1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Göteborg (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Järnvågsparken Short description of the intervention The park called Järnvågsparken will be constructed in the developing neighbourhood of Masthuggskajen as the main green space of the area, measuring about 8000 m2. The park will offer recreational activities for people living and working in the area, with spaces designated for rest, meetings, picnics, walking and play. For example, there will be a large playground, many different places to sit, grass lawns and a space to host cultural events in [Ref. 1-4]. The park will also be designed to manage stormwater and reduce flood risk [Ref. 5, 6]. The park will be built over an existing highway, turning it into a tunnel while reconnecting the new neighbourhood. The remaining future park area next to the road are currently parking spaces [Ref. 1, 4, 5]. The adjacent streets will also see more greening, increasing the connectivity of green spaces and mobility [Ref. 4-6]. The location on top of a tunnel limits the soil depth of the park, but the ambition is still to house a rich plant and animal life, including trees, providing ecosystem services [Ref. 1-6]. The project is managed by the City of Gothenburg [Ref. 1, 7]. Website of the intervention https://goteborg.se/wps/portal/aktuelltarkivet/aktuellt/98246d8b-5cb9-4497-9ab6… Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Urban flooding (stormwater) Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Land use and Socio-economic change Rapid urbanization Unequal availability and access to public green spaces Health, Well-being and Social cohesion Inadequate access to recreational opportunities Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address Heurlins Plats 41330 Göteborg Sweden 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 The park in question is marked by number 23. Reference: https://masthuggskajen.se/projektet/ The polygon in the area boundary above is an estimation of the future boundaries of the park. It is based on area image above as well as the map in ref. 4. Total area 8000.00m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Roads / Roadsides Other Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS The area is mostly roads leading to a tunnel. The roads are not being removed, but bridged over. In a sense, new land is being created without changing the former land use. Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2017 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 - Provide the neighbourhood with a city park acting as the main green space for recreation and activities in the area. - Promote biodiversity through planting different plant species and types. - Improve stormwater management by increasing the water retention capacity in the park [Ref. 1-7] Key Priorities 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 Water management (SDG 6) Stormwater and rainfall management and storage Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Enabling opportunities for physical activity Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16) Inclusive governance Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social interaction Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities 1. The detailed zoning plan for the area, establishing the location and boundaries of the park, was approved in 2017. As part of the planning process, consultation with stakeholders was held [Ref. 7]. 2. A sustainability program for the Masthuggskajen neighbourhood, establishing goals that the park will contribute towards, was adopted by the City of Gothenburg and construction companies in 2017 [Ref. 6]. 3. In 2024, the work to build a deck over the highway started [Ref. 4]. 4. The park is planned to finish construction around 2030 [Ref. 1-4]. Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests 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 Large urban parks or forests Amenities offered by the NBS Benches and drinking water stations Playgrounds Cultural (museum, concert areas) Design elements for well-being Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Regulating services Flood regulation Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Recreation Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The residential buildings around the park have not been built yet, so the demographics are yet to be established. Currently, the area is said to have good socio-economic status in the index by the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning [Ref. 8]. Socio-economic profile of the area Unknown Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Young people and children Specify primary beneficiaries Citizens or community groups: The citizens who will move into the area, work there or visit will gain access to a large green space and recreational activities [Ref. 1-3]. Young people and children: The park will include a playground for children [Ref. 1-3] Marginalized groups Children, young people or youth groups Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups The planning process included an analysis of the children's perspective in the design of the neighbourhood [Ref. 7]. The park will include a playground in the centre of the park [Ref. 1-4]. Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Government-led Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The City of Gothenburg is responsible for planning, funding, and building the park [Ref. 1, 7]. In the planning stage, stakeholders were consulted to identify needs and wishes regarding the park. This includes local citizens, businesses and other public institutions [Ref. 5, 7]. The sustainability program for Masthuggskajen, which affects the design of the park, was created in cooperation between the city and construction or real estate companies active in the development of the area [Ref. 6]. Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Citizens or community group Private sector/corporate actor/company Stages of citizen and community engagement Planning and design (e.g. site selection, identification of key priorities) Level of citizen and community engagement Limited Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Unknwon Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) 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 Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Yes Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan" The zoning plan for the area [Ref. 7] The sustainability program for the Masthuggskajen neighbourhood [Ref. 6] Relevant strategy or plan Urban redevelopment plan Other Please specify other local relevant strategy Neighbourhood specific sustainability strategy Mandatory or voluntary intervention Mandatory (based on policy) Intervention is mandatory Spatial planning guidance Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Unknown Governace and decison-making instruments Legislative and regulatory instruments (e.g. laws, strategies, regulations or restrictions) Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans) Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers The park will be built on top of a tunnel, limiting the weight and, therefore, the soil depth. This dictates what plants are appropriate in the park, and large trees may be impossible in certain areas [Ref. 1-5]. 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 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 Provision of expertise Co-finance for NBS Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Green densification model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Water management and blue areas Increased protection against flooding Expected increased protection against flooding Improved stormwater management Expected improved stormwater management Green space and habitat Increased green space area Achieved increased green space area Increased number of species present Expected increased number of species present Description of environmental benefits 1. Expected increased protection against flooding; Expected improved stormwater management: The park will be designed to retain stormwater and reduce flood risk in the neighbourhood [Ref. 5-7]. 2. Achieved increased green space area: The park will measure 8000 m2 of mostly green space on land that is currently a road and parking spaces [Ref. 1-5, 7]. 3. Expected increased number of species present: The aim is that the park will house a "rich plant and animal life", and a variety of species will be planted depending on the conditions of the park. A map picturing the planned layout states that there will be herb-rich grass areas [Ref. 1-3, 9] Environmental impact indicators Green space area created (in ha) 0,8 Economic impacts Unknown Description of economic benefits Unknown Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved access to urban green space Expected improved access to urban green space Increased opportunities for social interaction Expected increased opportunities for social interaction Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Health and wellbeing Gain in activities for recreation and exercise Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise Social and cultural impact indicators Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha) 0,8 Total area of recreational green space created or restored (in ha) 0,8 Description of social and cultural benefits 1. Expected improved access to urban green space: When the park is finished, it will provide a large green space in a neighbourhood where there is currently very few green areas [Ref. 1-5]. 2. Expected increased opportunities for social interaction: The park has a social, recreational focus with areas for rest, meetings, picnics, walking and play, allowing for different kinds of social interactions [Ref. 1-4]. 3. Achieved increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces: The planning process involved the consultation of local stakeholders and the public, the results of which guided the design of the park [Ref. 5, 7]. 4. Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise: The park will enable activities such as playing and walking [Ref. 1-4]. 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 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 Social justice and conflicts Limited access to NBS benefits for certain socio-economic groups Please specify Trade-offs & Negative impacts Selected Limited access to NBS benefits for certain socio-economic groups: The project will increase the amount of green space in the area. However, the neighbourhood around it is developing and will add new housing and office space to the area, increasing the demand for green space. The city's goals regarding access to green space may not be fulfilled. The impacts of the park are still positive, but this suggests there might be trade-offs in the Masthuggskajen development as a whole [Ref. 7] 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 Yes Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts C. Unknown Transformative capacity Systemic change (the NBS caused changes across the social, ecological and technological dimensions) 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. City of Gothenburg (2023). Så blir Masthuggskajens nya parker Järnvågsparken och Masthuggsparken. Accessed on October 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Masthuggskajen (2023). Så blir Masthuggskajens nya parker Järnvågsparken och Masthuggsparken. Accessed on October 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Isaksson, L. (2023). Så blir Masthuggskajens nya parker. Mitt i Göteborg, Accessed on October 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. City of Gothenburg (2024). Götatunnelns ramper däckas över för att göra plats åt Järnvågsparken. Accessed on October 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Masthuggskajen (2021). 300 nya träd ska få Masthuggskajen att grönska [Video]. [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Älvstaden (2017). Hållbarhetsprogram Masthuggskajen. [Source link] [Archive]; 7. City of Gothenburg (2017). Detaljplan för Järnvågsgatan m.fl. inom stadsdelen Majorna-Linné i Göteborg. [Download]; 8. Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning (n.d.). Segregationsbarometern: Göteborg. Accessed on October 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 9. City of Gothenburg (2022). Ändring av detaljplan för blandad stadsbebyggelse vid Järnvågsgatan m.fl. inom stadsdelen Masthugget i Göteborg. [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Comments Regarding Section 5, trade-offs & negative impacts. When selecting the "other" option, no free-text box appears. I selected instead the "limited access for certain socio-economic groups" instead although the issue does not really affect a particular group, rather the future residents of the area. Public Images Image Planned layout of the park Ref. 9 Image The playground in Järnvågsparken Ref. 1
