1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Berlin (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Urbaner Freiraum in Berlins historischer Mitte Short description of the intervention Located between the Rotes Rathaus, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, Nikolai Quarter, Spreeufer and the television tower, the old founding centre of Berlin is one of the capital's most important urban open spaces. This open space between the TV tower and the Spree is being redesigned on the basis of an international open space planning competition and many years of public participation. With further development, this touristically significant location in the historic centre of Berlin will undergo a climate-resilient redesign and upgrade with great design and functional quality. (Ref. 1) The listed areas of the Rathausforum and the Marx-Engels-Forum will in future be connected to form a continuous ribbon of open space that runs from Alexanderplatz to the Spree. Central areas will be unsealed and green spaces will be created that can be used in a variety of ways, which will also be attractive places to spend time and improve the microclimate. Trees and shrubs will be planted on already existing and new green areas. The aim is to respectfully consider the numerous visible and hidden historical references and at the same time transform the site into a sustainable urban open space that combines a high quality of recreation, sustainability and culture. Next to plants, a new rainwater management system is being implemented that stores rainwater and uses the created green spaces to evaporate water. Playgrounds and a water fountain are further additions to a new recreational area. (Ref. 3; Ref. 4; Ref. 5) The project is characterized by a years-long participation process. Around 10.000 citizens participated in feedback rounds, workshops, dialogues, and information sessions in which they could voice they wishes and ideas for the area. The project is implemented and organized by the state-owned company Grün Berlin, which engage with various stakeholders since 2015. Preparations for the construction start in late 2024 and the project is expected to be finished in 2030. (Ref. 5; Ref. 9) Website of the intervention https://gruen-berlin.de/projekte/urbane-freiraeume/rathaus-und-marx-engels-foru… Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Urban flooding (stormwater) Heat stress & Extreme temperatures Health, Well-being and Social cohesion Inadequate access to recreational opportunities Implementation area characterization Climate Continental (Cold-summer humid continental, Cold-winter dry continental, Cold-summer dry continental) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address Rathausstraße 1 10178 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 https://entwicklungsstadt.de/ab-winter-2024-start-der-gruenen-umgestaltung-des-rathausforums/# Ref. 4 Total area 72000.00m² NBS area 5000.00m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Roads / Roadsides Public Greenspace Area Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2015 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2024 End date of the intervention 2030 Present stage of the intervention Ongoing 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention To transform the historic city center into an urban free space that respectfully considers its culture and history. (Ref. 1) To create a recreational space that integrates culture and sustainability within the densely built city center. (Ref. 1) To improve the microclimate by establishing new green spaces and enhancing existing ones through tree and shrub planting. (Ref. 1; Ref. 4) To create barrier-free access to the banks of the Spree. (Ref. 3) To improve local rainwater management. To include the inhabitants of Berlin in decision making processes (Ref. 1) Key Priorities Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation) Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13) Climate change adaptation 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 Water management (SDG 6) Stormwater and rainfall management and storage Cultural heritage and cultural diversity Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16) Inclusive governance Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social justice and equity Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities The plans that have been drawn up envisage barrier-free access to the banks of the Spree, leisure, sports and play areas for all age groups in the groves of trees to the side and innovative rainwater management (Ref. 3) In future, a water feature with refreshing fountains or clouds of mist at the foot of the staircase will provide a cooling effect. The current, relatively steep slope to the banks of the Spree will be flattened and equipped with new steps. A ramp will provide barrier-free access to the riverbank area and overcome the existing height difference. Around 5,000 square metres of space will be unsealed, and new and versatile greenery will be planted to provide shadow and lower the local temperature, additional to the already existing green space. An innovative rainwater management and infiltration system is turning the historic centre of Mitte into a vibrant sponge city. Instead of running off via the sewage system, the rainwater remains on site and is used directly on the green areas and evaporates, thereby contributing to the cooling of the area, or contributing to groundwater formation. The citizens‘ dialogue “Alte Mitte - Neue Liebe” began in 2015, during which participants defined citizens’ guidelines. Initiated by the then Senate Department for Urban Development and Housing, the dialogue was continued with Stadtwerkstatt Berliner Mitte. Based on the results, an international open space planning ideas competition was held in 2021. Construction starts in 2024. Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of any other green urban spaces Maintenance and management of urban nature Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks) Improved governance of green or blue areas Establishment of inclusive governance mechanisms involving local communities 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Grey infrastructure featuring greens Alley or street trees and other street vegetation Parks and urban forests Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces Amenities offered by the NBS Playgrounds Other Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS Water play/fountain (Ref. 4) Design elements for well-being Olfactory elements (e.g., floral scents, earthy smells) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Regulating services Local climate regulation (temperature reduction) Flood regulation Cultural services Recreation Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area In 2023, 397.279 people lived in Berlin Mitte, the district where the project is located. (Ref. 7) The average age is 39,3 years old. 23% of the population in Mitte were at risk of poverty in 2022, i.e. lived on less than 60% of the median income of the population as a whole. In 2022, 5.2% of the working-age population was unemployed. (Ref. 8) Socio-economic profile of the area Unknown Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Non-government actors Private sector/Corporate/Business Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries The primary beneficiaries of the project are citizens as the area is redesigned to increase the recreational and ecological value of the space. As the project also includes a barrier-free redesign of the Spree area, people with mobility limitations benefit from the project in particular. (Ref. 3) Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality) Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 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 Grün Berlin, represented by the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment, is responsible for the client function and overall project management. (Ref. 1) The planning was conducted by two local landscape architecture and engineering companies. The state of Berlin and federal government is financing the project. (Ref. 2) The Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing and the Mitte district led the participation processes to which citizens were invited. Further stakeholders involved in the plannign process were the Mitte District Office, the Roads and Green Spaces Office, the Waterways and Shipping Office and other state-owned companies: city cleaning, transport networks and water utility service. Two NGOs were engaged with the youth interaction and workshops. (Ref. 9) Key actors - initiating organization Regional government Private sector/corporate actor/company Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) National government Local government/municipality Public sector institution Non-government organisation/civil society Citizens or community group Stages of citizen and community engagement Planning and design (e.g. site selection, identification of key priorities) Level of citizen and community engagement Moderate Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Creation of collaborative decision-making processes that actively involve community members Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping) Dissemination of information and education Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls) Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Public Services Schools Public transport authorities: railway, bus, airports Infrastructure & Management Canal and river trusts/boards Utility companies: water, sewage, etc. 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 Unknown Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships) Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. Grün Berlin, represented by the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment, is responsible for the client function and overall project management. (Ref. 1) The planning was conducted by two local landscape architecture and engineering companies. The state of Berlin and federal government is financing the project. (Ref. 2) Governace and decison-making instruments Economic and fiscal instruments (e.g. subsidies or grants, charges or fees, payments for ecosystem services (PES)) Public - private business agreement (e.g. public private collaborations, public-private-partnerships (PPP)) Arrangements for governance cooperation Formal coordination mechanisms to oversee project implementation and decision-making (e.g., multi-stakeholder steering committees, working groups) Barriers A change in governance through regional elections led to a change in priorities regarding urban development. Already existing disputes about whether the area should be greened and modernised or redeveloped into its former, historic shape were fostered by this change. Ultimately, the previous developed planned were continued based on the participation processes and voiced wishes from citizens. (Ref. 4) Financing Total cost More than €4,000,000 Please specify total cost (EUR) approx. € 33.9 million (net) (Ref. 2) What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? n/a Source(s) of funding Public national budget 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 expertise Co-finance for NBS Yes Co-governance arrangement Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities No Business models Business models Green densification model Urban offsetting model (biodiversity or water) Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Climate change Lowered local temperature Expected lowered local temperature Water management and blue areas Improved stormwater management Expected improved stormwater management Green space and habitat Increased green space area Expected increased green space area Increased number of species present Expected increased number of species present Description of environmental benefits Lowered local temperature: "Plenty of greenery is planned, with trees that provide shade and water that contributes to cooling [...]" (Ref. 6) --Expected increased green space