1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Münster
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Fassadengrün Münster
Short description of the intervention
As an open root space, climbing plants usually only need a small floor area. Such planting areas can be cut out in a semicircular shape
directly on the facade, for example in the eaves strip of the roof overhangs (irrigation may be necessary). The city department for urban development initiated a funding programme for green facades and walls on private property in the city district of Wolbeck. It formed part of the proposed measures of the urban redevelopment programme for the district to improve its attractiveness and enhance green spaces. It included the reimbursement of up to 70 per cent of the arising material costs provided that the owner commits to maintaining the green façade for ten years. Although only three parties participated in the programme, public awareness of the multiple benefits of green space were raised (ref. 1, 2, 3 and 4).
Address

Münster
Germany

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Residential
Building
Website of the intervention
http://www.stadtmuenster.de/stadt/stadtplanung/gestaltung-projekte_begruenung-w…
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2014
End date of the intervention
2015
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
-Improving the local microclimate, protecting the facades from the effects of the weather, improving air quality by binding particular matter, reducing noise (Ref. 1, 3 and 6)
-Gentrification of the historic, medieval district of Wolbeck, creating attractive public space (Ref. 4)
-Enhancing green in public spaces on the streets and on house walls facing the latter, compensating negative impacts of former urban developments such as vacant lots and stockades (Ref. 1)
-Stimulate the personal initiative of residents concerning the greening of facades and walls (Ref. 1)
Quantitative targets
No quantitative targets defined
Monitoring indicators defined
Amount of funding taken advantage of by participating parties, number of parties participating in the programme (Ref. 1)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity conservation
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Noise reduction
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Reduce the impacts of climate risks events on urban places and communities
Build resilience
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
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
Create new habitats
Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
Protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect species
Means for conservation governance
Public engagement
Capacity building
Implementation activities
Next to one party that greened its facades on private costs, three parties applied and were granted funding for the interventions planned on their private property based on the programme which started in 2014 and for which intensive marketing was made. To receive the funding, they submitted an application form, a drawing of the intended intervention and a photo of its location. Up to 70 per cent of the material costs which consisted of the plant, the metal climbing system as well as the implementation by a specialist company (if required) were reimbursed. Any other arising maintenance costs are borne by the initiator. In addition, professional advice was provided for free by the city department for green spaces and environmental protection (Ref. 1, 2 and 3).
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
Other
Please specify "other external building green"
Green courtyards
Type of Green Wall
Substrate / soil-based living wall
Vegetation Type
Trees
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Pollination
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Citizens or community groups
Please specify other local relevant strategy
The district development plan ("Entwicklungskonzept Wolbeck-Zentrum - aktive Stadt- und Ortsteilzentren") includes a whole chapter on urban green and measures to be set for the district (next to the greening facades programme). It consists of 33 concrete measures, one of which is the project "greening facades and walls" which was included in the concept on the request of several citizens and their stated intentions to actively contribute to greening public spaces with interventions on their private properties (Ref. 6).
Furthermore, there is climate adaptation concept of the city of Münster which was issued in 2015 that contains a measures catalogue: the greening facades funding programme is stated as one of the measures to be implemented (Ref. 8)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Government-led
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The funding programme was administered by the city department for urban planning and the city department for green spaces and environmental protection. Apart from the funding (which covered up to 70 percent of the material costs for the installation including the services of a specialist company for implementation of any required structures) which originated mostly from national and regional funds, also professional advice was provided by the two mentioned departments (Ref. 1, 2, 3 and 9).
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
Non-government organisation/civil society
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Other
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Non-government organisation/civil society
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Other
Please specify other land owner
A private property in the city district of Wolbeck (ref. 1)
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
Dissemination of information and education
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)
Please specify other landowner
A private property in the city district of Wolbeck (ref. 1)
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 city center of Muenster participates in a national programme called "active city and district centers" which employs an integrated approach towards urban development. With national and regional funding pots, it facilitates the implementation of a particular set of measures to preserve and upgrade public space (streets, paths, squares), modernize or further develop city landscapes (Ref. 9).
