1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Szczecin
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Pływająca Rusałka powrót łodzi wiosłowych na Jezioro Rusałka oraz aranżacja brzegu i wyspy
Short description of the intervention
Lake Rusalka is one of the key elements of Kasprowicz Park, which is a popular recreational area in Szczecin. The shoreline between the Summer Theater and the Japanese Bridge is an attractive stroll. The project aims to improve the functionality, attractiveness and aesthetic value of the coastline and an island on the lake. It envisions going back to the historical tradition of the boats rental as well as includes plans for the revitalization of the part of the shoreline, creation of the Japanese gazebo on the island and construction of mooring berth [1]. In 2020, the project was still on the waiting list in the city’s participatory budget distribution. Local authorities expect its implementation to take place by 2022, the earliest [6].
Address

Jezioro Rusałka
Szczecin
Poland

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
POINT (14.530599 53.446314)
POINT (14.531178 53.445649)
POINT (14.532058 53.445943)
POINT (14.540062 53.44416)
POINT (14.540148 53.444499)
POINT (14.534247 53.446262)
NBS area image
Source of NBS area image
https://www.google.pl/maps/place/Rusa%C5%82ka/@53.4453615,14.530878,752m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47aa094584efc939:0x61480640d3b72212!8m2!3d53.446029!4d14.5338663?hl=pl&authuser=0
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature
Cultural Heritage Area
Public Greenspace Area
Website of the intervention
http://bip.um.szczecin.pl/konsultacje/files/871BD12A698B4E20A3B288DECF28637F/15…
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2015
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
in planning stage
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
In planning stage
Goals of the intervention
The project aims to increase the attractiveness and comfort of the park’s space by arranging part of the lake’s shoreline as well as the lake’s island. The revitalization of the shore will improve access to water and provide the possibility of renting a boat, which will be an additional attraction for park visitors. The self-service rental facilities are supposed to be a tribute to the historical usage of the lake, and the tradition of going on boats on the Rusałka lake nearly one hundred years before. Further, the shoreline connects a historical summer theatre with a Japanese-type bridge. The recreational and aesthetical appeal of the island will be enhanced by the creation of the Japanese gazebo [1].
Quantitative targets
The task assumes: 1. The arrangement of the shoreline of the lake with access to water, on the section about 300m long; 2. The equipment of the shore with urban furniture and small architectural elements like benches; 3. Creation of a maintenance-free boat rowing system on the lake; 4. Creation of the Japanese gazebo and construction of mooring berth [1].
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Regulation of built environment
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Inclusive governance
Effective management
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Social interaction
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Enabling opportunities for physical activity
Improving mental health
Improving physical health
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of natural heritage
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Preservation of historic traditions
Implementation activities
The project is still in the planning stages.
Type of NBS project
Creation of semi-natural blue areas
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Improved governance of green or blue areas
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
Riverbank/Lakeside greens
Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Blue infrastructure
Lakes/ponds
Vegetation Type
Grass
Shrubs
Trees
Please specify how many trees were planted
No trees have been cleared as of yet.
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Sports areas and equipment
Cultural (museum, concert areas)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Inspiration for culture, art and design
Recreation
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Non-government actors
Researchers, university
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The project was originally designed by a research group at the Szczecin University of Technology and received funding from the participatory city budget [2, 3].
Key actors - initiating organization
Researchers/university
Citizens or community group
Land owners
No information found
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Researchers/university
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
Crowd-sourcing/Crowd-funding/Participatory budget
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
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
Project proposal had to be in accordance with the tasks and competencies of the Municipality of Szczecin.(4)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
Citizens' initiative that applied for funding from the participatory city budget.
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
Yes
Please specify
