1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Mogilev
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Парк Подниколье
Short description of the intervention
Park Podnikolie, with an area of about 100 hectares, is part of the water-green frame of the city and is included in the conservation zone of the historical and cultural value of the city of Mogilev [4,11]. Since olden times on the territory of Podnikol, there were up to 400 manor plots, occupied mainly by vegetable gardens. Now Podnikolie is a large park, which has become a favourite place for residents and guests of the regional centre [1]. More than 1125 tree saplings have been planted on the territory of Podnikolie to preserve the integrity of the historical ground, the historical territory [1,9,10,11]. Thus, the park is also called the "green heart" of Mogilev city. The densely planted area is officially a quiet recreation area where people "merge" with nature [1,2,6,10]. The project's goal is to improve the urban management system, promote the implementation of the principles of green urban planning, and improve citizens' quality of life through effective cooperation between local authorities and the population [2,9,10].
Address

Boldzina St, Mogilev, Belarus
Mogilev
Belarus

Total area
1000000.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2014
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
- As a pilot project of the city, to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent compared to 1990 levels, since Mogilev is a signatory to the Covenant of Mayors [4];
- Improve the park territory in terms of its future operation and maintenance in order to preserve and restore the park [9.11];
- Improve the urban management system, and promote the implementation of the principles of green urban planning [2];
- Organize regular maintenance, control and monitoring of green spaces in the park [11];
- Solve the problem of diseases of perennial trees, such as elm and ash, in the park in order to optimize the phytosanitary situation [11];
- Preserve the integrity of the historical ground and the historical territory of the park [2,4];
- Improve the quality of life of citizens through effective cooperation of local authorities and the population - partnership management [2];
- Organize recreational and tourist activities [9];
- Extend the knowledge about natural and cultural heritage among city residents [9].
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Climate change mitigation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Implementation activities
Extensive work is carried out regularly to preserve and restore the park [11]:
- City Administration сreated a concept for the reconstruction of the park and its further development [11];
- Park administration has conducted regular inventories of all age trees in the park since the launch of the project [11];
- Necessary essential work has been carried out to create conveniences for park visitors [11];
- Youth action for the installation of birdhouses "Bird town" was held. The event was attended by about twenty organizations and enterprises of the city. Participants made 25 birdhouses with their own hands, which they installed in the park, creating a food base for birds [5,7];
- A staircase descent from Ordzhonikidze Square to Bolshaya Grazhdanskaya Street was installed, the decoration of which was a fountain. The object has become not only a decoration of the park but also one of the sights of the city [1];
- There is a quiet recreation area in the Mogilev park in Podnikolie (20 hectares), where alleys were laid: oak, maple, linden, еhuja (about 1200 trees). They were located precisely where the streets and lanes passed for centuries, on which the estates of Mogilev residents with vegetable gardens and orchards were located. Historians and archaeologists had studied the old maps, even restored their names: Nikolskaya, Staro-Chernigovskaya, Pravoberezhnaya, Slobodskoy and Zvonnikov lanes [2,6,10];
- Cedars were planted in the Mogilev park. The collection of cedars is a gift from a resident of Mogilev, who took the initiative and offered his help in landscaping. The park ensemble was supplemented by group planting of young trees, such as Siberian and Canadian pines [8].
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Green playgrounds and school grounds
Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Vegetation Type
Please specify how many trees were planted
More than 1125 tree saplings have been planted in the Podnikolie park: 347 conifers; 778 deciduous of which 156 are fruit; 722 shrubs [1].
Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS
The park's territory is divided into several zones: a green area for quiet recreation, a bird town, a playground, a playground for toddlers, a thematic area for photoshoots and an open-air gym [1].
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Air quality regulation
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Pest and disease control
Cultural services
Tourism
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Governance
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The idea of its creation belongs to the public group "Podnikolie", which was supported by the city authorities of Mogilev and the European Union. The project is also supported by the City Public Utilities Administration and the Mogilevzelenstroy construction company [1,6,11]
Key actors - initiating organization
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
EU body
Local government/municipality
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Citizens or community group
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an 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
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
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
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Financing
Total cost
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
Type of fund(s) used
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Type of innovation
Please specify social innovation
The project has a strong public governance focus and an innovative partnership management approach [2], with the idea of its creation belonging to the public group "Podnikolie", which was supported by the city authorities of Mogilev and the European Union.
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
International practices have been studied as examples when creating a concept of the park [9].
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Description of environmental benefits
The application of the principles of rehabilitation of the Podnikolie Park and its riverside territories gave a positive effect, which is manifested through [9]:
- Wet landscapes of the park in the natural and semi-natural states have an increased ability to absorb CO2;
- Landscapes are involved in stormwater drainage;
- Enhancing biodiversity in urban areas; [4].
