1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Iaşi (FUA)
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Gradina Sociala si Comunitara Sadoveanu
Short description of the intervention
Located in the backyard of a memorial house, this NBS was created with 2 purposes in mind: to offer a green oasis to the inhabitants of Iasi but also to educate them since the garden itself relies on volunteers primarily who have the opportunity to come and work in the garden, assist in the process of growing food and learn how to lead a healthy life. In a way, this garden is seen as an escape from city life and it combines education with practical skills and community cohesion (1)
Address

Aleea Mihail Sadoveanu 12
Iasi
Romania

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Residential
Cultural Heritage Area
Website of the intervention
http://www.turism-iasi.ro/index.php?id=63
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2017
End date of the intervention
2017
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
1. increase a sense of community ownership and stewardship.
2. foster the development of community identity and spirit.
3. bring people together from a wide variety of backgrounds (age, race, culture, social class).
4. provide opportunities to meet neighbours.
5. Community gardening is a healthy, inexpensive activity for youth that can bring them closer to nature, and allow them to interact with each other in a socially meaningful and physically productive way.
6. add beauty to the community and heighten people's awareness and appreciation for living things.
7. provide a place to retreat from the noise and commotion of urban environments.
8.increase property values in the immediate vicinity where they are located
9. offer alternative voluntary work.
10. teach practical life skills.
11. restore oxygen to the air and help to reduce air pollution. (1, 2, 4)
Quantitative targets
1. Offer an alternative space to the 2000 visitors per year that come to the museum (3)
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Noise reduction
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Environmental education
Social cohesion
Social interaction
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Enabling opportunities for physical activity
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Real estate development
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
Sustainable consumption
Sustainable production
Implementation activities
The garden was organized through a call for volunteers (3)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Community gardens and allotments
Community gardens
Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens
Unknown
Vegetation Type
Flower beds
Garden beds
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Cultural (museum, concert areas)
Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Noise reduction
Cultural services
Tourism
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Please specify "other cultural service"
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Non-government organisation/Civil Society
Researchers/University
Citizens or community groups
Marginalized groups
Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)
Young people and children
Marginalized groups
Elderly people
Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Researchers, university
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
Museum "Mihail Sadoveanu" of the National Museum of Romanian Literature Iasi, The Agricultural and Veterinary Medicine Univ. and the Mai Bine Association joined together to reorganize and provide continuity to the Sadoveanu Social Garden. Mai Bine Association applied for a grant, the museum offered the space and the university the know how (2)
Key actors - initiating organization
Non-government organisation/civil society
Land owners
Museum
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Public sector institution
Non-government organisation/civil society
Researchers/university
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Educational actor (schools or universities)
Museum
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Crowd-sourcing/Crowd-funding/Participatory budget
Taskforce groups
Dissemination of information and education
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"
This NBS does not mention that its implementation comes from an Eu Directive but it stipulates that it is part of a program between Switzerland and the European Union, through which Switzerland helps less developed countries in EU with cultural, social and environmental issues. The program is called the Swiss contribution to the enlargement of EU and aims to consolidate Switzerland’s relations with the EU and its member states.(5)
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
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Please specify
Since this NBS is a NGO initiative, the municipality had no implication. The memorial house, per se, is not included in a larger official plan, except it is presented on the site of the municipality as a tourist attraction (4)
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
Since this NBS is a NGO initiative, the municipality had no implication. The memorial house, per se, is not included in a larger official plan, except it is presented on the site of the municipality as a tourist attraction (4)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Please specify
This was an NBS that addressed only the city of Iasi (5)
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
This NBS is co-financed by a Swiss grant through the Swiss Contribution to the Enlarged Union and the "Cultivate the City" project co-funded by the Iasi Community Foundation and the Host Europe Group Romania. The total budget of the project is CHF 66,993.00. The requested funding from the donor is CHF 58,411.00 (87.20%), the remaining 12.80% representing the contribution of the Better Association.(5, 6)
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
€50,000 - €100,000
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)
66,993.00 CHF
Source(s) of funding
EU funds
Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of land
Provision of goods
Provision of labour
Provision of expertise
Exchange of services
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Other
Business models
Green densification model
Green education model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Technological
Product innovation
Please specify technological innovation
This NBS is a innovation as a product since we are discussing of a social, community garden in a memorial, literary house (1)
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is completely new without connections to previous initiative(s)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
This is a new innovation for Iasi, since there are no other museum-gardens in the city (2)
Replicability/Transferability
The innovation is not referred to as being transferred to new initiative(s)
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
It is not mentioned that this NBS was transferred to other projects (2)
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Unknown
Description of environmental benefits
Unknown
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved social cohesion
Improved access to urban green space
Increased opportunities for social interaction
Increased access to healthy/affordable food
Description of social and cultural benefits
The NBS did not report any impacts however in the implementation phase the following was expected:
1.An increase of the social cohesion in the community allowing not only access to green space but also giving the opportunity of meeting and getting to know the neighbourhood.
2. An increase in awareness of the importance of food and healthy living choices.
3.An increase in the number of visitors to the house museum, per se (1,2).
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
No impacts reported
Indicators
Unknown
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Environmental quality
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Voluntary work opportunities
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Improved access to green and/or blue spaces
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
The museum and the garden were closed during the pandemic.
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
Focus Group
Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Within this project, steps were taken to increase citizens' involvement at local level and support their urban development initiatives. To this end, the Association organized four consultative and informative meetings in Dacia, Tătăraşi, Păcurari, Nicolina and Frumoasa neighborhoods in Iaşi to promote responsible behavior towards the environment and society and to respond to the current trends in the community - pollution, unsustainable consumption, lack of cooperation, initiative and active involvement of citizens. Specifically, it aimed to identify the interests and needs of the local community, to find together solutions for improving the quality of life and to support community initiatives designed to meet identified needs. (6)
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Yes
Please specify
Regularly there are workshops and community gatherings that asses the value and the contribution of the garden to the betterment of community's life (3)
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Grădina Socială Sadoveanu” – O acțiune inedită organizată de Muzeul „Mihail Sad…
Comunicat de presă - Asociaţia Mai Bine
O incursiune în trecut: casele memoriale din Iași atrag anual zeci de mii de vi…
Locul mirific din România unde îl poţi găsi pe Popa-Smântână, asculta pe poetul…
Facebook call for volunteers for the garden
“Cartiere pentru oameni”- Întâlniri consultative pentru ieșeni
List of references
1. Agerpres (2015), Comunicat de presă - Asociația Mai Bine, Available at https://www.agerpres.ro/comunicate/2015/05/12/comunicat-de-presa-asociatia-mai-bine-17-26-10 (Accessed 23-8-2020)