area: " "After a six-year participation process and ten guidelines, it was finally clear: the 7.2 hectare site should not be built on, but should become a non-commercial "green oasis"" (Ref. 5) --Expected increased number of species present: "Leisure and recreation areas will be created under the crowns of the old trees, around 160 new trees will be planted and paths laid out. " (Ref. 5) --Expected improved stormwater management: "The planners have also thought about rainwater management. An underground drainage system will collect the rain and allow it to slowly seep into the green areas. Down by the Spree, however, the rainwater will continue to flow into the river. The paths will be raised by a few centimeters. This will allow puddles to form and water the greenery." (Ref. 5) Environmental impact indicators Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced 160 trees will be planted (Ref. 5) Economic impacts Unknown Description of economic benefits Unknown Social and cultural impacts Health and wellbeing Gain in activities for recreation and exercise Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise Description of social and cultural benefits --Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise: " The edge areas will be reserved for culture, creativity and leisure. In addition to trees, new shrubs and woody plants will be planted in the ground. " (Ref. 5) 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 Meetings with stakeholders’ representatives Inclusion of diverse stakeholders in project governance processes (e.g. planning, implementation, monitoring, etc.) Clear communication channels for stakeholders to provide feedback, raise concerns, and ask questions about the project Online disclosure of technical reports (e.g. project documents, reports, or data) Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Description of locals satisfaction with the project Unknown Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Please specify Trade-offs & Negative impacts Selected Unknown 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) Yes Goal setting and impacts delivery No, although benefits were delivered in all the 3 key areas, but in the planning phase, the project did not aim to address issues in all the 3 key priority areas. Reaching original project goals Inconclusive as the project is still undergoing implementation, or is still on its planning stages Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project Transformative capacity Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Technical change (e.g. built infrastructure of cities and their parts, roads, buildings and so on) 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. Grün Berlin (n.d.). Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum. Accessed on September 27, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Grün Berlin (n.d.). Daten & Fakten. Accessed on September 27, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Grün Berlin (2023). Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum: Planungen zur Weiterentwicklung schreiten voran. Accessed on September 27, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Leffler, B. (2024). Ab Winter 2024: Start der grünen Umgestaltung des Rathausforums. Accessed on September 27, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Kieffert, U. (2023). Pläne für Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum werden konkret. Accessed on September 27, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment (2021). Freiraumwettbewerb Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum in Berlins historischer Mitte entschieden. Accessed on September 27, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. District Office Mitte (n.d.). Einwohner*innen im Bezirk Mitte. Accessed on September 27, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 8. District Office Mitte (n.d.). Demografische und sozioökonomische Daten. Accessed on September 27, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 9. Grün Berlin (n.d.). Kollektiv koordiniert. Accessed on September 27, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Additional insights participation in implementation and planning process: The further development of the inner city open space in Berlin's historic centre has been carried out together with citizens from the very beginning. The dialogue process Berliner Mitte ‘Alte Mitte - neue Liebe’ was carried out in 2015 with the participation of over 10,000 Berliners and visitors. This resulted in ten citizens' guidelines as a basis for the further development of the urban space. The dialogue process was continued in 2018 with the Stadtwerkstatt Berliner Mitte and an international open space planning ideas and realisation competition was held in 2021 based on the results. The design by RMP Stephan Lenzen Landschaftsarchitekten (RMPSL) came out on top. There will be further opportunities for participation and information during the ongoing realisation process. In the autumn, a youth participation event is planned for the leisure areas that have not yet been worked out in detail. (Ref. 3) Public Images Image Envisioned green development of the central space Grün Berlin GmbH Image Green and water spaces for cooling Grün Berlin GmbH Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093 Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093 Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093 Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093 Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093 Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093
Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093
Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093
Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093
Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093
Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093
Image Rathaus- und Marx-Engels-Forum https://www.berliner-woche.de/mitte/c-bauen/plaene-fuer-rathaus-und-marx-engels-forum-werden-konkret_a385041#gallery=default&pid=441093
