1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Dublin (FUA) Region Europe Short description of the intervention This project aimed to create an urban forest that will grow within Dublin’s Darndale Park, which is popular among students and sports clubs. The objective is to offer the community a green area where they can gather, appreciate nature, and enhance their knowledge about it. The new forest will act as a windbreak for the nearby fishing pond and aims to address challenges related to heatwaves that endanger the lives of young and elderly people. To foster a sense of inclusion and unity, the forest is designed in a doughnut shape, consisting of 3,000 native species like oaks, birch, willow, and hazel, with the trees forming the outer ring (1, 2). This urban forestation initiative is a component of the Uforest project, which is funded by the European Commission and supported by Etifor (environmental consulting company established within the Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry of the University of Padua) and Ersaf (an instrumental body of the Lombardy Region) . The Uforest project seeks to enhance Europe's innovation capacity by fostering collaboration among universities, cities, and businesses to develop a novel approach to urban forestry (1). Website of the intervention https://www.wownature.eu/en/wow-area/darndale-donut/ Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Heat stress & Extreme temperatures Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Deforestation and forest degradation Health, Well-being and Social cohesion Mental health issues (stress, anxiety) Disconnection from nature Loss of sense of place and identity Poor community engagement Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address 88 Belcamp Gardens Priorswood Dublin D17 PW20 Ireland 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://www.wownature.eu/en/wow-area/darndale-donut/ Total area 4500.00m² NBS area 4500.00m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Public Greenspace Area Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2021 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2023 End date of the intervention 2023 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention The goals of the intervention focus on: - Provide the community with a green space to spend time together (enjoying nature and learning more about it) for recreational and educational activities while provide shelter and enhance an existing fishpond (1); - Raise awareness of the benefits urban green space can provide to both the environment and local communities while equipping students with basic skills in planting and caring for trees (8, 2); - Mitigate the effects of climate change while improving air quality, urban temperature and lifestyle of modern cities by planting a target of 3000 trees (2,5); - Support the local community by enhancing citizens' well-being and health, as well as promoting social inclusion, cohesion, and equity (2). 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 Environmental quality Air quality improvement Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Improving mental health Improving physical health Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social cohesion Social justice and equity Social interaction Environmental education Sense of community and community engagement Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect Reducing socio-economic vulnerability to climate impacts (e.g. awareness raising) What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention? Genetic-focused What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets? Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified) Public engagement Mental health and well-being objectives - Support the local community by enhancing citizens' well-being and health, as well as promoting social inclusion, cohesion, and equity (2). Mental health and well-being activities Tree planting Connection with nature and interactions with peers (8) Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities The forest was planted in December 2023 during the first European Urban Forest Week, transforming theory into practice (Etifor). Local school children and volunteers planted 3,000 native trees, including oak, birch, willow, and hazel, across 4,500 square meters. The goal was to raise awareness of the benefits of nature while equipping students with basic skills in planting and caring for trees (Ref. 8). Uforest, the initiator, focused on fostering innovation and knowledge in urban forestry. To achieve this, the project created high-quality materials and learning opportunities to enhance understanding of the potential benefits of urban forests (Ref. 2). Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests Maintenance and management of urban nature n.a. Knowledge creation and awareness raising Sustainable use of natural resources to improve livelihoods and food security (eg. community- based wildlife or forest management) Educational and awareness raising programs 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 Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces Amenities offered by the NBS Unknown Design elements for well-being None of the above Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Regulating services Local climate regulation (temperature reduction) Air quality regulation Cultural services Recreation Mental and physical health and wellbeing 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 Darndale, a district in the north of Dublin, is currently one of Ireland's most disadvantaged areas. Consequently, the Darndale Donut was created as both a forestry and social project. Developed in partnership with Trinity College Dublin, this urban forest aims to support the local community by enhancing citizens' well-being and health, as well as promoting social inclusion, cohesion, and equity (2). Socio-economic profile of the area Low-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Non-government actors Private sector/Corporate/Business Researchers, university Citizens or community groups Primary Beneficiaries Local government/Municipality Non-government organisation/Civil Society Researchers/University Citizens or community groups Young people and children Specify primary beneficiaries Local government/Municipality: the Dublin City Council and its parks department: “This initiative is vote of confidence in an area on a journey of significant advancement and will have major social and environmental benefits for Darndale