in the Café or sold to close by restaurants, whereby the profits support financing the project. Participation in the project is free of cost and open to everyone to learn and interact with other community members. Native and rare crops are used and harvested in traditional ways of farming. Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments) Maintenance and management of urban nature Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks) Protection of natural ecosystems Habitat conservation Transformation of previously derelict areas Transformation of vacant land into green spaces Knowledge creation and awareness raising Educational and awareness raising programs Improved governance of green or blue areas Creation of new, innovative governance and management approaches 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Community gardens and allotments Community gardens Horticulture Amenities offered by the NBS Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café) Design elements for well-being None of the above Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Provisioning services Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables) Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Recreation Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational) 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 The project is located in the district Neukölln. In 2023, 163.735 people lived there, of whom 58.977 were classified as foreigners (Ref. 8). In August 2024, 27.017 people were unemployed. (Ref. 9) Socio-economic profile of the area Unknown Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Non-government actors Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches Citizens or community groups Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Other Please specify "other primary beneficiary" Church Specify primary beneficiaries The church benefits from the project as the community garden takes over maintenance work that the church doesn't have to pay for and therefore is able to uphold the cemetery. (Ref. 6) As the project is open to the public and constitutes a community project, citizens can be identified as the main beneficiary. (Ref. 5) Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Native plant vegetation City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Led by non-government actors Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The project's initiation was funded by the Berlin Programme for Sustainable Development (BENE) through the regional government (Berlin Senate). The Protestant Cemetery Association Berlin City Centre provides the land for the project in exchange for maintenance work on the church grounds. (Ref. 2; Ref. 6) People connected to the intact graves were asked for permission for the project. Researchers from the TU Berlin cooperated with the organisation and tested the soil for pollution. (Ref. 5) The project is run by the NGO Nomadisch Grün gemeinnützige GmbH as a supporting organisation and implemented by citizens as volunteers. Key actors - initiating organization Non-government organisation/civil society Citizens or community group Other Please specify other key actors – Initiating organization Church/Protestant Cemetery Association Berlin City Centre (Ref. 1) Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Regional government Citizens or community group Researchers/university Stages of citizen and community engagement Planning and design (e.g. site selection, identification of key priorities) Decision-making among different alternative plans On-the-ground implementation Level of citizen and community engagement High Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Implementation of educational programs, workshops or trainings Support of local entrepreneurs or small business development related to the project Creation of collaborative decision-making processes that actively involve community members Establishment of mentorship programs or partnerships with local institutions (e.g. schools, kinder gardens, hospitals, nursing homes) Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping) Dissemination of information and education Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Community & Social Groups Churches and other religious organisations or faith communities Informal groups with joint interests (e.g. mothers with toddlers, runners, dog walkers) Land owners Church 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) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city) Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city : Berlin Programme for Sustainable Development (BENE) (Ref. 2) Governace and decison-making instruments Economic and fiscal instruments (e.g. subsidies or grants, charges or fees, payments for ecosystem services (PES)) 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? n/a Source(s) of funding Public regional budget Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget Non-financial contribution Yes Who provided the non-financial contribution? Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services) Citizens (e.g. volunteering) Type of non-financial contribution Provision of land Provision of labour Provision of expertise Co-finance for NBS No Entrepreneurship opportunities Yes What entrepreneurship opportunities have arisen from the NBS project? Sustainable agriculture or agroforestry businesses Eco-friendly product manufacturing What types of actors are leading the entrepreneurship activities linked to the NBS project? Local community groups/ citizens Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) What types of support are provided to entrepreneurs engaged in NBS-related activities? Access to research and innovation resources Business models Business models Vacant space model Green education model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation) Citizens / local communities 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Environmental quality Improved waste management Achieved improved waste management Green space and habitat Increased green space area Achieved increased green space area Increased number of species present Achieved increased number of species present Please specify other economic impact Support of local companies Description of environmental benefits Improved waste management: " Every year, we convert organic waste from the garden into a total of around 15 tonnes of compost, which is used to fertilise the garden." (Ref. 7) --Achieved increased green space area: ". This new location is very large at 7.5 hectares and close to nature; the community garden is located in the middle of this natural area that has grown over 100 years. Here we are trying to let the garden grow communally in harmony with the needs of all users" (Ref. 1) --Achieved increased number of species present: " a Protestant cemetery is testing the cultivation of vegetables using urban gardening: gardening in the 'god's acre'. The expression "looking at the radishes from below" is also