1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Stuttgart
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Landschaftspark Neckar
Short description of the intervention
Landscape Park Neckar is a multi-place NBS intervention that is being realized along the banks of the river Neckar in 27 cities, including Stuttgart. Along the river axis, the free spaces between the dwelling buildings, industrial areas, and transport terminals are identified to be transformed into green areas, parks, and new recreational facilities. With this step-by-step approach, it succeeds in regenerating green areas for natural and social functions and helps drawing attention to the diverse benefits of Green Infrastructure. There are now eight master plans for the different landscape areas, which fit together like pieces of a puzzle to form the Stuttgart Region Landscape Park. Each sub-concept is tailored to the characteristic conditions. Since 2005 the Verband Region Stuttgart has been calling on cities and municipalities to submit project ideas. From this, the projects are selected in a competition in which the region pays up to 50 per cent of the costs. In this way, total investments in the Stuttgart Region Landscape Park of around 45 million euros have been triggered in recent years and around 200 projects have been co-financed by the region. The redevelopment of the landscape is in the ongoing phase. (ref. 1, 2, 7).
Address

multi-place intervention
Stuttgart, Esslingen, Ludwigsburg, et al.
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
Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature
Public Greenspace Area
Central Business District / City Centre
Website of the intervention
https://oppla.eu/casestudy/17572
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
1999
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2005
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Please specify "other" stage of the intervention
It took quite a long time to achieve the corresponding legal competencies between the municipalities. In this regard, while the VRS was allowed to plan the Landscape Park project in 1999, it was not until 2005 that it could start co-financing the project (1).
Goals of the intervention
1. To enhance the green infrastructure of the region (1)
2. To enhance biodiversity (1)
3. To support sustainable mobility (1)
4. To promote environmental and cultural education (1)
5. To improve the local climate (1)
6. To provide leisure areas for all kind of users (1)
7. To improve the living condition in the region (2)
8. To increase the attractiveness of the area for tourists (2)
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Water management (SDG 6)
Flood protection
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Inclusive governance
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Environmental education
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of natural heritage
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Ecosystem-focused
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Ecosystem-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Restore ecological connectivity
Implementation activities
1. The corresponding legal competencies between municipalities were applied constituting a key factor to the success of the project (1)
2. Landscape analysis of the 90 km of the river axis was conducted (2).
3. 228 meso, micro, and sub-micro scale development projects concepts for the Neckar river were offered in all participating municipalities (2)
4. 160 Green Infrastructure projects have been implemented on the territory of all the cities that took part in the project (1)
5. New green tourist routes created (2)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Ecological restoration of ecosystems
Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas
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
Riverbank/Lakeside greens
Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Green corridors and green belts
Blue infrastructure
Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
Green areas for water management
Sustainable urban drainage systems
What is the level of innovation / development of the NBS related to water management?
Low: Simple rain water collection intervention (rain garden, local seepage pit) or simple permeable areas
Vegetation Type
Shrubs
Trees
Flower beds
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Sports areas and equipment
Viewing and outlook points
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes)
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Coastal protection
Flood regulation
Habitat and supporting services
Maintenance of genetic diversity
Cultural services
Tourism
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Government-led
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Many players are involved in the development of the Neckar landscape park, and a great deal has already happened. The state, municipalities, and the region have already brought numerous projects to fruition. The ministry for environment established the “Our Neckar” initiative in 2007. Under this umbrella program, the state
wants to collect all improvement proposals for areas from the river’s source to its mouth, bundle financial means from all available sources, and coordinate these projects on a state-wide basis. From the European level, the following partners are involved: South Yorkshire Forest Partnership/Sheffield City Council (UK), University of Sheffield (UK), Community Forests North West (UK), Gemeente Amersfoort (NL), Vlaamse Landmaatschappij (BE), Services Promotion Initiatives en province de Liège (BE), Université de Liège (BE), Verband Region Stuttgart together with VVS (DE), Institut für Landes- und Stadtentwicklungsforschung gGmbH, Dortmund (DE). (2)
Key actors - initiating organization
Regional government
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved
The master plan is co-produced by several municipalities and even though this process does not involve individual citizens, it includes workshops in which a large variety of actors can join (including political decision makers and planning experts from municipalities, other agencies and authorities with planning competence, NGOs, and civil society) (1). Individual planning experts also took part in consulting for the project (1)
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Regional government
Local government/municipality
Non-government organisation/civil society
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Other
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Dissemination of information and education
Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
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
Region Landscape Park is being implemented throughout Germany (1). The country-wide project encourages co-finding competition to support municipalities in the design, implementation, and funding of green infrastructure projects.
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
Stuttgart Region Landscape Park is a region-level part of Region Landscape Park project. The main goal of the project is to support municipalities to design, implement, and fund green infrastructure projects through the "Landscape Park Co-funding Competition". The concept of the "Landscape Park" embeds the integration of green infrastructure into the overall development of the region and underlines its potential as a locational factor that is worth preserving and improving (1)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Spatial planning guidance
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The strategy "Landschaftspark Neckar in Stuttgart" now includes 17 projects, which can partly be realized in the short term, as well as after the necessary acquisition of land, but also in the long term (3).
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
Urban redevelopment plan
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 project is led and financed by the Verband Region Stuttgart (VRS) and its directly elected Regional Assembly, which supports 179 municipalities within the Stuttgart region (1). Every year the VRS calls on the 179 local councils to encourage them to submit their proposals and therefore, bid for these funds. The projects are then selected through a competition with the region assuming up to 50% of the implementation costs (1).
