1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Gdansk (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Growroom – sferyczny ogród społeczny w Gdańsku Short description of the intervention The Growroom is a spherical urban garden made of plywood, designed as a temporary installation in Gdańsk’s Strzyża district. Originally created by Danish architects Sine Lindholm and Mads-Ulrik Husum, the structure was adapted for this location as part of a collaborative initiative. It provides a small, functional space where residents can plant and enjoy greenery within the city. In Gdańsk, the Growroom was used to cultivate flowers, herbs, and strawberries, with the plant selection curated by Joanna Paniec, a specialist in the city’s green initiatives. A central bench within the structure offers a simple resting spot for visitors. While visually appealing, the installation primarily served as a short-term experiment in integrating greenery into urban settings. The project was co-financed by the Danish Cultural Institute, the Danish Ministry of Culture, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Environmental Department of the Gdańsk City Office. It was brought to Gdańsk by the Polish foundation Kultura nad Kulturą and conceptualized by Agnieszka Wołodźko, a painter, exhibition curator, and author of the blog Pomiędzy sztuką a życiem. The installation was in place from [add dates if available], after which maintenance was handed over to the local community. The Growroom was not intended as a long-term urban feature but rather as a temporary initiative to explore the role of small-scale green spaces in cities. While it provided a brief opportunity for local engagement with urban gardening, it was ultimately a short-lived addition to the district. (1-4) Website of the intervention https://malaojczyzna.pomyslodalnia.pl/growroom-sferyczny-ogrod-spoleczny-w-gdan… Principal problems Land use and Socio-economic change Agriculture/ crop production Rapid urbanization Health, Well-being and Social cohesion 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 aleja Wojska Polskiego 80-980 Gdańsk Poland Location Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place Area boundary (map-based) Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Residential Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2021 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2021 End date of the intervention 2021 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention Demonstrate ways to introduce more greenery into urban areas. Offer a small-scale example of a peaceful environment where people could experience plants and nature. Encourage local involvement in a shared green space. Showcase how small urban gardens can support plant growth and urban gardening efforts. (1-4) Key Priorities Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social interaction Sense of community and community engagement Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12) Sustainable consumption Sustainable production Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities The Growroom is built from plywood and designed to take up minimal space by arranging plants vertically. The Growroom is designed as a sphere, ensuring light and water can reach plants at every level through overlapping circles (1). District councilors and residents participated in planting flowers, herbs, and strawberries in the structure. The Growroom serves as a space for relaxation, where residents can enter, sit, and be surrounded by the scents and colors of plants, promoting well-being. The selection of plants was made by Joanna Paniec, the main specialist for the city's green brand in the City Brand Department of the Mayor's Office (4).The originators, together with the residents of the area, planted plants in the ball (some of them were purchased by the Gdańsk City Hall's Environmental Department). A bench was placed in the middle, thanks to which one can relax from the hustle and bustle of the city surrounded by greenery and pleasant, fruity and floral aromas. It will be looked after by the local community. (4). Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments) 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 Amenities offered by the NBS Benches and drinking water stations Design elements for well-being Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation) Olfactory elements (e.g., floral scents, earthy smells) Tactile elements (e.g., natural materials like wood or stone, exposure to sunlight) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Provisioning services Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables) Cultural services Aesthetic appreciation Recreation Mental and physical health and wellbeing Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings) Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The district is inhabited by 5,420 people. The number of residents of this district has been constantly decreasing over the last few years. The district is characterized by a positive migration balance, which in 2016 amounted to +0.4 people per 1,000 residents of the district, and a negative natural increase, which in 2016 amounted to -5.5. As of December 31, 2016, the unemployment rate in the district was 3.3% (5 p. 241, 243). 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 Specify primary beneficiaries The project invites local residents to participate in the joint planting and maintenance of the garden, fostering collaboration and community engagement. The Growroom is designed to create a peaceful oasis where residents can relax, surrounded by the scents and colors of nature (2). Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Native plant vegetation 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 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 Growroom was designed by Danish designers Sine Lindholm and Mads-Ulrik Husum in collaboration with SPACE10, IKEA’s experimental research and design office in Copenhagen. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Danish Ministry of Culture, and the Department of the Environment of Gdansk co-financed the project. An NGO, Kultury nad Kulturą, organized and implemented the project, ensuring community involvement and managing events and activities. Joanna Paniec Paniec, the main specialist for the city's green brand in the City Brand Department of the Mayor’s Office in Gdańsk, contributed her expertise by designing the plantings. The community was able to participate in planting activities (1, 6). Key actors - initiating organization Non-government organisation/civil society Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) National government Local government/municipality Citizens or community group Private sector/corporate actor/company Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Danish Ministry of Culture (6) Stages of citizen and community engagement On-the-ground implementation Level of citizen and community engagement Limited Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Formation of community-led groups responsible for the the implementation, maintenace or monitoring of the project Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping) Taskforce groups Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Citizen monitoring and review 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 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 Support from transitional governance actors Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Danish Ministry of Culture, and the Department of the Environment of Gdansk co-financed the project. (1,6) Governace and decison-making instruments 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) Arrangements for governance cooperation Formal coordination mechanisms to oversee project implementation and decision-making (e.g., multi-stakeholder steering committees, working groups) Task forces or commissions (e.g. group of multi-disciplinary experts) 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? Unknown Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Multilateral funds/international funding Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget 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 goods Provision of labour Co-finance for NBS Yes Co-governance arrangement An NGO Entrepreneurship opportunities No Business models Business models Green densification model Green education model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts 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 --Expected increased green space area: "Built from plywood, it is designed for cities. Traditional farming takes up a lot of space, but the Growroom takes up a small area because the plants are placed vertically." (1) -Increased number of species present: "Planted flowers, herbs and strawberries on it. For now, the plants are small, but when they grow, the Growroom will turn into a green ball." (4) Economic impacts Unknown Description of economic benefits Unknown Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Increased access to healthy/affordable food Expected increased access to healthy/affordable food Cultural heritage and sense of place Improvement in people’s connection to nature Expected improvement in people’s connection to nature Description of social and cultural benefits -Increased access to healthy/affordable food: "Traditional farming takes up a lot of space, but Growroom takes up a small amount of space because the plants are placed vertically." (Ref. 1) -Improvement in people’s connection to nature: "It seeks to support our daily sense of well-being in cities by creating a small oasis or architecture that allows us to take a break from our dynamic social scene, allowing people to connect with nature." (Ref. 1) 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 Citizens or community group Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Outcome indicators 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 Inclusion of diverse stakeholders in project governance processes (e.g. planning, implementation, monitoring, etc.) 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 Most of the project goals were achieved Please specify the achievements of the project goals Social justice and community: -Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces: "It will be cared for by the local community." (Ref. 3) -Increased access to healthy/affordable food: "Traditional farming takes up a lot of space, but Growroom takes up a small amount of space because the plants are placed vertically." (Ref. 1) -Improvement in people’s connection to nature: "It seeks to support our daily sense of well-being in cities by creating a small oasis or architecture that allows us to take a break from our dynamic social scene, allowing people to connect with nature." (Ref. 1) Long-term perspective No 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) 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. Olszewska, M. (2021). Growroom – sferyczny ogród społeczny w Gdańsku. Mala Ojczyzna, Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Witkiewicz, A. (2021). Ogród społeczny na Placu Maczka. Strzyża, Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Niedzielak-Kowalska, A. (2021). Growroom. Sferyczny ogród stanął w Gdańsku. ELLE Decoration, Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Białas, K. (2021). Gdańsk: ustawili ogród w kształcie kuli. W środku rosną owoce i kwiaty. Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Urząd Miejski w Gdańsku (n.d.). Gdańskie dzielnice tu mieszkam tu działam STRZYŻA. Urząd Miejski w Gdańsku, Accessed on September 20, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Fundacja "Kultury ponad kulturą" (2020). Uwaga! Uwaga! Uruchamiamy nowy projekt pod nazwą GROWROOM.. Fundacja "Kultury ponad kulturą", Accessed on September 27, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image Spherical community garden in Gdansk Ref. 3 Image Spherical community garden in Gdansk Ref. 3 Image Spherical community garden in Gdansk Ref. 3 Image Growroom. https://www.whitemad.pl/gdansk-ustawili-ogrod-w-ksztalcie-kuli-w-srodku-rosna-owoce-i-kwiaty/ Image Growroom. https://www.whitemad.pl/gdansk-ustawili-ogrod-w-ksztalcie-kuli-w-srodku-rosna-owoce-i-kwiaty/ Image Growroom. https://www.whitemad.pl/gdansk-ustawili-ogrod-w-ksztalcie-kuli-w-srodku-rosna-owoce-i-kwiaty/ Image Growroom. https://www.whitemad.pl/gdansk-ustawili-ogrod-w-ksztalcie-kuli-w-srodku-rosna-owoce-i-kwiaty/ Image Growroom. https://www.whitemad.pl/gdansk-ustawili-ogrod-w-ksztalcie-kuli-w-srodku-rosna-owoce-i-kwiaty/
Image Growroom. https://www.whitemad.pl/gdansk-ustawili-ogrod-w-ksztalcie-kuli-w-srodku-rosna-owoce-i-kwiaty/
Image Growroom. https://www.whitemad.pl/gdansk-ustawili-ogrod-w-ksztalcie-kuli-w-srodku-rosna-owoce-i-kwiaty/
Image Growroom. https://www.whitemad.pl/gdansk-ustawili-ogrod-w-ksztalcie-kuli-w-srodku-rosna-owoce-i-kwiaty/
Image Growroom. https://www.whitemad.pl/gdansk-ustawili-ogrod-w-ksztalcie-kuli-w-srodku-rosna-owoce-i-kwiaty/
Image Growroom. https://www.whitemad.pl/gdansk-ustawili-ogrod-w-ksztalcie-kuli-w-srodku-rosna-owoce-i-kwiaty/
