1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Berlin (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Multifunktionales Wasserbecken im neuen Spreepark Short description of the intervention The former Kulturpark Plänterwald, once the only permanent amusement park in the GDR, closed in 2001 due to declining visitor numbers. Over time, the 23-hectare site became a ‘lost place,’ falling into disrepair. In 2014, the state of Berlin reacquired the area, and two years later, Grün Berlin initiated its redevelopment with a sustainable development concept that places significant emphasis on rainwater management. The project’s goal is to avoid discharging rainwater into the sewer system and instead manage all precipitation on-site. This approach addresses both heavy rainfall events and extreme drought conditions, creating a sustainable rainwater management system. A central element of this concept is the historic but dried-up water basin located near the iconic Ferris wheel. Plans include redesigning and reactivating the basin, incorporating terraces and a shallow water zone, transforming it into a key part of the rainwater cycle while providing an attractive recreational and adventure area. (Ref. 1; Ref. 2) In the future, the water basin will no longer be purely decorative but will serve as a critical artificial water reservoir. To support this function, it will be equipped with a natural horizontal filter system featuring reeds for rainwater purification. Pre-treated water will flow into the newly designed 3,000-square-metre basin near the Ferris wheel. Rainwater collected in the basin, along with water stored in cisterns throughout the park, will irrigate the site’s vegetation. This innovative approach ensures sustainable water use and contributes to the ecological revitalization of the park. (Ref. 1; Ref. 3) By integrating sustainable rainwater management into its redevelopment, the former Kulturpark Plänterwald is being transformed into a resilient and environmentally conscious space, combining historical preservation with modern ecological practices. Website of the intervention https://www.spreepark.berlin/ Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Urban flooding (stormwater) Drought Heat stress & Extreme temperatures Implementation area characterization Climate Continental (Cold-summer humid continental, Cold-winter dry continental, Cold-summer dry continental) Ecosystem Other Please specify other ecosystem Pond Address Kiehnwerderallee 1-3 12437 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 Reference 3, sustainability concept https://www.spreepark.berlin/fileadmin/spreepark/images/08_PDFs_und_Dokumente/spreepark_dokumente_nachhaltigkeitskonzeption_buerohappold_2022_reduziert.pdf Photo 2: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Spreepark/@52.4797517,13.475237,3814m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x47a84fae2e0a098b:0x4227d1582150588b!2sSpreepark+Jurassic+Park+Dinosaurs!8m2!3d52.4857485!4d13.4917326!16s%2Fg%2F11gjxtbnzx!3m5!1s0x47a84f242540c3a3:0xcd9e29eb2b539c51!8m2!3d52.4840998!4d13.4910951!16s%2Fg%2F11xxqbzky?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTExNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D Total area 230000.00m² NBS area 3250.00m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Vacant or abandoned land Other Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS Amusement park Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2014 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2023 End date of the intervention 2025 Present stage of the intervention Ongoing 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention To refurbish the former water basin into a retention pond as part of a sustainable rainwater management system to relieve the Berlin sewage system. (Ref. 1) To create diverse biotopes, including a water biotope (water basin) and a wetland biotope (soil filter zone), to support plants and animals. (Ref. 1) To cool the microclimate through evaporation processes. (Ref. 1) To irrigate approximately 10,200 square metres of vegetation areas. (Ref. 1) To create a recreational area around the pond. To include citizens in decision making processes (Ref. 1) Key Priorities Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation) Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) 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 Water management (SDG 6) Stormwater and rainfall management and storage Improvements to water quality Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16) Inclusive governance Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities In terms of design and function, the new water basin will be linked to the old one. The modelling of the formerly purely decorative water basin will be retained and will be used for water purification in the future by establishing a bottom filter. The new circular water basin will have a future capacity of 3,700 cubic metres. Together with the cisterns distributed throughout the park, the new 3,000 square metre water basin will be used to feed the irrigation systems, among other things to ensure local rainwater management. The available rainwater will be used primarily to irrigate around 10,200 sqm of vegetation. The development of the water basin and the surroundings will also favour the habitat conditions for plants and animals in the future and ensure the ecological diversity of the site. The plausible idea sketch envisages a round water basin with partially shallow bank zones, which are suitable as amphibian habitats, among other things. As an open water area, it also contributes to cooling the microclimate through evaporation and at the same time relieves the Berlin sewerage system. (Ref. 1) The state of Berlin bought the area in 2014. The reopening of the park is realised with participation of citizens, artists and various stakeholders throughout several implementation steps that included feedback rounds, workshops and voicing preferences from 2016 to 2020. (Ref. 4) The water basin and adjacent Ferris wheel will be finished in late 2024 and open to the public in 2025. Type of NBS project Creation of semi-natural blue areas Creation of lakes or ponds Creation of artificial wetlands 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 Blue infrastructure Lakes/ponds In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors Riverbank/Lakeside greens Amenities offered by the NBS Unknown Design elements for well-being None of the above Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Provisioning services Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes) Regulating services Local climate regulation (temperature reduction) Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Recreation Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The project is located in the district Treptow-Köpenick. 