2. Buna Dimineata Iasi (2015), Grădina Socială Sadoveanu” – O acțiune inedită organizată de Muzeul „Mihail Sadoveanu” și Asociația “Mai bine”, Available at https://www.bunadimineataiasi.ro/actiune-inedita-asociatia-mai-bine-iasi/ (Accessed 23-8-2020)

3. Ziarul de Iasi (2015), O incursiune în trecut: casele memoriale din Iași atrag anual zeci de mii de vizitatori, Available at http://www.ziaruldeiasi.ro/stiri/o-incursiune-in-trecut-casele-memoriale-din-ia-i-atrag-anual-zeci-de-mii-de-vizitatori--87997.html (Accessed 23-8-2020)

4. Adevarul (2016), Locul mirific din România unde îl poţi găsi pe Popa-Smântână, asculta pe poetul pasionat de canţonete şi admira pe Marele Maestru al Franc-Masoneriei , Available at http://adevarul.ro/locale/iasi/locul-mirific-romania-poti-gasi-popa-smantana-asculta-poetul-pasionat-cantonete-admira-marele-maestru-franc-masoneriei-1_57389e1b5ab6550cb8f6ad81/index.html (Accessed 23-8-2020)

5. Asociatia Mai Bine, Revitalizăm o grădină, înviorăm o comunitate, Available at https://ro-ro.facebook.com/Street.Delivery.Iasi/posts/844730088998283 (Accessed 23-8-2020)

6. Societal.ro, (2015), “Cartiere pentru oameni”- Întâlniri consultative pentru ieșeni, Available at https://www.societal.ro/ro/comunitate/articole/cartiere-pentru-oameni--%C3%8Entalniri-consultative-pentru-ieseni-886.html (Accessed 23-8-2020)

Interview comments
Since I am missing monitoring reports I have sent an e-mail to the Association that initiated this NBS
As of today, 11.08.2017, no answer received for my inquiries
Comments and notes
Additional insights
The backyard where this NBS is implemented is a memorial house which at the moment is the objective of a legal case. At present, all of Mihail Sadoveanu's legacy is the subject of a lawsuit commenced in the 2000s. A stranger who has settled in the Netherlands claims and claims Sadoveanu's entire domain in the early part of the 20th century. "At the beginning of the 2000s there was an approved project to restore the tower, but it started this action in court and nothing was done. Theoretically, works can be done, but the investment may be lost if this superpowder wins the process, "said a museum employee. If he won the process, the writer's grandson should also receive rewards, meaning the copyright for the Sadovian works to be re-edited. Because of this litigation, you can do consolidation work on the memorial house, although absolutely necessary. The structure of the building is affected, the ceiling and the walls are cracked in most of the rooms, and according to museum employees, the wall behind the dwelling is barely falling. Since investments to rehabilitate the house are blocked the stakeholders and the upper management of the house found the solution of the garden to attract visitors and to use the space in order to educate by proxy (4)
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/gradina_sadoveanu.jpg
Public Images
Working in the garden
Implementation stage of the NBS
https://bunadimineataiasi.ro/actiune-inedita-asociatia-mai-bine-iasi/
Please specify other source of non-financial contribution
The museum where the NBS took place