Green and Grand City

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Göteborg (FUA)

Region

Europe

Native title of the NBS intervention

Grön & Skön Stad

Short description of the intervention

2017 Green and Grand City is part of Göteborg's 400th anniversary (in 2021), and plans are developed up to the anniversary on a yearly basis. In 2017, the focus was on a greener and grander Göteborg. The vision for 2021 includes three themes, water, building bridges (reduces divides between people) and open spaces. The anniversary efforts build on three elements of sustainability; social, ecological and economic. (Ref. 1)

Address

City-wide project
Göteborg
Sweden

Location

The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Public Greenspace Area

Central Business District / City Centre

Website of the intervention

https://www.goteborg2021.com/

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

2009

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2013

End date of the intervention

2021

Present stage of the intervention

Ongoing

Please specify "other" stage of the intervention

2009: The task is set by the City Executive Board.
2012: The work plan is summed up in the vision, objectives, themes and anniversary suggestions.
2013: Is the kick-off, where feasibility studies are carried out on the anniversary suggestions in broad collaboration with the City of Göteborg’s companies and administrations, and other stakeholders.
2017: Green and grand city, where more initiatives are realised.
2021: Göteborg turns 400 years, the city will be internationally recognised as a bold model for sustainable growth.
2022: Work continues: development continues and progress is evaluated.
(Ref. 1)

2. Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

Five goals are set for Göteborg 2021, these are:
1. To make an international impression
2. To be a bold model for sustainable growth
3. To develop Göteborg and the surrounding region
4. To involve the whole city in the celebrations by inviting ongoing open consultation with everyone
5. To strengthen the image of Gothenburg.
6. To find new and creative surface water solutions that can be integrated into the city. (Ref. 1)
Within these goals are the objectives for 2017 Green & Grand City, which are based on social, ecological and economic sustainability with initiatives on health, lifestyle, food and safety. All city districts are involved, and activities aim to make the city greener and grander. (Ref. 3)

Quantitative targets

Unknown.

Monitoring indicators defined

Unknown.

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Water management (SDG 6)

Stormwater and rainfall management and storage

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Green space creation and/or management

Environmental quality

Air quality improvement

Regeneration, land-use and urban development

Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development

Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)

Inclusive governance

Effective management

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Creation of opportunities for recreation

Economic development and employment (SDG 8)

Economic development: service sectors

Tourism support

Real estate development

Employment/job creation

Cultural heritage and cultural diversity

Preservation of natural heritage

Promotion of cultural diversity

Implementation activities

During the collection of ideas for Gothenburg's 400th anniversary, there was a strong recurring desire to have more green spaces in more places around the city. This has been the basis for the focus year 2017. Everything from urban cultivation, green experiences and upgrading of parks to increased climate knowledge, biodiversity and expanded nature trails received extra attention in 2017. Among many initiatives, some are making a more visible mark on the city, such as the Jubilee Park, the cable car across the river and BoStad21, while others, such as the anniversary camp (Side by Side by El Sistema), Gothenburg Tales and Democracy and Young Influence, are contributing more through their social impact. (Ref. 1) Slottsskogen was restored, more urban farming areas were established (such as the Jubilee Park, mentioned above), and existing and new green areas/oases were developed to create more natural meeting places where everyone can feel welcome. (Ref. 3)
Also, in parallel with ongoing and planned urban development and infrastructure projects, Göteborg 2021 aimed at creating a package for the anniversary year that will help meet the city’s goals. (Ref. 1)

Type of NBS project

Creation of new green areas

Creation of semi-natural blue areas

Maintenance and management of urban nature

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Grey infrastructure featuring greens

Alley or street trees and other street vegetation

Parks and urban forests

Large urban parks or forests

Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Community gardens and allotments

Allotments

Community gardens

Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens

Unknown

Vegetation Type

Trees

Flower beds

Garden beds

Please specify how many trees were planted

Unknown

Amenities offered by the NBS

Benches and drinking water stations

Playgrounds

Cultural (museum, concert areas)

Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café)

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Provisioning services

Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)