Economic impacts
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
- After extensive reconstruction, the park has become a landmark of the city [1];
- The enhancement of biodiversity contributes to extending the knowledge about the natural and cultural heritage of the city [9];
- Preserved the history of the city through the transformation of the park on the site of the former historic square, where Mogilev residents lived and worked for a long time [2];
- Involvement of residents of the city, and most importantly the young generation, in the activities of the park [3];
Type of reported impacts
Indicators
Unknown
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
Yes
What problem or concern was identified with the implementation of the NBS?
Please specify the negative impacts
- The park in Podnikolye periodically suffers from vandalism [11];
- There was a misunderstanding on the part of residents regarding the preservation of natural features based on international practices. For instance, it was difficult for residents to understand that wet landscapes are a virtue that can increase the ability to absorb CO2 [4]. Or there was a conflict with the local community regarding the cut down of diseased perennial trees. Current works were necessary to stop the spread of the disease and to optimize the phytosanitary situation in the park. The trees were replaced with young healthy trees [11];
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of November of 2021.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
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
List of references
1. Mogilev Regional Center of Information Systems (n.d.). Park "Podnikolie". Accessed on November 11, 2021, http://mogilevzelenstroy.by/podnikolie/
2. Karpekov S. (2019). A quiet rest zone was opened in Mogilev. Mogilev Regional Center of Information Systems. Accessed on November 11, 2021, http://mogilevzelenstroy.by/podnikolie/index.php/news/12-zonu-tikhogo-otdykha-otkryli-v-mogiljove
3. Fartukh Y. (2020). In the Mogilev park in Podnikolie, a youth action "Bird town" was held. Mogilev Regional Center of Information Systems. Accessed on November 11, 2021, http://mogilevzelenstroy.by/podnikolie/index.php/news/28-v-mogilevskom-parke-v-podnikole-proshla-molodezhnaya-aktsiya-ptichij-gorodok
4. Volynets A. (2018). Park in Podnikolie: the citizen is discussing greening, the architect advises doing things not like everyone else. Information agency "Zyalena Partal". Accessed on November 11, 2021, https://greenbelarus.info/articles/13-02-2018/park-v-podnikole-gorozhane-obsuzhdayut-ozelenenie-arkhitektor-sovetuet-delat-ne
5. Petrushko V. (2020). In the Podnikolya park, a "Bird town" was created from 25 birdhouses. Online publication mogilevnews.by. Accessed on November 11, 2021, https://mogilevnews.by/news/11-03-2020-22-46/62877
6. Khitrikova G. (2019). A quiet recreation park was opened in the Podnikol region of Mogilev. Online publication mogilevnews.by. Accessed on November 11, 2021, https://mogilevnews.by/news/23-07-2019-18-46/58778
7. Mogilev TV and radio company (2021). More than 20 species of birds live in the Podnikolsky park. Accessed on November 11, 2021, https://www.tvrmogilev.by/ru/news/region/v-podnikolskom-parke-obitaet-bolee-20-vidov-ptic.html
8. Mogilev TV and radio company (2021). Cedars supplemented the collection of trees in Podnikolsky Park. Accessed on November 11, 2021, https://www.tvrmogilev.by/ru/news/region/v-podnikolskom-parke-mogileva-poselilis-kedry-foto.html
9. COMMA (2019). Information materials of the COMMA project. Supported by the European Union. Accessed on November 11, 2021, https://ekapraekt.by/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Infomaterial_Varderanian-min.pdf
10. ECOPROJECT (2019). A quiet recreation park was opened in the Podnikol region of Mogilev. Info-portal "Common City". Accessed on November 11, 2021, https://ekapraekt.by/novosti/park-tihogo-otdyha-otkryli-v-rajone-podnikolya-mogileva/
11. Novice V. (2017). How the park is being set up in Podnikolie. Information agency Vestnik Mogileva. Accessed on November 11, 2021, http://www.vestnikmogileva.by/novosti/obshestvo/kak-obustraivaetsya-park-podnikolie.html
Comments and notes
Additional insights
In the future, the park of quiet recreation will be gradually developed with the participation of the public of the city, public initiatives and city authorities. The latter will ensure the safety and maintenance of the object. The next project to be implemented is the Pharmacy Garden, for which 15 acres have been allocated. A nursery has already been created for this garden at the Lubuzh agrobiological station of the Arkady Kuleshov University. There is a proposal to create a botanical garden on the territory of the already created park of quiet recreation. In general, the work on the improvement of this territory is laid down in the plan for the sustainable development of Mogilev [6].
Public Images
Image
Opening of a quiet recreation area in Mogilev
Opening of a quiet recreation area in Mogilev
http://mogilevzelenstroy.by/podnikolie/index.php/news/12-zonu-tikhogo-otdykha-otkryli-v-mogiljove
Image
Help in landscaping from a resident of Mogilev as a gift to the collection of cedar trees
Help in landscaping from a resident of Mogilev as a gift to the collection of cedar trees
https://www.tvrmogilev.by/ru/news/region/v-podnikolskom-parke-mogileva-poselilis-kedry-foto.html