1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Leipzig
Region
Europe
Short description of the intervention
Initiated by the City Administration, NGOs and citizen groups, public funds have in recent years been used alongside partnerships with local businesses, landowners and citizen initiatives to invigorate the East Quarter. This initiative was proposed through the redesign, extension and new development of parks, greening and communal use of vacant plots, the establishment of new urban forests, the setting up of new communal gardens, and the planning and partial implementation of a green corridor for cyclists and pedestrians.
Within this large project, three NBS areas actively contributed to the improvement of the Quarter: Querbeet, Bunte Gärten and Parkbogen Ost (1).
Querbeet is a community garden in the Eastern district of Leipzig, formed in 2012. The garden is lead by democratic self-governance principles where the focus is on shared space, with a focus on enhancing cultural interactions and encouraging active citizenship (1). Since 2017, the plot of the garden has reduced, however, the non-profit organisation formed two new gardens: a community garden and a school garden where environmental education the main activity (2)
Bunten Garten (Colorful Garden) is a community garden and registered refugee aid association that aims to bring residents and refugees together (3) The garden was revived in 2015, and since offers opportunities for recreation, wellbeing and informal support to refugee families (1).
Parkbogen Ost is a scheme focusing on developing unused railway tracks as an arch-shaped, green mobility corridor running along the perimeters of much of Leipzig’s East Quarter and connecting the quarter’s green spaces and providing easier access, by foot or bike, to the city centre as well as to surrounding areas. (1, 4)
Address

Germany

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
Previous derelict area
Website of the intervention
https://english.leipzig.de/
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2012
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2012
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Goals of the intervention
Objectives (1):
- Improve the accessibility of existing free spaces
- Secure the provision of urban free spaces and create new green areas to upgrade the residential quality of the area (4)
- Enhance connectivity between the inner city and its surroundings via its green spaces (4)
- Strengthen the ecological function and recreational value of the area
- Improve the networks between green spaces (e.g. parks, urban forests) and paths (green infrastructure) (4)
- Contribute to climate, environmental and flood protection (e.g. through enhancing energy efficiency of urban technologies and buildings)
- Increase the attractiveness of the area
- Reduce air and noise pollution along major through roads
- Revitalize vacant plots/brownfield sites through temporary uses.
Quantitative targets
Uknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Uknown
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
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Effective management
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
Sustainable production
Implementation activities
The communal gardening project Querbeet, the intercultural gardening initiative Bunte Gärten, and the green mobility corridor Parkbogen Ost were initiated by citizens themselves in response to sustainability challenges that they identified and sought to address through NBS. These projects connect in terms of their emphasis on retaining green space for communal activities. The green spaces seek to provide opportunities for active engagement with social issues such as community politics, local and global food provision, environmental education and environmental protection. This is done also through workshops, cultural (evening) events and collaboration with nearby child care centres and schools during the gardening season. Parkbogen Ost, on the other hand, is focused on developing unused railway tracks as an arch-shaped, green mobility corridor running along the perimeters of much of Leipzig’s East Quarter and connecting the quarter’s green spaces. (1)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Transformation of previously derelict areas
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Parks and urban forests
Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Green corridors and green belts
Community gardens and allotments
Allotments
Community gardens
Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens
Unknown
Vegetation Type
Trees
Garden beds
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Educational and research amenities (nature protection centre, monitoring stations)
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
Flood regulation
Cultural services
Recreation
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Please specify "other cultural service"
education
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Citizens or community groups
Marginalized groups
Marginalized groups
Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Non-government actors
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Citizens - All 3 projects were citizen-initiated.
Querbeet was set up in 2012 by a small group of gardening enthusiasts who shared a philosophy of cooperation and democratic self-governance in a shared rather than private space.
Bunte Gärten group is an association of citizens established in order to provide a safe and supportive space for refugees.
Parkbogen Ost is envisaged as a flagship project for the city that would, at the same time, raise the profile of the East Quarter.