The initial project proposal was developed by the Students Science Club on Spacial Economy at the Department of Environmental and Agricultural Education under the supervision of Dr. Anna Kiepas-Kokot.(3)
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Participatory city budget.
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
€100,000 - €500,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
1350000 PLN (around 320.000 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 project's application form outlines the budget for the maximum allowed amount of 1350000 PLN (around 320.000 EUR), however later sources quote the approved amount of 500000 PLN (around 118000 EUR).(1)(2)
Source(s) of funding
Public local authority budget
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Vacant space model
Green heritage model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Technological
Product innovation
Please specify technological innovation
The new boats rental system will allow for the improved access to the lake and lake's island, which are currently not accessible to this extent.
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) without substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The initiative builds upon the history of boats rental at the same lake.(1)
Replicability/Transferability
The innovation is not referred to as being transferred to new initiative(s)
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Unknown
Description of environmental benefits
The project assumes significant alterations in an urban area which is currently protected due to its cultural and natural assets. Hence, the design must go through careful consideration which includes all aspects of the valuable site. It includes non-invasive construction of the boats rental facilities [6].
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
Unknown
Type of reported impacts
No impacts reported
Indicators
Unknown
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Environmental quality
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of August of 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
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
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
Ref.1 (project's application form)
Ref. 2 (online article)
Ref. 3 (Szczecin University of Technology website's press release)
facebook page
Ref. 5 The temporarily unsuccessful project (2018)
Ref. 6 The future of the project (2020)
List of references
1. Project's application form, Szczecin's participatory budget 2016, 'Floating Rusalka: return of the paddle boats to the Lake Rusalka and arrangement of the shore and island' ('Pływająca Rusałka: powrót łodzi wiosłowych na jezioro Rusałka oraz aranżacja brzegu i wyspy'), http://bip.um.szczecin.pl/konsultacje/files/871BD12A698B4E20A3B288DECF28637F/159%20na%20BIP.pdf (Accessed: 03 August 2020).
2. Sidorowski, S., (2016), 'Szczecin's participatory budget. What has been implemented so far' ('Budżet obywatelski w Szczecinie. Co już nam zrobili, a czego jeszcze nie'), stable URL: http://www.gs24.pl/wiadomosci/szczecin/a/budzet-obywatelski-w-szczecinie-co-juz-nam-zrobili-a-czego-jeszcze-nie,9960336/ (Accessed: 03 August 2020).
3. Szczecin University of Technology website's press release, (2015), 'The idea of the students' science club on spacial economy at the Szczecin University of Technology for Szczecin' ('Pomysł SKN Gospodarki Przestrzennej ZUT dla Szczecina'), http://www.zut.edu.pl/zut-studenci/dzialalnosc-studencka/aktualnosci/article/pomysl-skn-gospodarki-przestrzennej-zut-dla-szczecina.html (Accessed: 03 August 2020).
4. Rules for submitting applications to the Szczecin citizens budget 2016' (‘Zasady składania wniosków do szczecińskiego budżetu obywatelskiego 2016’), http://bip.um.szczecin.pl/konsultacje/chapter_116089.asp (Accessed: 03 August 2020).
5. Parkitny, Mariusz. (2018). Rusałka. To mogło być najpiękniejsze miejsce w Szczecinie. Zobacz jak wygląda teraz (Rusałka. It could have been the most beautiful place in Szczecin. Look how it looks now). GS24. Available at: https://gs24.pl/rusalka-to-moglo-byc-najpiekniejsze-miejsce-w-szczecinie-zobacz-jak-wyglada-teraz/ar/13290821 (Accessed: 03 August 2020).
6. Gigiel, Marcin. (2020). Kiedy popływamy po Rusałce obiecanymi łodziami? (When will we go on the promised boats on Rusałka?. W Szczecinie. Available at: https://wszczecinie.pl/aktualnosci,kiedy_poplywamy_po_rusalce_obiecanymi_lodziami,id-34960.html (Accessed: 03 August 2020).


Interview comments
The relevant city council body (Szczecin's participatory budget) was contacted to obtain additional information on questions in the sections 4 and 6. I am waiting for the reply.
Comments and notes
Comments
The project was not implemented yet so it was not possible to evaluate its impact.
Additional insights
All projects within the participatory city budget 2016 have to be in accordance with the tasks and competencies of the Municipality of Szczecin, have a feasible project plan and budget.(4)
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/rusa%C5%82ka.jpg
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/rusa%C5%82ka%202.jpg
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/rusa%C5%82ka%20bridge.jpg
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/rusa%C5%82ka%20bridge%20after.jpg
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/Rusa%C5%82ka%20project%20computer%20image.png
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/Rusa%C5%82ka%20project%20computer%20image%202.png