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
More than €4,000,000
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)
The budget comes in the form of an administrative levy and it is to be paid annually by all local authorities. Since 2005 the VRS has invested around €15 million in overall capital expenditure, which has generated total investments of about 45 million euros. Nevertheless, as the VRS is only allowed to fund up to 50% of the costs, on some occasions it would be helpful to be able to support some municipalities with a higher percentage of co-funding (1, 7).
Source(s) of funding
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)
Membership or entrance fees
Non-financial contribution
No
Business models
Green densification model
Urban offsetting model (biodiversity or water)
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Type of innovation
Technological
Infrastructural innovation
Social
Governance innovation
Please specify technological innovation
The vision of the project is to create a network of attractive, accessible, welcoming and diverse open spaces that function as a counterpoint to the region’s grey infrastructure on the cross-municipality level.
Please specify social innovation
The directly elected Regional Assembly, the political body whose decisions build on strong political legitimation, constitutes a key institutional resource. Furthermore, this body is responsible not only for facilitating the financial resources that support the Landscape Park projects, but also for deciding about the disposition of these funds, and thus, steering regional development (1).
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Replicability/Transferability
The innovation is transferred to new initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Similar policy strategy is being implemented on the Rems river (5).
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Water management and blue areas
Increased protection against flooding
Green space and habitat
Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
Increased green space area
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Reduced biodiversity loss
Increased protection of threatened species
Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Description of environmental benefits
1. Ecologically valuable habitats for plants and animals of the river ecosystem have been regenerated. Ecologically connected areas are expected to reduce habitat loss for many species and they are expected to move freely from one place to the other.
2. The diverse natural and cultural landscape as well as numerous reserves are creating biotopes and protecting the species.
3. Sustainable urban drainage systems are expected to protect the area from any future flooding.
4. Also, the biodiversity of the river has increased.
5. Local temperature has reduced with the introduction of new trees (1, 2)
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved access to urban green space
Increased opportunities for social interaction
Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
Health and wellbeing
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
Description of social and cultural benefits
1. The project has improved the road connections along Neckar.
2. Many aesthetically attractive cross-links from the City quarters to the open landscape from and to the river have encouraged the city dwellers and the residents to use the new riverside roads.
3. With play and sports facilities, multifunctional areas for events and local life on the river becomes possible for markets or neighbourhood festivals.
4. People identify these places where they like to hang out, meet others and which are part of their everyday life.
5. Developments are planned to make the city orient toward the river where it could be used more.
6. The newly developed area is themed on the city history, thus enabled the residents to connect with the past more. (1, 2)
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Biodiversity increase, visitors increment, total cycling and walking paths, new trees planted (2)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Environmental quality
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Water management (SDG 6)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Improved access to green and/or blue spaces
Please specify other method used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
The project is ongoing. Methods for impact evaluation is still under progress.
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 September, 2020.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
Collection of monitoring data at specific time intervals during the project to aid evaluation
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Measurements of biophysical aspects of the NBS (e.g. temperature, water flow)
Other
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
Web links relevant to the intervention
Stuttgart Region Landscape Park
Landschaftspark Neckar Plan
Neckar adventure area: a master plan
Stuttgart Region: Multifunctional Green Infrastructure for an Attractive Urban …
Landschaftspark Rems
Erlebnisraum Neckar Ein Masterplan für Stuttgart als Stadt am Fluss
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
Landschaftspark Neckar Plan (2.9 MB) 2.9 MB
Landschaftspark Neckar Mission Statement (66.22 KB) 66.22 KB
List of references
1. Oppla Case Study (no date). Stuttgart Region Landscape Park. Available at: http://oppla.eu/casestudy/17572. Accessed on 16th September, 2020.
2. Verband Region Stuttgart. (no date) Landschaftspark Neckar. Available at: https://www.region-stuttgart.org/index.php?eID=dumpFile&t=f&f=1536&token=e8d750c4de8f1102d833f76fb7260066df0d6d9c. Accessed on 16th September, 2020.
3. Stuttgart City Council (2020). Neckar adventure area: a master plan. Available at: https://www.stuttgart.de/leben/stadtentwicklung/erlebnisraum-neckar.php. Accessed on 16th September, 2020.
4. Oppla Case Study (no date) Stuttgart Region: Multifunctional Green Infrastructure for an Attractive Urban Regio. Available at: http://oppla.eu/casestudy/17477. Accessed on 16th September, 2020.
5. (2017). Landschaftspark Rems, http://www.landschaftspark-neckar.de/index.php?id=10
6. Erlebnisraum Neckar- Ein Masterplan für Stuttgart als Stadt am Fluss. Available at: https://www.stuttgart-meine-stadt.de/file/5b9f9acfd10d432e3d447702/. Accessed on 16th September, 2020.
7. Verband Region Stuttgart (no date) Neckar Master Plan. Available at: https://www.region-stuttgart.org/landschaftspark/planen/masterplan-neckar/?noMobile=1. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.
8. YouTube video (2019) Der Landschaftspark Region Stuttgart - Der Neckar. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MKNMCC5tA0. Accessed on 14th October, 2020.
Comments and notes
Comments
1. Policy drivers: the concepts and ideas for the Landscape Park are derived from measures that are already included in the master plans and cover different areas of the region. Thus, the project is connected to the regional and local political level, where the master plans have to be approved not only by the Regional Assembly but also by the city councils of the cooperating municipalities. Lastly, are the local and regional councils who have to decide whether projects are funded or not (1).
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/snimok_ekrana_2017-07-16_v_13.00.02.png
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/media.media_.7987f835-69a8-449b-bf72-73e76e3f030f.normalized.jpeg
Public Images
Oppla Case Studies
Oppla Case Studies: Neckar Landscape Park
https://oppla.eu/casestudy/17572