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
The authorities of the city administration and district representatives elaborated in close exchange with citizens via workshops and information events an urban development concept for the district of Wolbeck with the goal of gentrification of the whole district to improve quality of life (Ref. 5). It consists of 33 concrete measures, one of which is the project "greening facades and walls" which was included in the concept on the request of several citizens and their stated intentions to actively contribute to greening public spaces with interventions on their private properties (Ref. 6).
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
The city's funding programme "green facades and walls" is a voluntary initiative laid down in the urban development concept for the district of Wolbeck on the request of several citizens and their stated intentions to actively contribute to greening public spaces with interventions on their private properties (Ref. 6). It was intensely promoted with several information campaigns (Ref. 6).
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
The district development plan ("Entwicklungskonzept Wolbeck-Zentrum - aktive Stadt- und Ortsteilzentren") includes a whole chapter on urban green and measures to be set for the district (next to the greening facades programme). It consists of 33 concrete measures, one of which is the project "greening facades and walls" which was included in the concept on the request of several citizens and their stated intentions to actively contribute to greening public spaces with interventions on their private properties (Ref. 6).
Furthermore, there is climate adaptation concept of the city of Münster which was issued in 2015 that contains a measures catalogue: the greening facades funding programme is stated as one of the measures to be implemented (Ref. 8)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
City specific climate change policy or plan
Urban redevelopment plan
Other
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
Yes
Please specify
The national and regional funds provided by the funding programme "active city and district centers" of the Ministry for Environmental Protection, Environment, Construction and Reactor Security (Ref. 6 and 9).
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
€10,000 - €50,000
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)
Total funding amount available: € 50,000. Since only 3 parties participated and the max. per intervention is EUR 1,000, the total expenses for funding are estimated with 1,500 - 3,000 EUR maximum (sample expenses for grape vine, metal climbing system and installation: EUR 340 (Ref. 1, 2 and 3). Excluded are administrative costs and advisory services for the city department for urban development and arising campaign advertising costs for which no cost indications are available.
Source(s) of funding
Public national budget
Public regional budget
Public local authority budget
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
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
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Technological
Infrastructural innovation
Social
Governance innovation
Please specify technological innovation
The programme which aimed at a widespread implementation of green facades had the potential for an infrastructural innovation since it would have contributed to the transformation of the city district landscape to more green public spaces (Ref. 6). Before the programme, some people had already installed green facades but too few people (only 3) participated in the programme for the desired transformation to happen.
Please specify social innovation
It is also a governance innovation since the transformation is also to a great part to be produced by citizens' initiatives on their private properties next to public interventions. There were intense citizen involvement and engagement processes when developing the urban development concept of Wolbeck; the measures elaborated in it reflect the citizens' agenda and wishes (Ref. 4 and 5).
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Reduced noise exposure
Water management and blue areas
Improved stormwater management
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased number of species present
Enhanced support of pollination
Description of environmental benefits
- Improved the local microclimate, protecting the facades from the effects of the weather, improving air quality by binding particular matter, reducing noise (Ref. 1, 3 and 6).
- The implementation of the climate adaptation concept via this project with the coordination and initiation of multiple activities was carried out (ref. 8) and it resulted in the greening enhancement of the residential area and improved the urban climate. Vegetation also helped to reduce noise (ref. 5).
- The leaves of climbing plants protected the facade from rain. Partly shaded to a sunny location, also shade, well-drained, moist and very nutrient-rich soil is used (document 2)
- Protection of species: Birds, bees, hover flies and other insects find food and breeding grounds (document 2), as the climbing plants provided a habitat for spiders, flies, beetles and lice, but also for their natural enemies such as ladybirds and lacewings. The dense green also bring birds and butterflies into the city (document 2).
