1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Mobile (FUA)
Region
Northern America
Short description of the intervention
Chickasabogue Park, a 1,100-acre outdoor recreation facility and wildlife refuge in Eight Mile, Alabama, is the largest park in Mobile County (Ref 3). Since 2022, the park has undergone extensive renovations aimed at increasing public access to green spaces and shoreline recreational areas, particularly along Chickasabogue Creek, while offering a variety of outdoor activities in a natural setting and preserving local biodiversity (Ref. 3).
The improvements focus on enhancing the day-use area, including upgrades to the playground, a splash pad, basketball courts (adapted to heavy rains with water-permeable materials), and a ball field (Ref 1, Ref 2). Additionally, a new pavilion site and an events and interpretive centre are being developed (Ref 1, Ref 2). Sidewalks and family-friendly walking trails are being built, and improvements are also being made to the park's mountain bike trail and disc golf course (Ref 2), providing more opportunities for outdoor physical activities in nature. Other significant upgrades include the creation of a restroom and a new parking lot with permeable pavers to prevent flooding (Ref 2). Critical infrastructure work is underway, including the installation of underground utilities, water, sewer systems, and roadwork (Ref 2). Furthermore, a new Recreational Vehicles (RV) campground with 38 spaces is in the works (Ref 2).
These upgrades are part of a broader initiative aimed at ensuring the public can quickly access and enjoy natural resources (Ref 2). The renovation also emphasises the cultural heritage and historical significance of the park, with plans to use architecture, design, and artefacts to honour the different cultures that once lived in the area (Ref 2). The next phase includes seeking funding to renovate the beach area and construct a new boat ramp (Ref 1).
Website of the intervention
https://www.mobilecountyal.gov/parks/chickasabogue-park
Principal problems
Climate-Related Hazards
Urban flooding (stormwater)
Land use and Socio-economic change
Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
Disconnection from nature
Implementation area characterization
Climate
Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter)
Ecosystem
Urban or built environment
Address

760 Aldock Rd
Prichard, 36613
United States

Location
The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).
Area boundary (map-based)
NBS area image
Source of NBS area image
1) Google Maps
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Chickasabogue+Park+-+A+Mobile+County+Park/@30.7832638,-88.1394973,12574m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m7!3m6!1s0x889a53f70575d9ff:0xe33badcc33c383a9!4b1!8m2!3d30.7776342!4d-88.1082607!16s%2Fg%2F11gr6w16tq?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D ac/cessed on 17/09/2024
2) WRRG.com
https://www.wkrg.com/mobile-county/chickasabogue-park-nears-reopening-with-work-still-needing-to-be-done/ accessed on 17/09/2024
Total area
4451540.00m²
NBS area
4451540.00m²
Area description
Urban (main city)
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Freshwater setting (e.g. river, channel, lake, pond)
Public Greenspace Area
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2021
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2022
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Objectives of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
1. Increase public access to green spaces and blue spaces, such as the Chickasabogue Creek (Ref 3).
2. Provide diverse outdoor recreational opportunities in a natural setting (Ref 3).
3. Protect the environment and preserve the diversity of indigenous plants and animals (Ref 3).
4. Enhance infrastructure to manage heavy rains and prevent flooding (Ref 2).
5. Highlight the park's cultural heritage and historical significance (Ref 2).
Key Priorities
Social Justice and community
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Habitat and biodiversity conservation
Water management (SDG 6)
Flood protection
Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Promotion of cultural diversity
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Enabling opportunities for physical activity
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Ecosystem-focused
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Protect and enhance urban habitats
Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
Protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect native species
Implementation activities and NBS focus
Implementation activities
1. Upgraded playground (Ref 1).
2. Installation of a splash pad (Ref 1).
3. Renovation of basketball courts, including adaptation with water-permeable materials for heavy rains (Ref 1, Ref 2).
4. Addition of a ball field (Ref 2).
5. Construction of a new pavilion site (Ref 1).
6. Construction of an events and interpretive center (Ref 1).
7. Creation of sidewalks (Ref 2).
8. Construction of a family-friendly walking trail (Ref 1).
9. Improvement of the parking areas, including a parking lot built with water-absorbing pavers (Ref 2).
10. Construction of new restroom facilities (Ref 2).
11. Improvements to the mountain bike trail (Ref 2).
12. Improvements to the disc golf course (Ref 2).
13. Installation of underground utilities (water and sewer system) (Ref 2).
14. Fire hydrants, lift stations, and fire mains installation (Ref 2).
15. Roadwork improvements (Ref 2).
16. Creation of a new recreation vehicle (RV) campground with a capacity of 38 spaces (Ref 2).
Type of NBS project
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks)
Updated management structure of existing green spaces (e.g. parks)
Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas
River rehabilitation/ restoration
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Blue infrastructure
Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
Riverbank/Lakeside greens
Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Playgrounds
Sports areas and equipment
Swimming areas
Educational or biodiversity trails
Cultural (museum, concert areas)
Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café)
Design elements for well-being
Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation)
Auditory elements (e.g., birdsong, water features, quiet areas, rustling leaves)
Tactile elements (e.g., natural materials like wood or stone, exposure to sunlight)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Flood regulation
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Tourism
Aesthetic appreciation
Inspiration for culture, art and design
Recreation
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Demographics in implementation area
Demographics in Prichard, AL, in 2022 (Ref 5):
- population: 18,870
- median resident age: 36.7 years
- income per capita: $17,474
- average household size: 2.7 people
- ethnicity: Black alone: 88.5%, White alone: 8.7%, Hispanic: 1.2%, Two or more races: 0.3%, American Indian alone: 0.2%

Demographics in Chickasaw, AL, in 2022 (Ref 6):
- population: 6,310
- median resident age: 33.0 years
- median household income: $38,244
- average household size: 2.5 people
- ethnicity: Black alone: 48.6%, White alone: 43.3%, Two or more races: 3.8%, Hispanic: 2.4%, Asian alone: 1.2%, Other race alone: 0.5%, American Indian alone: 0.3%
Socio-economic profile of the area
Low-income
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Unknown
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Young people and children
Specify primary beneficiaries
- local residents:" our residents need to see things that we're investing in that are intended to benefit the people that are living here” (ref 1)
- Young people and children: construction of "playground", "ball field" (Ref 2), "When I was walking near the new pavilion site all I could see was birthday parties with kids running everywhere" (Ref 1)
- visitors: "to attract visitors" (Ref 1)
- every resident of Mobile County: "this is a park for everyone in mobile county to enjoy" (Ref 1)
Marginalized groups
Children, young people or youth groups
Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups
Children, young people or youth groups: a lot of amenities in the park are to be used by children, like "playground", "ball field" (Ref 2), where "birthday parties" can happen (Ref 1)
Other beneficiaries
Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators)
Native plant vegetation
Natural habitats (e.g. wetland, forests, coastal areas)
City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Government-led
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
- The city of Mobile leads the project (Ref 1)
- Mott MacDonald (private company) is the contractor for the infrastructure improvements (Ref 2)
- Goodwyn Mills Caywood (private company) is the contractor for the mountain bike trail and disc golf course work (Ref 2)
- Moffat and Nichol (private company) is the contractor for the RV Park Project (Ref 2)
- J Hunt Enterprises (private company) is the contractor for the day use/entry area and trail improvements (Ref 3)

Fundings: the Gulf of Mexico Energy and Security Act (national government) (Ref 2)
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
National government
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders)
Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Co-management/Joint management
Uncommon actors ("Missing actors")
Unknown
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
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
Unknown
Enablers & Barriers
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)
Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives.
The city had different contractors with different type of expertise, for different parts of the improvement work (Ref 2, 3)
Governace and decison-making instruments
Public - private business agreement (e.g. public private collaborations, public-private-partnerships (PPP))
Arrangements for governance cooperation
Formal coordination mechanisms to oversee project implementation and decision-making (e.g., multi-stakeholder steering committees, working groups)
Barriers
- supply chain issues caused a delay: "Several obstacles have delayed the project including supply chain issues to increases in material costs" (Ref 1)
- increases in material costs: "Several obstacles have delayed the project including supply chain issues to increases in material costs" (Ref 1)
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Please specify total cost (EUR)
In 2024: 9 000 000 $ (Ref 1) = 8 080 568,43 Euros (exchange rate on 17/09/2024: 1 USD = 0,897795 EUR)
Once future projects are invested in, that number could double (18 000 000$) (Ref 2)
Source(s) of funding
Public national budget
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Business models
Business models
Green densification model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Citizens / local communities
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Water management and blue areas
Increased protection against flooding