Local Government - The three projects reflect different degrees of collaboration with the City. While they are all connected through local networks, such as the “Network for Urban Nature” and the “Gardening Programme”, or through activities coordinated by the Urban Quarter Management and the Office of Urban Renewal and Housing Development Support’s section for Leipzig East, support is given to the projects depending on their scale, their different priorities, their organisation and their locations.
Key actors - initiating organization
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Co-management/Joint management
Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
The Federal Ministry of the Environment recently issued a “White Book” (i.e. blue print) for the promotion of green spaces in cities (accompanied by a series of publications on green space developments in Germany). It had dedicated some funding towards this goal and this has been taken up by Leipzig’s Office for Urban Green and Water, for the development of a new free space strategy under the title “Vibrant Green City by the Water”. (1)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
The 3 NBS projects were initiated by citizens. They have become partly integrated into the municipal authority’s planning processes, many of which are coordinated via an urban quarter manager in collaboration with the City’s Office for Urban Renewal and Housing Development Support. (1)
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
Yes
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
NBS are incorporated into the City of Leipzig’s wider planning processes and managed across different departments of the municipal authority, including the Office of Green Space and Water, the Office of Environmental Protection, the City Planning Department and the Office for Urban Renewal and Housing Construction Subsidies. Currently, the City is developing a new “Integrated Urban Development Concept”, building on a process of public engagement that was started by the new citizen participation section in 2012, as part of a federally funded project called “Leipzig 2030”. The process is now taking place under the new title “Thinking Leipzig Ahead” (Leipzig Weiter Denken). (1)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Urban redevelopment plan
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The three projects are all connected through local networks, such as the “Network for Urban Nature” and the “Gardening Programme”, or through activities coordinated by the Urban Quarter Management and the Office of Urban Renewal and Housing Development Support’s section for Leipzig East. (1)
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
In some cases, researchers from academic institutions in the city or region have been employed to accompany projects. Surveys with residents have been carried out in this context or through student projects coordinated by university lecturers. (1)
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Key funding for NBS (alongside and usually as part of wider developments) has been accessed through national schemes such as “Urban Reconstruction East”, “Social City”, “National Projects for Urban Construction”, the joint federal action “Improvements in Regional Economic Structures”, and EU funding through the ESF and EFRE. The Federal Credit-Bank for Reconstruction (KfW) further provides subsidized loans, while the Saxon Bank of Reconstruction (Sächsische Aufbaubank) issues and administers calls for applications to specific schemes funded from EU, federal and state sources. These calls have recently included measures to create more urban green spaces. Loans can be applied for with the ethical GLS Bank for ecological projects and a regional crowd funding platform (RegioCrowd) was recently set up for citizens to connect over smaller-scale projects, to obtain donations from members of the public and to ‘fund’ projects through volunteering. (1)
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
No
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Not applicable
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
EU funds
Public national budget
Public local authority budget
Corporate investment
Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Private Foundation/Trust
Crowdfunding
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Loan
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Business models
Green densification model
Vacant space model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Social
Economic innovation
Governance innovation
Cultural innovation
Please specify social innovation
The free space projects have been an opportunity for social cohesion and urban quality improvement. Ecological considerations are somewhat secondary to the aims of enhancing social cohesion, promoting urban growth and renewal and improving the residential quality of the area. In terms of learning that has taken place in the initiatives, for the communal gardening projects this includes not only hands-on experiential learning about ecological gardening and species protection, but also about the formal processes of urban planning, about legislation and about participatory processes. Parkbogen Ost further enables the diverse actors involved to gain a better understanding of different interests and needs, while incremental learning about intersecting issues such as green mobility, green space development and habitat protection also likely takes place, not least through events such as site visits, guided walks and workshops organized by the project coordinators. [1]
Novelty level of the innovation
Ambiguous (e.g. multiple interpretations)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The innovative aspects of this NBS lie in the implementation of innovative concepts for the development of residential and business spaces. Specifically, the “temporary use agreement” scheme that the administration developed in the late 1990s/early 2000s was deemed innovative as it allows citizens to negotiate usage rights for communal projects on privately owned sites. This is a noteworthy work around over the conflict for space within Leipzig. Thus, the innovative quality of the NBS itself may be ambiguous since the concept of green spaces within the city is nothing new but the policies in place to be able to create green spaces combined with citizen initiative can be deemed innovative. [1]
Replicability/Transferability
Ambiguous (e.g. multiple interpretations)
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
This NBS addresses the need to revitalise a deprived area and foster social inclusion through the creation of green spaces. Querbeet, Parkbogen Ost, and Bunte Gärten, as three examples of such green spaces, have been presented frequently by the City and the local networks as flagship projects for communal action and urban renewal [1]. There is potential for these flagship projects to inspire more projects within the East Quarter wherein the city already provides varying levels of support to create such projects.
