1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Genova
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Restauro del laghetto di Villa Doria
Short description of the intervention
The lake, which is fed by brook Rio Archetti, is located in the highest section of the park, immediately down from the Villa Doria camping ground, in an area of the public park that is not very frequented. It used to be in great decline, because of many maintenance and environmental factors. This intervention brought it back to its original estate, recreating the original historical and natural value the area had, highly popular among local residents as a green place where to enjoy calm and silence in the center of the city. (1,2)
Address

piazza Bonavino, 7
16156 Genova
Italy

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature
Cultural Heritage Area
Website of the intervention
http://www.liguriaheritage.it/heritage/en/EleganzaDelvivere/Genova.do;jsessioni…
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2009
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2011
End date of the intervention
2015
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
To recover the old artificial lake of the park, which was in serious derelict estate (1).
Quantitative targets
Unknown.
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown.
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Water management (SDG 6)
Improvements to water quality
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of natural heritage
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Ecosystem-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Implementation activities
Recovery of a derelict artificial lake that used to be a local tourist attraction and an area for locals to relax and enjoy the outdoors. The lake was closed and covered by soil, which provoked several environmental issues, including the invasion of insects due to the highly humid (swamp-like) area. The soil was removed, the entire area restored and the lake went back to its original state (1 and 2).
The lake has been returned to its original maximum depth of 7 metres which, because of the work that was carried out during the 70s, had to be reduced to 70 cm for safety reasons (1).
With the restoration work begun in 2011, the lake was first emptied (the land was transported to the upper part of the park with conveyor belts) and it was completely cleaned up (2).
Type of NBS project
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Transformation of previously derelict areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Blue infrastructure
Lakes/ponds
Vegetation Type
Other
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Water purification / filtration
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Young people and children
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The Liguria Region led the project in cooperation with the Municipality of Genova, community groups and local associations (2). The Municipality of Genova coordinated the recovery works, in cooperation with citizens groups and local associations (2).
The project received EU funds (1 and 2).
Key actors - initiating organization
Regional government
Local government/municipality
Land owners
Other
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
EU body
Regional government
Local government/municipality
Non-government organisation/civil society
Citizens or community group
District/neighbourhood association
Land owners
Other
Please specify other land owner
The NBS was implemented in a park that hosts an artificial lake. The area is owned by the city of Genova (1)
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Dissemination of information and education
Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Please specify other landowner
The NBS was implemented in a park that hosts an artificial lake. The area is owned by the city of Genova (1)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an 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
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
With the Development of the Natural and Cultural Resources of Liguria Project (Level 4 of the ROP ERDF 2007-2013) it was possible to intervene and restore the antique aspect of both the park and the lake (1).
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
Project focusing on the environmental recovery of a derelict area in the city (1).
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Please specify other vegetation type
recover old artificial lake of the park (1) land cleaned (2)
Approx. 5000 plants originally from Liguria (Ref 3)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The Liguria Region led the project in cooperation with the Municipality of Genova, community groups and local associations (2).
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The project received EU funds (1 and 2).
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€500,000 - €2,000,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
€ 1.000.000 (2).
Source(s) of funding
EU funds
Public national budget
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Please specify other Business model
Blue heritage model
Business models
Urban offsetting model (biodiversity or water)
Other
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Technological
Infrastructural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
Recovery of a derelict artificial lake that used to be a local tourist attraction and an area for locals to relax and enjoy the outdoors. The lake was closed and covered by soil, which provoked several environmental issues, including the invasion of insects due to the highly humid (swamp-like) area. The soild was removed, the entire area restored and the lake went back to its original state (1 and 2).
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Water management and blue areas
Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
Green space and habitat
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Description of environmental benefits
The intervention did not released public reports, however on the website of the NBS it was mentioned that the action was successful without naming indicators for measuring this success (1)
Recovery of a derelict artificial lake that used to be a local tourist attraction and an area for locals to relax and enjoy the outdoors. The lake was closed and covered by soil, which provoked several environmental issues, including the invasion of insects due to the highly humid (swamp-like) area. The soil was removed, the entire area restored and the lake went back to its original state (1 and 2).
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Tourism: The park has been restored to its original beauty and is being highly appreciated by local residents and tourists going there regularly (2).
Social and cultural impacts
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
Increased appreciation for natural spaces
Other
Description of social and cultural benefits
Reports have not been made publicly regarding cultural and social benefits however as mentioned above the Municipality of Genova deemed the action a success (2).
The park has been restored to its original beauty and is being highly appreciated by local residents and tourists going there regularly (2).
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Unknown
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Water management (SDG 6)
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Positive distribution of NBS benefits
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of September 10 2020.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
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
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown.
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Yes
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Submission of monitoring data (citizen observation)
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
NBS website
Municipality of Genova Article
List of references
1. Liguria Heritage (no date), NBS website, Available at http://www.liguriaheritage.it/heritage/en/EleganzaDelvivere/Genova.do;jsessionid=6D0CA330EEBEA3FD95CAF83BCB66211A.node3?contentId=30098&localita=2080&area=209 (Accessed 5-9-2020)

2. Municipality of Genova (2015), Restaurato il laghetto di Villa Doria progettato da Alessi, Available at http://www.comune.genova.it/content/restaurato-il-laghetto-di-villa-doria-progettato-da-alessi (Accessed 5-9-2020)
Comments and notes
Comments
2017 comment:
Currently waiting on a response from one of the coordinators of the project.

2020 comment:
no further information found regarding this action and a reply.
Public Images
View of the lake
http://www.comune.genova.it/content/restaurato-il-laghetto-di-villa-doria-progettato-da-alessi