1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Göteborg (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Återbruksparken på Medicinareberget Short description of the intervention A green area was turned into a "reuse park" to save trees, bushes and other plants that had to be moved from elsewhere due to construction work. The project resulted from constructing the new business school at the University of Gothenburg, where circular economy initiatives are being tested. Plants that would have to be removed from that site were moved to the park at Medicinareberget temporarily. They will later be replanted elsewhere on campus, saving money and reducing the environmental impact of buying new plants. The lead actor in the project is the public real estate company Akademiska Hus, which owns and manages the affected parts of the university campus. The reuse park was established in 2021, and it's implied that it can continue to function as a storage site for plants from different construction locations. The project is highlighted as a learning opportunity for how the reuse of plants can be implemented in future construction projects. The project is connected to the regional initiative Återbruk Väst within the national platform CCbuild, which promotes circular solutions in the construction centre [Ref. 1-5]. Website of the intervention https://www.akademiskahus.se/campusutveckling/hallbara-campus/hallbarhetscase/a… Principal problems Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Location Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place Area boundary (map-based) Source of NBS area image The exact location of the park has not been identified based on available information. The park is close to the location pinpointed above. Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Unknown Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) unknown Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2021 End date of the intervention unknown Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention - Preserve grown trees and bushes that have to be moved due to construction [Ref. 1-4] - Improve biodiversity [Ref. 2] - Create a hospitable environment for employees and students on campus. [Ref. 1-3] - Reduce costs and emissions from cultivating and transporting new plants for green spaces. [Ref. 2, 4] -Develop the method of reusing plants for use in the future [Ref. 3] Key Priorities Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13) Climate change mitigation Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Habitat and biodiversity conservation Regeneration, land-use and urban development Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Please specify "other Climate change mitigation activity" Reduce emissions from cultivation and transport of new plants for green spaces. Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Other Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention? No information provided regarding the goals of the intervention. Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Protect and enhance urban habitats Create new habitats Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem Protect species Undertake specific measures to protect species Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities 1. A circular economy approach was adopted in the construction of the new business school. 2. The circular use of plants was introduced to save bushes and trees present at the construction site. 3. Plants were moved to the reuse park at Medicinareberget. 4. Plants are preserved in the park until they can be moved to a new permanent place. 5. The project was evaluated. [Ref. 2-5]. Type of NBS project Maintenance and management of urban nature Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks) 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 Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Aesthetic appreciation Recreation Scale Spatial scale Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings) Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The park is located on campus, and the neighbourhood consists mostly of university buildings and the university hospital. Socio-economic profile of the area Unknown Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Primary Beneficiaries Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital) Researchers/University Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries 1. Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital): Akademiska hus can be said to be a public sector institution. The company can save money from the initiative. The Sahlgrenska university hospital is close to the park, and its employees/patients get increased access to green space. 2. Researchers/University: The University of Gothenburg gets more green space and more grown plants at its campus. The positive effect of green areas on the well-being of staff and students is highlighted. The initiative may also aid the university in reaching its sustainability goals. 3. Citizens or community groups: Citizens visiting the area get better access to green space. [Ref. 1-4] Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) 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 Akademiska hus, the owner of the project, is a real estate company owned by the Swedish government that specialises in owning and managing university buildings and campuses [Ref. 1, 6]. In the construction project for the new business school, they cooperated with the innovation network Återbruk Väst/CCbuild, run by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) and Vinnova, the Swedish Innovation Agency [Ref. 5]. It is not clear if the project receives any funding from CCbuild. The University of Gothenburg is an important stakeholder as the tenant of the campus and is involved in the implementation [Ref. 2]. Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Public sector institution Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Local government/municipality Public sector institution Researchers/university Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Unknown Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Unknown Land owners No information found 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 Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships) City network or regional partnerships focused on climate change, sustainability, GI or NBS in the city Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. Governance innovations (such as public-private partnerships): CCBuild (Centre for circular construction) is a platform promoting a circular economy in the construction sector run by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) and the Swedish Innovation Agency (Vinnova) [Ref. 5]. - City network or regional partnerships focused on climate change, sustainability, GI or NBS in the city: Återbruk Väst, a regional cooperation platform under CCBuild, involving both government and private actors within the construction sector [Ref. 3, 5]. Governace and decison-making instruments 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 Unknown Financing Total cost €10,000 - €50,000 Please specify total cost (EUR) About 10,000 EUR [Ref. 4]. Source(s) of funding Public national budget Corporate investment 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) Type of non-financial contribution 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 Climate change Reduced emissions Expected reduced emissions Green space and habitat Reduced biodiversity loss Achieved reduced biodiversity loss Increased number of species present Achieved increased number of species present Enhanced support of pollination Expected enhanced support of pollination Please specify other economic impact Reduced costs of establishing new plants in green areas. Description of environmental benefits 1. Expected reduced emissions: The need for cultivation and transport of plants for green spaces has been reduced. The effect on emissions has not been evaluated, but it is expected to be reduced. 2. Achieved reduced biodiversity loss: Grown trees and bushes are being preserved rather than wasted. 3. Achieved increased number of species present: New species are moved to the reuse park, increasing the number of species there. 4. Expected enhanced support of pollination: The preservation of grown flowering plants is expected to support pollination. [Ref. 2-4] Economic impacts Other Description of economic benefits The project estimates that about 25,000 EUR has been saved on buying new plants, while the cost of the project is only 10,000 EUR. Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved access to urban green space Achieved improved access to urban green space Health and wellbeing Improved mental health Expected improved mental health Enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief Expected enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief Description of social and cultural benefits 1. Achieved improved access to urban green space: The reuse park is open to the public to visit and can especially be used by people working or studying at the surrounding campus [Ref. 3-4] 2. Expected enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief & Improved mental health: The creation of the park and the preservation of grown plants are expected by project leaders to positively affect the people visiting the park. [Ref. 3] Mental health benefits Reduced stress 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 Other Please specify which actors were involved specifically in the project assessment, monitoring or evaluation activities. Akademiska hus (public company) Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Input indicators Output indicators Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports Yes Link to monitoring/evaluation reports https://ccbuild.se/media/rdagatoz/ah-sveriges-f%C3%B6rsta-%C3%A5terbrukspark.pdf 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 Yes Transparency Public disclosure of project funding sources and/or budgets 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 No initiatives or policies were implemented High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) Yes Goal setting and impacts delivery Yes, from the planning phase the project aimed to address issues in these three key priority areas and it also delivered benefits across these three areas. Long-term perspective No Cost-effective solutions Yes Equitable impacts A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project 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 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. Akademiska hus (n.d.). Sveriges första återbrukspark. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. University of Gothenburg (2021). Växter får en andra chans på Medicinareberget. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Bayramoglu, Y. (2021). Här får växter en andra chans – en återbrukspark i Göteborg. Aha, Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Florman, E. (n.d.). Sveriges första återbrukspark. Akademiska hus, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Centrum för Cirkulärt Byggande (n.d.). Nya Handelshögskolan i Göteborg. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Akademiska Hus (n.d.). Svensk modell – fastigheter för forskning och utbildning. Accessed on October 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Comments The main actor in the project is Akademiska hus, which is a government-owned company. Similar to a previous project, I have thus considered the company a public actor. However, when it comes to the funding, I feel it's doubtful to say the funding source is "public national budget". This implies that it is the state budget, i.e. taxpayer money, being used. But Akademiska hus is run as a company and has no direct state funding, only profits from their business which is renting properties to the university. Public Images Image Bushes and trees in the reuse park at Medicinareberget https://www.akademiskahus.se/campusutveckling/hallbara-campus/hallbarhetscase/aterbrukspark/
Image Bushes and trees in the reuse park at Medicinareberget https://www.akademiskahus.se/campusutveckling/hallbara-campus/hallbarhetscase/aterbrukspark/