Regulating services

Air quality regulation

Carbon storage/sequestration

Habitat and supporting services

Habitats for species

Cultural services

Tourism

Aesthetic appreciation

Recreation

Mental and physical health and wellbeing

Scale

Spatial scale

Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level

Beneficiaries

Primary Beneficiaries

Local government/Municipality

Citizens or community groups

Please specify other local relevant strategy

The Göteborg 2021 (anniversary plan for a greener city) (Ref. 1)

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Non-government actors

Private sector/Corporate/Business

Citizens or community groups

Coalition with multiple of the above

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

“The anniversary preparations and collaboration in the city use existing structures and groups, such as the forum for managers of administrations and companies, the city district sectors and the communication network. New forms of collaboration have also been developed. In addition to their project teams, several of the anniversary initiatives also have steering committees to ensure they stay on the right track and to ensure sustainable solutions, collaboration and sound finances. Even the focus year 2017 for a ‘Green and Grand City’ has a steering committee, with representatives from the Parks and Landscape Administration, the Environmental Administration and Göteborg & Co.” (Ref. 1)

Key actors - initiating organization

Local government/municipality

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

Local government/municipality

Public sector institution

Private sector/corporate actor/company

Researchers/university

Citizens or community group

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used

Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)

Taskforce groups

Policy drivers

NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy

Yes

Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"

The 2017 anniversary plan for Göteborg 2021 mentions that the EU project BEGIN (Blue Green Infrastructure through Social Innovation) is also being set up in 2017 (with regards to the aim to arrive at new and creative surface water solutions that can be integrated into the city). (Ref. 1)

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"

E.g. the Jubilee Park is a project, and included also as a project/part of the vision for urban development in Göteborg, where the city will grow by around one third until the year 2035. (Ref. 4, 5)

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Mandatory (based on policy)

Intervention is mandatory

Other

Please specify other type of mandatory intervention

Göteborg & Co was in 2009 instructed by the City Executive Board to develop plans for the anniversary on a yearly basis. (Ref. 1)

Enablers

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

The Göteborg 2021 (anniversary plan) (Ref. 1)

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.

Other

Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

New forms of collaboration, networking and contacts are developed daily (regards the whole Göteborg 2021, e.g. a Youth reference group has been set up), the 2017 Green and grand city is represented by the Parks and Landscape Administration, the Environmental Administration and Göteborg & Co. (Ref. 1)

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

Unknown

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

€10,000 - €50,000

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)

20 000 EUR (200 000 SEK) are funded from the yearly budget distribution of the Parks and Landscape Administration. (ref. 6)

The whole year of 2017 is estimated (by Göteborg & Co, which is a part of the city of Göteborg) to cost around 2 000 000 EUR (20 million SEK) for the Göteborg 2021 anniversary project, where the yearly 150 000 EUR (1.5 million SEK) is from the city of Göteborg. (Ref. 7)

Source(s) of funding

Public local authority budget

Corporate investment

Type of fund(s) used

Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Business models

Green densification model

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Public actor (e.g. municipality)

Citizens / local communities

5. Innovation

Type of innovation

Technological

Infrastructural innovation

Social

Cultural innovation

Please specify technological innovation

All city districts are involved, and activities aim to make the city greener and grander. (Ref. 3) "there was a strong recurrent desire to have more green spaces in more places around the city" (Ref 3)

Novelty level of the innovation

Unknown

Please specify novelty level of the innovation

Unknown.

Replicability/Transferability

Unknown

Please specify Replicability/Transferability

Unknown.

6. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Environmental quality

Improved air quality

Water management and blue areas

Improved stormwater management

Green space and habitat

Increased green space area

Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Increased number of species present

Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales

Description of environmental benefits

Most of the impacts are expected as the project is ongoing.
1. Jubilee Park and construction in Frihamnen harbour are leading to enhance the local biodiversity with a blue heart that is surrounded by a series of green spaces.
2. A planned rainwater playground is expected to meet the cities requirement to drain and store rainwater effectively.
3. The development of a green oasis between the Göta älv and Nordre älv rivers will improve the air quality of the city significantly. (Ref 1, 3 and 5)

Economic impacts

Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)

More sustainable tourism

Attraction of business and investment

Description of economic benefits

1. The project is expected to gain more tourists by the end of the project. 2. An entrepreneurship centre has made it easier to set up and grow companies. Initiatives in young enterprise are part of the entire education system. 3. By the end of the project, the Popuzar will be a teeming market place for local and international companies. (Ref 1, 3 and 5)

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Indicators

Most of the impacts are expected as the project is ongoing. Among the indicators, increased tourism, increased economic activity, the involvement of the younger generation, reduction in carbon emission and improved sustainability have highlighted. (Ref 1)

Environmental, social and economic impacts

Economic development and employment (SDG 8)

Analysis of specific impact categories

Job creation: The NBS created ...