and its surrounds,” Researchers/University: Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Business School: Part of the Uforest program, where the university "promotes and shares knowledge about urban forestry. Its aim is to foster the creation of town and city forests and greener, healthier, more resilient cities." (1,2) Citizens or community groups including young people and children and the Darndale Community, the Darndale implementation group : "Darndale Together Implementation Oversight Group, which is working to tackle anti-social behaviour in the area and improve community esteem, proposed the site." (4) Marginalized groups Children, young people or youth groups Other Please specify "other marginalized group" Drug and alcohol addicts (9) Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups Clients from the Dales drug and alcohol outreach support service took an opportunity to participate in a tree-planting activity. It is important to make them feel like a part of the community while creating some positive memories (9). Other beneficiaries Native plant vegetation Endangered species (flora and fauna) Natural habitats (e.g. wetland, forests, coastal areas) Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 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 Led by Trinity College Dublin’s Centre for Social Innovation, with support from Dublin City Council, who provided the site, trees and ongoing maintenance, the project involved pupils from Our Lady Immaculate National School and volunteers in planting native trees (Refs. 3, 5). The intervention is part of a EU co-funded project. For this project EU and several private sector actors provided the funds. Key actors - initiating organization Researchers/university Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Local government/municipality Citizens or community group Private sector/corporate actor/company EU body Stages of citizen and community engagement On-the-ground implementation Level of citizen and community engagement Moderate Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Formation of community-led groups responsible for the the implementation, maintenace or monitoring of the project 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") Public Services Schools Land owners Public space owned by the city Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Yes Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy" Cities4Forests Initiative, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, European Union Biodiversity Strategy 2030, European Union Nature Restoration Plan (14, p.38) 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" Dublin City Tree Strategy (14, p.56) Relevant strategy or plan City specific green space strategy or plan Mandatory or voluntary intervention Mandatory (based on policy) Intervention is mandatory Spatial planning law Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Support from transitional governance actors Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. Support from transnational governance actors: The initiative was part of the Uforest project, co-funded by the EU (1) Governace and decison-making instruments Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans) Economic and fiscal instruments (e.g. subsidies or grants, charges or fees, payments for ecosystem services (PES)) Public - community agreement (e.g. citizen science programs; citizen assemblies) Educational and knowledge sharing instruments (e.g. science/ living labs, awareness raising campaigns, specific educational programs, green hubs) Arrangements for governance cooperation Information-sharing platforms or networks (e.g. websites for sharing best practices, data or resources pertinent to the project) Barriers The project is completed, but there are no publicly available barriers to its implementation process. Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) Unknown What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? Unknown Source(s) of funding Corporate investment EU funds Type of fund(s) used Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities) 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 Co-finance for NBS Yes Co-governance arrangement A fund / grant Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Green education model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Environmental quality Improved protection against strong wind Expected improved protection against strong wind Green space and habitat Increased number of species present Achieved increased number of species present Description of environmental benefits - Improved protection against strong wind: "new forest will be a shelter from the wind to the adjacent fishing pond" (1); - Increased number of species present: "the Darndale Donut will be composed of 3000 native species, such as oaks, birch, willow and hazel" (2); Environmental impact indicators Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced 3000 Economic impacts Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation) Expected generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation) Description of economic benefits - Expected generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation): "the Darndale community will play a full part and be involved in maintenance as well tree planting activities" (3); Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved social cohesion Expected improved social cohesion Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples Expected increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples Increased opportunities for social interaction Expected increased opportunities for social interaction Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Cultural heritage and sense of place Improvement in people’s connection to nature Expected improvement in people’s connection to nature Education Increased knowledge of locals about local nature Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature Social and cultural impact indicators Number of community events, gatherings, or volunteer activities organized in green spaces 1 Description of social and cultural benefits - Improved social cohesion: "this urban forest aims at supporting the local community by improving the wellbeing and health of citizens, while enhancing social inclusion, cohesion and equity" (2); - Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples: "to help the clients that we work with feel part of the community. And some of them are planting trees for loved ones who have passed away; it