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved access to urban green space
Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
Description of social and cultural benefits
- Enhanced green in public spaces on the streets and on house walls facing the latter, compensating negative impacts of former urban developments such as vacant lots and stockades (Ref. 1)
- Stimulated the personal initiative of residents concerning the greening of facades and walls (Ref. 1)
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Unknown
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Environmental quality
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Voluntary work opportunities
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 August 10, 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
Direct feedback provided by participating parties (Ref. 2 and 3)
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
website of funding programme
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
Overview 33 measures set in the district development plan (72.1 KB) 72.1 KB
Information folder on greening facades provided by the city of Münster (759.43 KB) 759.43 KB
Sample contract (56.09 KB) 56.09 KB
List of references
1. Stadt Münster Amt für Stadtentwicklung / Stadtplanung / Verkehrsplanung. (2016). Stadträume gestalten Wolbeck soll grüner werden: Fassaden- und Mauerbegrünung im historischen Zentrum. Available at: http://www.stadtmuenster.de/stadt/stadtplanung/gestaltung-projekte_begruenung-wolbeck.html (Accessed 10 August 2020)
2. Hasenkamp, A. (2015). ‘Wenigstens einer mehr: Fassaden- und Mauerbegrünung im Wigbold’, Münster-Wolbeck, October. Available at: http://www.wolbeck-muenster.de/wenigstens-einer-mehr-fassaden-und-mauerbegruenung-im-wigbold-201510077042#Aumlhnliche-Beitraumlge (Accessed 10 August 2020)
3. n.a. (2015). ‘Angebot für Fassadenbegrünung hat Anlaufschwierigkeiten. Fördergelder werden kaum abgerufen’, Westfälische Nachrichten, 20 February. Available at: http://www.wn.de/Muenster/Stadtteile/Wolbeck/2015/02/1894950-Angebot-fuer-Fassadenbegruenung-hat-Anlaufschwierigkeiten-Foerdergelder-werden-kaum-abgerufen (Accessed 10 August 2020)
4. Stadt Münster. (2016). Stadträume gestalten Entwicklungskonzept Wolbeck-Zentrum: Städtebauförderungsprogramm ‘Aktive Stadt- und Ortsteilzentren’. Available at: https://www.muenster.de/stadt/stadtplanung/pdf/Vorlage_0239.pdf (Accessed 10 August 2020)
5. Stadt Münster Amt für Stadtentwicklung / Stadtplanung / Verkehrsplanung. (2014). Entwicklungskonzept WOLBECK - ZENTRUM. Städtebauförderprogramm „Aktive Stadt- und Ortsteilzentren“. Münster. Available at: https://www.muenster.de/stadt/stadtplanung/ (Accessed 10 August 2020)
6. Stadt Münster Presse- und Informationsamt. (2014). Mehr Grün für Wolbecks Fassaden und Mauern. Stadt informiert über Fördermittel / Entwicklungskonzept für ein attraktives Ortszentrum. Available at: https://www.muenster.de/stadt/presseservice/pressemeldungen/web/frontend/show/888867 (Accessed 10 August 2020)
7. Taraba, S. (2017). Fassadenbegrünung – Alles aus einer Hand. Available at: https://www.fassadengruen.de/ (Accessed 10 August 2020)
8. Stadt Münster Amt für Grünflächen Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit. (2015). Klimawandelanpassungskonzept Münster. Münster. Available at: http://www.stadt-muenster.de/umwelt/klimaanpassungskonzept.html (Accessed 10 August 2020)
9. Bundesministerium fuer Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit. (2016). Aktive Stadt- und Ortsteilzentren. Praxis. Muenster Innenstadt. Available at: http://www.staedtebaufoerderung.info/StBauF/DE/Programm/AktiveStadtUndOrtsteilzentren/Praxis/Massnahmen/Muenster/Muenster_inhalt.html?nn=760184 (Accessed 10 August 2020)
Additional comments
6. Evaluation and learning: additional insights provided through the telephone conversation and also mentioned in a newspaper article about why the programme failed to attract more participants: application procedure too bureaucratic, required commitment to maintain the green facade for the next 10 years - problematic for elderly people (Ref. 3 and interview file)
Interview
Attachment Size
Information gathered from telephone conversation with programme manager (37 KB) 37 KB
Comments and notes
Additional insights
2 / implementation activities:
The family Brandenfels living in the historical district Wolbeck of the city of Münster decided to participate in the funding programme for greening facades and walls which started in 2014. To apply for the funding, they submitted a drawing of the intended intervention and a photo of its location. The family decided to plant a grape vine, one of which they had already planted in their courtyard which thrived. Its Southern exposure is fortunate for the grape vine to quickly spread horizontally and vertically across the facade. Material costs which consisted of the grape vine and a metal climbing system were funded with up to 70 percent, also professional advice is included in the funding. Any other arising maintenance costs have to be borne by the initiator (Ref. 1 and 2).