Expected increased protection against flooding
Improved stormwater management
Expected improved stormwater management
Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
Expected enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Expected increased green space area
Increase in protected green space areas
Expected increase in protected green space areas
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Description of environmental benefits
-Increased protection against flooding: "the parking lot is built on previous pavers, which absorb water to eliminate flooding." (Ref 2)
-Improved stormwater management: "basketball ground made with a plastic material that allows water to drip through it" (Ref 2)
-Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
-Increased green space area: "Chickasabogue Park is an 1,100-acre outdoor recreation facility" (Ref 3)
-Increase in protected green space areas: "Chickasabogue Park is an 1,100-acre outdoor recreation facility" (Ref 3)
-Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems: "wildlife refuge in Eight Mile, Alabama." "protecting the environment and preserving the diversity of indigenous plants and animals." (Ref 3)
Environmental impact indicators
Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced
unknown
Green space area created (in ha)
445,1
Total area of protected or secured natural areas (in ha)
445,1
Area of river/lake or riparian area restored (in ha)
Unknown
Water retention capacity (m³ or %)
Unknown
Volume of stormwater treated (m³)
Unknown
Area of water management infrastructure (e.g. SUDs, rain gardens) (m2)
Unknown
Economic impacts
More sustainable tourism
Expected more sustainable tourism
Description of economic benefits
- More sustainable tourism: "to attract visitors" (Ref 1), "Creation of new Recreational Vehicles campground with a capacity of 38 spaces is in the works" (Ref 2)
Economic impact indicators
Number of jobs created (e.g. park maintenance, landscaping, ecotourism)
unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved access to urban green space
Expected improved access to urban green space
Health and wellbeing
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Promotion of cultural diversity
Expected promotion of cultural diversity
Improvement in people’s connection to nature
Expected improvement in people’s connection to nature
Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
Expected protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
Social and cultural impact indicators
Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha)
445,1
Total area of recreational green space created or restored (in ha)
445,1
Description of social and cultural benefits
-Improved access to urban green space (and blue space): "we're building amenities and access for no matter where you live in this county that you'll be able to get somewhere pretty quickly and enjoy our natural resources,” (Ref 1), "for increased public access to water" (Ref 3), "to increase public access to shoreline recreational areas, such as along the Chickasabogue Creek." (Ref 3)
-Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: "upgraded playground, a splash pad, basketball courts" (ref 1), "Ball Field" (Ref 2), "Sidewalks "(Ref 2) "a family friendly walking trail" (Ref 1), "Renovation of the beach area and the construction of a new boat ramp." (Ref 1), "the mountain bike trail and disc golf course" (Ref 2)
-Promotion of cultural diversity: "the park will also use architecture, design, and artifacts to recognize the different cultures that lived in the area in the past." (Ref 2)
-Improvement in people’s connection to nature: "The park is less than 15 minutes from downtown Mobile and provides a wide variety of outdoor activities in a natural setting", "you'll be able to get somewhere pretty quickly and enjoy our natural resources” (Ref 1)
-Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure: "the historical significance of this park.","In all, the renovations are more than just improvements — officials say they want to make people aware of the area’s history" (Ref 2)
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
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Cost-benefit analysis
Unknown
Transparency
Unknown
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
Unknown
High-quality & Transformative NBS
Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community)
No
Goal setting and impacts delivery
In the planning phase, the project aimed to address issues in all 3 key priority areas, but impacts were not delivered in all three key areas.
Reaching original project goals
Inconclusive as the project is still undergoing implementation, or is still on its planning stages
Long-term perspective
Yes
Cost-effective solutions
Unknown
Equitable impacts
C. Unknown
Transformative capacity
Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them)
Technical change (e.g. built infrastructure of cities and their parts, roads, buildings and so on)
Magnitude of change
Reformist: by focusing on addressing underlying drivers of change but failing to address the problem structurally or systemically
Application of lessons learned
Unknown
Perception of Environmental Change
Unknown
References
1.
Spears, A. (2024). Mobile County targeting late summer/early fall reopening date for Chickasabogue Park. Eight Mile, AL: NBC News 15, p. 1-3 Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
2.
Redd, A (2024). Chickasabogue Park nears reopening with work still needing to be done. Eight Mile: News WKRG 15, p. 1-6 Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
3.
Mobile County (n.d.). Chickasabogue Park Temporarily Closed for Amenity and Infrastructure Upgrades. Eight Mile: Mobile County, p. 1 [Source link] [Archive];
4.
Mobile County (2023). Next Phase of Chickasabogue Park Construction Beginning. Eight Mile: Mobile County, p. 1 Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
5.
CityData.com (2022). Demographics in Prichards - CityData.com. Prichard: CityData.com, Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
6.
CityData.com (2022). Demographics in Chickasaw - CityData.com. Chickasaw: CityData.com, Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
Comments and notes
Public Images
Boat Launch for future improvement in Chickasawbogue Park
Boat Launch for future improvement in Chickasawbogue Park
https://www.mobilecountyal.gov/parks/chickasabogue-park accessed on 17/09/2024
Chickasawbogue Park Master Plan, showing future improvements to be made on the beach/swimming area
Chickasawbogue Park Master Plan, showing future improvements to be made on the beach/swimming area
https://www.mobilecountyal.gov/parks/chickasabogue-park accessed on 17/09/2024