is important for us to be out here with some of the clients that come to our centre to help them feel part of the community" (9); - Increased opportunities for social interaction: "the urban forest will grow to provide the community with a space to spend time together, enjoy nature and learn more about it" (5); - Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces: "through this initiative, individuals can forge a personal connection with the forest, nurturing it as it grows and contributing to the sustainable future of their community" (12); - Improvement in people’s connection to nature: :the outer ring of trees signifies the collective strength and togetherness of the community, enveloping a central space where people can congregate, play, learn, and bask in the embrace of nature "(12); - Increased knowledge of locals about local nature: "to raise awareness of the benefits of nature, while providing some basic skills to students to teach them how to plant and take care of trees" (5); Mental health benefits Increased feelings of nature connection Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Yes Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts Local government/municipality Researchers/university EU body Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Process indicators Progress indicators Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports Yes Link to monitoring/evaluation reports https://www.uforest.eu/news/project-updates/innovation-report/ Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools The Urban Forest Innovation Framework (UFIF) focuses on fostering innovation in urban forestry by identifying challenges specific to urban forests and aligning them with key economic, social, and environmental goals. The framework uses the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a tool to assess the impact of these innovative solutions, ensuring they address societal challenges within specific ecological, social, cultural, and economic contexts. The UFIF emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach that integrates science, technology, governance, and socio-economic development, ultimately contributing to the achievement of SDGs based on the unique challenges and contexts of each urban forest project (13). Link to the output of assessments https://www.uforest.eu/news/project-updates/innovation-report/ Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Community forums for information sharing and encouraging the participation of marginalized groups 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 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 Unknown 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 Some of the project goals were achieved Please specify the achievements of the project goals Green space creation: - Increased number of species present: "the Darndale Donut will be composed of 3000 native species, such as oaks, birch, willow and hazel" (2); Social justice and community: - Improved social cohesion: "this urban forest aims at supporting the local community by improving the wellbeing and health of citizens, while enhancing social inclusion, cohesion and equity" (2); - Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples: "to help the clients that we work with feel part of the community. And some of them are planting trees for loved ones who have passed away; it is important for us to be out here with some of the clients that come to our centre to help them feel part of the community" (9); - Increased opportunities for social interaction: "the urban forest will grow to provide the community with a space to spend time together, enjoy nature and learn more about it" (5); - Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces: "through this initiative, individuals can forge a personal connection with the forest, nurturing it as it grows and contributing to the sustainable future of their community" (12); - Improvement in people’s connection to nature: "the outer ring of trees signifies the collective strength and togetherness of the community, enveloping a central space where people can congregate, play, learn, and bask in the embrace of nature "(12) Long-term perspective Yes Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project 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 Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation 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. WOWnature (n.d.). Darndale Donut. WOWnature, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Uforest (n.d.). European Urban Forest Week. Uforest, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Fletcher, L. (2024). Initiative to see thousands of trees planted in Darndale. RTÉ, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Pacer (n.d.). Darndale Park. Pacer, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Trinity College Dublin (2023). Darndale urban forest collaboration led by Trinity and Dublin City Council. Trinity College Dublin, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Trinity College Dublin (2024). Green Week 2024 - 'Healthy Planet, Healthy People'. Trinity College Dublin, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. Nolan, J. (2020). Darndale: A Long View at an Enduring Challenge – A Socio Economic & Community Plan. Dublin City Council 2020, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 8. Darndale Together (2024). Darndale joins Barcelona and Milan in urban forest initiative. Darndale Together, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 9. Irish Independent (2023). Darndale community gathers to plant 3000 trees. Irish Independent, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 10. Dublin Guide (n.d.). Darndale Park. Dublin Guide, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 11. Etifor (n.d.). Uforest Project. Promoting a new approach to Urban Forestry in Europe. Etifor, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 12. WOWnature (2023). A new urban forest in Dublin. WOWnature, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 13. Pino, J., Florido, F., O’Driscoll, C., Doimo, I., Konijnendijk, C. (2020). Blueprint for Innovation in Urban Forestry . Uforest, p. 29 Accessed on August 8, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 14. Dublin City Council (2021). Dublin City Biodiversity Action Plan 2021-2025 . Dublin City Council, Accessed on August 12, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image Dublin’s Darndale Park Ref.1 Image Community planting trees in Dublin’s Darndale Park Ref. 3