294.081 people life there with 42,7% of the citizens being between 25 and 55 years old. The average age is 43,7 years old. 70.981 (24,1 %) people have a diverse ethnic background and a German citizenship and 48.286 (16,4 %) people are classified as foreigners. (Ref. 5) 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 project doesn't mention beneficiaries. Based on the goals, citizens can be considered to benefit the most based on the recreational value of the project. (Ref. 1) Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Co-governance with government and non-government actors Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The Senate Department for the Environment, Mobility, Consumer and Climate Protection is responsible for the project and the state-owned company Grün Berlin is the official client. The state Berlin and national government funded the project and the state Berlin owns the park space. Two engineering and architecture companies planned the project. (Ref. 1) Citizens and stakeholders from politics, administration, art and nature conservation were invited to various participation workshops, feedback and planning rounds. (Ref. 4) After the official two participation rounds ended, a participation lab was created to ensure a continuous participation of citizens and stakeholders in the implementation and existence of the park. (Ref. 4) Key actors - initiating organization Regional government Private sector/corporate actor/company Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) 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) Decision-making among different alternative plans Feedback during project implementation (e.g. review sessions) Level of citizen and community engagement High Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Implementation of educational programs, workshops or trainings 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) Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling) Dissemination of information and education Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls) 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 Yes Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan Due to the park's location in drinking water protection zone III B, special requirements for infiltration must be observed, which is part of the Federal Water Act (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz, WHG, in German). Priority must be given to finding solutions on the site itself. The aim is to avoid discharging rainwater into the sewerage system and to manage all rainwater that accumulates in the project area directly on site wherever possible. (Ref. 2) The retention pond supports this aim. If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme/type of the plan National Water Plan/Strategy NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Unknown Mandatory or voluntary intervention Mandatory (based on policy) Intervention is mandatory Other Please specify other type of mandatory intervention Water regulation (Ref. 2) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Unknown Governace and decison-making instruments Legislative and regulatory instruments (e.g. laws, strategies, regulations or restrictions) Educational and knowledge sharing instruments (e.g. science/ living labs, awareness raising campaigns, specific educational programs, green hubs) Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers Unknown Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) Ferris wheel & water basin: 6.4 Million € The funds required for the reinstallation and redesign of the Ferris wheel and water basin were funded up to an amount of 2.88 Million € from the federal programme for the refurbishment of municipal facilities in the areas of sport, youth and culture. 3.52 Million € will be provided by the state of Berlin. (Ref. 1) 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) Type of non-financial contribution Provision of land Co-finance for NBS Yes Co-governance arrangement Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities No Business models Business models Vacant space model 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 Increased protection against flooding Expected increased protection against flooding Green space and habitat Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems Description of environmental benefits Lowered local temperature: "As an open water surface, it also contributes to cooling the microclimate through evaporation and at the same time relieves the burden on Berlin's sewerage system." (Ref. 1) Increased protection against flooding: "As an open water surface, it also contributes to cooling the microclimate through evaporation and at the same time relieves the burden on Berlin's sewerage system." (Ref. 1) Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems: "The development of the water basin and the surrounding area of the large canal drive will also favour future habitat conditions for plants and animals and ensure ecological diversity at the site." (Ref. 1) Environmental impact indicators Water retention capacity (m³ or %) 3700m³ (Ref. 1) Other indicators approx. 15,000 cubic metres of water to be extracted each year for irrigation (Ref. 2) Economic impacts Unknown Description of economic benefits Unknown Social and cultural impacts Unknown Description of social and cultural benefits 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 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) 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 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 C. Unknown 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 Reformist: by focusing on addressing underlying drivers of change but failing to address the problem structurally or systemically Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Grün Berlin (2022). Factsheet: Spreepark I Transformation Riesenrad und Wasserbecken . Accessed on September 26, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Schmidt, C. (2023). Klimaresiliente Stadtentwicklung für Berlin. Accessed on September 26, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Buro Happold (2021). Spreepark: Nachhaltigkeitskonzeption. Accessed on September 26, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Grün Berlin (n.d.). Der neue Spreepark: Ein Berliner Gemeinschaftswerk. Accessed on September 26, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. District Office Treptow-Köpenick (n.d.). Treptow-Köpenick in Zahlen. Accessed on September 26, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Additional insights As the project is still being implemented/constructed there is no monitoring or assessment report available. But the park has a sustainability concept that features the retention pond and water system. Reference 3 is the report. Public Images Image Envisioned look of the Ferris wheel and retention pond realities:united Image Idea of how the pond and adjacent Ferris wheel will look like realities:united Image Spreepark https://stadtundgruen.de/artikel/klimaresiliente-19031 Image Spreepark https://stadtundgruen.de/artikel/klimaresiliente-19031 Image Spreepark https://stadtundgruen.de/artikel/klimaresiliente-19031 Image Spreepark https://stadtundgruen.de/artikel/klimaresiliente-19031 Image Spreepark https://stadtundgruen.de/artikel/klimaresiliente-19031 Image Spreepark https://stadtundgruen.de/artikel/klimaresiliente-19031