Paid employment positions

Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?

No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project

COVID-19 pandemic

Currently, the project is on a halt. The 400th-anniversary celebrations have been altered due to the covid-19 pandemic. The altered plan is unknown. (Project website)

Methods of impact monitoring

Process of recording NBS impacts

Collection of monitoring data continuously throughout the project to aid evaluation

Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS

Unknown

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

Yes

Link to monitoring/evaluation reports

http://goteborg.se/wps/PA_Pabolagshandlingar/file?id=6025

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

Impact assessment mechanism

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

Unknown.
The draft of the anniversary plan 2017-2018 (with view to 2021) and the budget bases, mentions that the analysis aims to identify relevant measures/methods for follow-up and possible revision of the plan. (Ref. 7)

Also, “In 2016, Göteborg & Co contributed to corporate social benefits by serving as a leading interoperability platform and engine to create sustainable growth in the visitor industry” (this includes the 2021-mission). (Ref. 7)

Link to the output of assessments

http://goteborg.se/wps/PA_Pabolagshandlingar/file?id=6025

Use of GIS in mapping impacts

No evidence in public records

Citizen involvement

Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation

Unknown

Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation

Unknown

Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment

Unknown

7. Sources

References

Web links relevant to the intervention

List of references

Ref. 1. Göteborg & Co (n.d.) Together for an even better city - anniversary plan 2017. Göteborg 1621-2021. Göteborgs Stad. Retrieved from https://www.goteborg2021.com/uploads/2017/06/Jubileumsplan_2017_ENG_SIDEbySIDE.pdf on 13th November, 2020.
Ref. 2. Göteborg & Co (n.d.) Om Göteborg & CO. Göteborgs Stad. Retrieved from http://goteborgco.se/om-goteborgco/ on 13th November, 2020.
Ref. 3. Göteborg 2021 (2017) DAGS FÖR GRÖN OCH SKÖN STAD 2017. Göteborg & Co. Retrieved from https://www.goteborg2021.com/aktuellt/dags-gron-och-skon-stad-2017/ on 13th November, 2020.
Ref. 4. Göteborgs Stad (n.d.) BLUEWAYS, GREENWAYS AND OASES. Retrieved from https://www.goteborg2021.com/en/jubileumsprojekt/blueways-greenways-oases/ on 13th November, 2020.
Ref. 5. Göteborgs Stad (n.d.) Jubileumsparken. Stadsutveckling. Retrieved from https://stadsutveckling.goteborg.se/projekt/jubileumsparken-frihamnen/ on 13th November, 2020.
Ref. 6. Göteborgs Stad (2017) Inriktning och budget 2017. Trygg, vacker stad, Park- och naturförvaltningen, Stadsbyggnadskontoret, Trafikkontoret. Retrieved from https://goteborg.se/wps/portal/enhetssida/trygg%2C-vacker-stad/trygg-vacker-stad-2005---2018?uri=gbglnk%3A20191218022549 on 13th November, 2020.
Ref. 7. Göteborg & Co (2017) Utvecklad jubileumsplan 2017-2018 med sikte på 2021 och budgetunderlag. Utkast. Tillsammans för en ännu bättre stad. Göteborgs stad. Retrieved from https://goteborg.se/wps/PA_Pabolagshandlingar/file?id=6057 on 13th November, 2020.

Comments and notes

Public Images

Green and Grand City (2017)

Photographer: Markus Holm (Amplifyphoto), retrieved 08/24/2018 from Johan De Paoli

Green and Grand City (2014)

Photographer: Beatrice Törnros (hej@beatricetornros.se), retrieved 08/24/2018 from Johan De Paoli

Göteborg 2021

https://www.goteborg2021.com/aktuellt/dags-gron-och-skon-stad-2017/