1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Göteborg (FUA)
Region
Europe
Short description of the intervention
Sweden's largest real estate company, Vasakronan, tests its first green outdoor facade at Kyrkogatan in Göteborg. The project was implemented with aim of improving the local climate and contributing to a more sustainable and resilient city. (Ref. 1)
Address

Kyrkogatan 56-60
Göteborg
Sweden

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Total area
60.00m²
NBS area
60.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Building
Website of the intervention
http://vasakronan.se/artikel/vaxtvagg-kyrkogatan
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2015
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2015
End date of the intervention
2015
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
The intervention aimed, 1. to create the company's first green building-outdoor green space, 2. invest into sustainability, 3. create an aesthetically pleasing view for the users and visitors and 4. to strengthen urban ecosystem. (Ref. 1, 2)
Quantitative targets
“To cover 60 square meters of house wall with over 2,000 plants from 17 different plant species and create a climbing oasis in the middle of the stone city.” (Ref. 1)
Monitoring indicators defined
Types of plants to create greater biodiversity (Ref 1, 2)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Noise reduction
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Regulation of built environment
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Implementation activities
Created 60 square meters vertical, urban greenery on a building on the Kyrkogatan in Göteborg. (Ref. 1)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Green walls or facades
Type of Green Wall
Substrate / soil-based living wall
Vegetation Type
Other
Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS
Aesthetically pleasing environment (Ref 1)
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Air quality regulation
Noise reduction
Water purification / filtration
Pollination
Habitat and supporting services
Maintenance of genetic diversity
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Private sector/Corporate/Company
Other
Please specify "other primary beneficiary"
Users and visitors of the building. (Ref. 2)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The real estate company 'Vasakronan'. (Ref. 1)
Key actors - initiating organization
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Real estate developer
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Real estate developer
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Unknown
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
It is mentioned in the company's sustainability report that, as Sweden's largest property owner, Vasakronan has a major responsibility to work for sustainable development and reduced climate impact. (Ref. 3)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
No
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
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
Unknown
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
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
No
Co-financing governance arrangements
No
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
No
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
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)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Corporate investment
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Green densification model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer)
Type of innovation
Technological
Product innovation
Please specify technological innovation
A green facade on a building, providing with ecosystem services (regulating services). (Ref. 1, 2)
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The company has previously created sedum roofs / green roofs for its new buildings for sustainability purposes, and now they are testing their first new green facade (also with the purpose of sustainable urban development). (Ref. 1)
Replicability/Transferability
The innovation is transferred to new initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Vasakronan has developed Stockholm's first vertical garden, the green facade/wall in Göteborg consists of a similar system used on Drottninggatan in Stockholm.
However, the green facade in Göteborg is not as technically advanced. (Ref. 4, 5)
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Reduced noise exposure
Water management and blue areas
Improved water quality
Improved stormwater management
Green space and habitat
Reduced biodiversity loss
Increased number of species present
Enhanced support of pollination
Description of environmental benefits
The green facade is reported to, 1. increase the biodiversity of the area, 2. improved the air quality of the street, 3. reduced noise exposure, 4. improved disposal of stormwater, 5. helped in water purification and 6. supported the pollinator species in pollination. This can be done by changing the plant types seasonally. (Ref 1)
Economic impacts
Unknown
Please specify other socio-cultural impact
Improved aesthetics
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved liveability
Other
Description of social and cultural benefits
The green facade has provided better health and improved the well-being and quality of life of the users of the building and the locals. (Ref 1) The green wall created a more esthetically pleasing environment (Ref 1)
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Air quality improvement, reduction in noise levels and rainwater management. (Ref 1)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
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 November, 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
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Ref. 1
Ref. 2
Ref. 3
Ref. 4
Ref. 5
List of references
Ref. 1. Vasakronan (2015) Helt uppåt väggarna? Framtidens arbetsplatser. Vasakronan AB. Retrieved from http://vasakronan.se/artikel/vaxtvagg-kyrkogatan/ on 13th November, 2020.
Ref. 2. ISSUU (2015) Helt uppåt väggarna? Lokalpressen, Innerstaden, november 24, 2015. Retrieved from https://issuu.com/lokalpressen/docs/innerstaden_november_2015/40 on 13th November, 2020.
Ref. 3. Vasakronan (2011) Hållbart. Vasakronans hållbarhetsredovisning 2011. Retrieved from https://vasakronan.se/pressmeddelande/nu-publicerar-vi-hallbarhetsredovisningen-for-2011/ on 13th November, 2020.
Ref. 4. Block, J (2016) Nordiska växtväggar med fokus på konstruktion och bevattning (Nordic Green Walls with focus on construction and irrigation). Swedish University of agricultural sciences. Alnarp. Retrieved from https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/9768/1/block_j_160915.pdf on 13th November, 2020.
Ref. 5. Vasakronan (2016) Trädgårdsdags på Drottninggatan. Levande cityhandel. Vasakronan AB. Retrieved from http://vasakronan.se/artikel/tradgardsdags-pa-drottninggatan/ on 13th November, 2020.
Comments and notes
Public Images
Green facade Vasakronan
Green facade Vasakronan
Photograph provided on the 03/12/2018