1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Stockholm
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Markförbättrande åtgärder för stadens gatuträd
Short description of the intervention
“Central Stockholm has around 12,000 planted trees in its street environment. During the second half of the 20th century, the circumstances for the city’s trees changed dramatically as competition for land increased. Concrete and asphalt were laid closer and closer to the tree trunks. This project aimed to improve conditions for trees in the city’s urban environment as they are very important to the cityscape and the air environment. They also bring residents joy and a sense of well-being. Moreover, this is a way of increasing biological diversity.” The intervention is part of the 'Environmental Billion project'. (Ref. 1, 2).

No new data found for this project in 2020. Many similar initiatives have been taken up in the city in other parts, but it is unclear whether they are part of the same project or are separate projects.
Address

Birger Jarlsgatan
Stockholm
Sweden

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
Central Business District / City Centre
Website of the intervention
http://www.stockholm.se/Fristaende-webbplatser/Fackforvaltningssajter/Stadsledn…
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2006
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2006
End date of the intervention
2007
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
- Create and strengthen the green 'wedge' through the city between Brunnsviken and Nybroviken bays.
- Link parks and street spaces and provide conditions for a green corridor through the city, and thereby increase biodiversity.
- Increase the amount of leaf and leaf volume of 416 of the inner city's street trees.
- Reduce air pollution in the inner city.
- Increase the ability of the trees to bind air pollutants.
- Reduce the load on recipients for rainwater.
- Increase the infiltration and purification of rainwater in the existing environment.
- Reduce the load on the water management system.
- Reduce damage to VA-lines and surface coatings caused by trees. (Ref. 1)
Quantitative targets
To improve the situation of Birger Jarlsgatan's 200 and 216 street trees in the rest of the city, aiming to increase the leaf volume up to 10 times against today's conditions. (Ref. 1)
Monitoring indicators defined
number of trees; leaf volume
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Water management (SDG 6)
Flood protection
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Implementation activities
416 trees around the city were given new growing beds. (Ref. 1, 2)
The green ‘wedge’ between Brunnsviken and Nybroviken bays was strengthened. (Ref. 1, 2)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Maintenance and management of urban nature
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Vegetation Type
Trees
Please specify how many trees were planted
416
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Air quality regulation
Water purification / filtration
Habitat and supporting services
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Please specify "other cultural service"
This project aimed to improve conditions for trees in the city’s urban environment as they are very important to the cityscape and the air environment. They also bring residents joy and a sense of well-being. Moreover, this is a way of increasing biological diversity. (Ref. 1, 2).
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Non-government actors
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Arbor Konsult has together with the project management team (Traffic and Waste Management Administration, City of Stockholm) and the developers/contractors (e.g. Rockstore, Stockholm Entreprenad NCC Qbikum Tylömarks) developed the way in which the plant's beds are to be refurbished. (Ref. 1, 2)
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
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
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
The objectives of the Stockholm Environment Programme (Objective 4: Ecological planning and management; 4:5 Impact on soil, surface and groundwater should be reduced. 4:6 Prevent contamination of the water so as to minimize contamination) are included as part of the results of the project. (Ref. 1)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The goals of City of Stockholm's Environment Programme (Stockholms miljöprogram) are included in the final report of the intervention. (Ref. 1)
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Municipal / city level environmental plan or programme
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?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
4.6 Million EUR
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)
The total cost of the project is 45596000 SEK (around 4,6 M €) (Ref. 1, 2).
Source(s) of funding
Public local authority budget
Other
Please specify other source of funding
The final report of the project states that the total cost includes other financial sources but not what type. (Ref. 1)
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Green densification model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Type of innovation
Technological
Product innovation
Social
Cultural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
"Increased infiltration and cleaning of surface water in the existing environment.
There has also been less damage to water and sewerage pipes and road/street paving from trees." (Ref. 2)
Please specify social innovation
Recreational: "bring residents joy and a sense of well-being." (Ref. 2)
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Replicability/Transferability
Ambiguous (e.g. multiple interpretations)
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
“Experiences will be disseminated through the Faculty of Landscape Planning, Horticulture and Agricultural Science at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. In collaboration with the Stockholm County Association of Local Authorities and The Swedish Society of Arboriculture, the knowledge will be distributed even further afield. There are also plans to share these experiences through the EU project Cost Action C15." (Ref. 2)
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Water management and blue areas
Improved stormwater management
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Description of environmental benefits
With this project implementation, 416 trees were planted.
The project resulted in an "Increased infiltration and cleaning of surface water in the existing environment.
There has also been less damage to water and sewerage pipes and road/street paving from trees." (Ref. 2)
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
Unknown
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Unknown
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Environmental quality
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Water management (SDG 6)
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
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
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
Yes
Link to monitoring/evaluation reports
http://www.stockholm.se/PageFiles/176116/B43%20Slutrapport.pdf
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No
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
No
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Ref. 1
Ref. 2
Ref. 3
Ref. 4
List of references
Ref.1. Stockholms Stad (2007) Nr B43, Markförbättrande åtgärder för stadens gatuträd. Slutrapport för projekt inom Miljömiljarden. Slutrapport Miljömiljard. Trafikkontoret, Stockholms Stad. Information obtained: 2017-06-07 [Website not available in 2020]

Ref. 2. Stockholms Stad (2010) Good examples from 'The environmental Billion'. The City of Stockholm. Information obtained: 2017-06-[Website not available in 2020]

Ref. 3. Stockholms Stad (n.d.) Miljömiljarden - Välkommen till Miljömiljarden! City of Stockholm webpage.
Information obtained: 2017-06-07 [Website not available in 2020]

Ref. 4. Stockholms Stad (2011) Avrapportering och avslut av Miljömiljarden. Stadsledningskontoret, Stadsutvecklingsenheten, Stockholms Stad. Information obtained: 2017-06-07 [Website not available in 2020]
Comments and notes
Additional insights
Also note: An inventory of the inner city street trees in 2004 shows that about 2000 street trees have a negative development (dying back or decreasing in size) and another 2000 trees have minimal or no growth. Which means that about 4,000 street trees may need to be replaced (within a decade) if the conditions of the tree are not improved. (Ref. 1)
Completion and reporting of the City of Stockholm Environmental Billion project (which the NBS intervention is a part of). (Ref. 4) http://www.stockholm.se/PageFiles/174739/Avslut%20och%20avrapportering%20av%20Milj%c3%b6miljarden.pdf