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Green space and habitat
Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
Increased green space area
Restoration of derelict areas
Description of environmental benefits
All three NBS have had environmental, social, economic, and political impacts as well as material effects within the East Quarter. All three NBS created new green areas in former derelict areas, thus increasing the green cover in the city. One specifically recorded impact was in Parkbogen Ost, which actively contributed to the improvement of the local micro-climate of the urban quarter (1).
Economic impacts
Stimulate development in deprived areas
Description of economic benefits
All three NBS have had environmental, social, economic, and political impacts as well as material effects within the East Quarter. Querbeet and Bunte Gärten contributed to raising profile and image of the area, thus increasing its attractiveness for potential investors and/or people moving into the area. Parkbogen Ost extended the touristic infrastructure and improved its connection to trans-regional tourism networks. (1)
Social and cultural impacts
Safety
Increased perception of safety
Social justice and cohesion
Improved social cohesion
Improved liveability
Improved access to urban green space
Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
Increased opportunities for social interaction
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Promotion of cultural diversity
Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
Description of social and cultural benefits
Querbeet and Bunte Gärtenhave contributed to social cohesion and promoted integration, created safe and welcoming spaces for new residents and refugees, enhanced the quarter’s cultural vitality and contribution to the quality of life, and raised the profile and image of the area thus contributing to its attractiveness for potential investors and/or people moving into the area.
Parkbogen Ost has contributed to interaction and integration between diverse ethnic and social groups and extension of socio-cultural infrastructures, improved connections with the city as a whole and improved access to regionally important green and recreation spaces, and enhanced the micro-climate of the area.
The discourse on the evidence of the positive impacts of green spaces has overlapped with City, State, Federal and EU goals and subsequent funding opportunities. (1)
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Unknown
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
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
Yes
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Other
Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Citizen consultations on projects, schemes, and plans are organized on a case-by-case basis and they thus vary in their design and implementation. (1)
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
wp4_case_study_working_paper_leipzig_masterdokument_20.11.2017.pdf (1.87 MB) 1.87 MB
List of references
1. NATURVATION - Case Study Working Paper on Leipzig. (2017).
2. Querbeet Offener Garten. (n.d). Start. Accessed on November 15, 2020. http://www.querbeet-leipzig.de/
3. Bunte Garten Leipzig e.V. (n.d). Über uns. Accessed on November 15, 2020, https://bunte-gaerten.org/ueber-uns/
4. Stadt Leipzig. (n.d). Parkbogen Ost - von Bahnflächen zum grünen Aktivband. Sccessed on November 15, 2020, https://www.leipzig.de/bauen-und-wohnen/stadterneuerung-in-leipzig/stadterneuerungsprojekte/parkbogen-ost/
Comments and notes
Public Images
Summer in the garden
Summer in the garden
Source: https://bunte-gaerten.org/der-sommer-im-garten/
Summer in the garden
Summer in the garden
Source: https://bunte-gaerten.org/der-sommer-im-garten/
Summer in the garden
Summer in the garden
Source: https://bunte-gaerten.org/der-sommer-im-garten/