taking on a new meaning." (Ref. 6); "On a lawn in the middle part of the cemetery, the young gardeners have set up 60 raised beds, all made from rough boards and each measuring one square meter. Helpers are currently filling one of the boxes with compost soil. Vegetables and herbs are already sprouting from others." (Ref. 6) Economic impacts Generation of income from NBS Achieved generation of income from NBS Other Description of economic benefits Support of local companies: "We partly process vegetables and herbs directly from the garden and try to support small, organic producers from the region by buying additional ingredients." (Ref. 7) Generation of income from the NBS: "The Prinzessinnengarten also works in other places. In recent years, our horticulture team has created over 140 other large and small kitchen gardens for kindergartens, schools and other institutions. [...] The income from these horticultural programmes helps to finance the Prinzessinnengarten and opens up income opportunities for those involved." (Ref. 7) Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved social cohesion Expected improved social cohesion Safety Increased perception of safety Achieved increased perception of safety Description of social and cultural benefits Improved social cohesion: "The key concept of what is really important to me and what we are doing here is: we are creating a place of good neighbourliness" (Ref. 5) Increased perception of safety: "The Gladoschs feel safer now that the princess gardeners are present in the cemetery. This has driven away addicts who were still using drugs in the seclusion of the cemetery not long ago." (Ref. 6) 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 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 Unknown Description of locals satisfaction with the project Users of the cemetery were glad about the existence and presence of the community garden, as it increased their perception of safety. Before the project was implemented, the space was used by people for drug intake and dealing. The presence of the community garden made these people leave the space. (Ref. 6) Trade-offs & Negative impacts Social justice and conflicts Displacement of vulnerable or marginalized communities Please specify Trade-offs & Negative impacts Selected Before the project was implemented, the space was used by people for drug intake and dealing. The presence of the community garden made these people leave the space. (Ref. 6) 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 No initiatives or policies were implemented 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. Reaching original project goals Most of the project goals were achieved Please specify the achievements of the project goals Biodiversity goals: Improved waste management: " Every year, we convert organic waste from the garden into a total of around 15 tonnes of compost, which is used to fertilise the garden." (Ref. 7) --Achieved increased green space area: ". This new location is very large at 7.5 hectares and close to nature; the community garden is located in the middle of this natural area that has grown over 100 years. Here we are trying to let the garden grow communally in harmony with the needs of all users" (Ref. 1) --Achieved increased number of species present: " a Protestant cemetery is testing the cultivation of vegetables using urban gardening: gardening in the 'god's acre'. The expression "looking at the radishes from below" is also taking on a new meaning." (Ref. 6); "On a lawn in the middle part of the cemetery, the young gardeners have set up 60 raised beds, all made from rough boards and each measuring one square meter. Helpers are currently filling one of the boxes with compost soil. Vegetables and herbs are already sprouting from others." (Ref. 6) Social justice and community: Improved social cohesion: "The key concept of what is really important to me and what we are doing here is: we are creating a place of good neighbourliness" (Ref. 5) Increased perception of safety: "The Gladoschs feel safer now that the princess gardeners are present in the cemetery. This has driven away addicts who were still using drugs in the seclusion of the cemetery not long ago." (Ref. 6) Long-term perspective Yes Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts C. Unknown Transformative capacity Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them) Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Magnitude of change Transformative: (deep) by focusing on and substantially changing structures, including institutional ones (norms and rules). Application of lessons learned The NBS has been shared or used as a good practice to trigger transformative change Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Prinzessinnengarten Kollektiv Berlin (n.d.). Über uns. Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Prinzessinnengarten Kollektiv Berlin (n.d.). Der Neue St. Jacobi Friedhof. Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Prinzessinnengarten Kollektiv Berlin (n.d.). Spenden. Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Prinzessinnengarten Kollektiv Berlin (n.d.). Unser Hofladen. Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Hempel, C. & Werner, N. (2024). Modellprojekt: Gärtnern zwischen Gräbern. Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Kästner, S. (2019). Urban-Gardening auf Friedhöfen: Gurken auf Gräbern. Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. Prinzessinnengarten Kollektiv Berlin (n.d.). FAQ. Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 8. District Office Neukölln (n.d.). Einwohnerregisterstatistik. Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 9. District Office Neukölln (n.d.). Arbeitsmarktreport für Berlin-Süd (Neukölln). Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Additional insights The funding provided by the State of Berlin was only for the initiation of the project, the organisation behind the community garden does not receive any basic institutional funding. (Ref. 3) Public Images Image The Prinzessinnengarten Prinzessinnengarten Kollektiv Berlin / nomadisch grün Image Surrounded by graves: the Prinzessinnen community garden in Neukölln Prinzessinnengarten Kollektiv Berlin / nomadisch grün Image Urban Gardening in Cemeteries https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/urban-gardening-auf-friedhoefen-gurken-auf-graebern-100.html Image Urban Gardening in Cemeteries https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/urban-gardening-auf-friedhoefen-gurken-auf-graebern-100.html
Image Surrounded by graves: the Prinzessinnen community garden in Neukölln Prinzessinnengarten Kollektiv Berlin / nomadisch grün
Image Urban Gardening in Cemeteries https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/urban-gardening-auf-friedhoefen-gurken-auf-graebern-100.html
Image Urban Gardening in Cemeteries https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/urban-gardening-auf-friedhoefen-gurken-auf-graebern-100.html
