1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Tirana (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Parku Helen Short description of the intervention The Hellenic Park by Farka Lake stands as a symbol of the growing relationship between Albania and Greece (Ref. 1,2,3). The project was designed and implemented by the Municipality of Tirana in partnership with the Greek Embassy and supported by Greek companies operating in Albania. Its inaugurated was attended by the mayors of both capitals and the Greek Ambassador to Albania (Ref. 3,4). The opening ceremony marked three significant milestones: the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, the 50th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Greece and Albania, and the 40th anniversary of Greece's membership in the European Union (Ref. 4). The park reflects bilateral unity through emblematic vegetation, such as olive trees, which hold cultural significance in both countries. Beyond enhancing diplomatic ties, Hellenic Park fosters inclusive sports and cultural activities and provides a space for recreation (Ref. 1,3,4). Website of the intervention https://aprtirana.al/parqe-rekreative/parku-i-liqenit-farke/parku-helen/ Principal problems Land use and Socio-economic change Unequal availability and access to public green spaces Health, Well-being and Social cohesion Inadequate access to recreational opportunities Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Temperate forests Fresh water wetlands Address Rruga Selman Bulku, Farkë e Madhe Farkë e Madhe Albania 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 (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image https://aprtirana.al/parqe-rekreative/parku-i-liqenit-farke/parku-helen/ Total area 5500.00m² NBS area 5500.00m² Area description Periurban (both urban and rural environments are present) Freshwater landscape (e.g. river, lake) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Unknown Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2019 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2019 End date of the intervention 2021 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention Goal 1: Provide a multifunctional area for physical and cultural activities to enhance social interaction. (Ref. 1,4) Goal 2: Demonstrate Greek-Albanian relations using vegetation found in both countries. (Ref. 2,3) Goal 3: Increase and diversify inclusive recreational green spaces in city parks to foster social justice and equity (Ref. 1) Key Priorities Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Cultural heritage and cultural diversity Promotion of cultural diversity Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Enabling opportunities for physical activity Improving physical health Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16) Inclusive governance Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social justice and equity Social interaction Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities The project activities are presented below and structured based on the project goals: Goal 1: Installation of diverse amenities, i.e. amphitheatre, fitness area, playground, benches, as well as a jetty for boats. (Ref. 1) Goal 2: Inauguration of the park held on the same day as the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, the 50th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Greece and Albania, and the 40th anniversary of Greece's membership in the European Union. Planting of culturally significant, emblematic species i.e. olive trees and other shrubs found in both countries. (Ref. 2,3,4) Goal 3: Not further specified. Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests Improved governance of green or blue areas Creation of new, innovative governance and management approaches Other Please specify "other Type of NBS project" Regarding improved governance: Facilitation of diplomatic relations through NBS 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Blue infrastructure Riverbank/Lakeside greens Parks and urban forests Large urban parks or forests Amenities offered by the NBS Benches and drinking water stations Playgrounds Sports areas and equipment Swimming areas Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café) Design elements for well-being Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation) Tactile elements (e.g., natural materials like wood or stone, exposure to sunlight) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Cultural services Aesthetic appreciation Inspiration for culture, art and design Recreation Mental and physical health and wellbeing Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area unknown Socio-economic profile of the area Unknown Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries "This park is another fun, interactive and relaxing shared space that is added to the community in Farka, but also to the residents of Tirana, who frequent the Farka Lake Park. " (Ref. 1) Marginalized groups Unknown Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups not mentioned Specify measures taken for vulnerable or marginalized communities Unknown Other beneficiaries Native plant vegetation Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Government-led Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative "Proposed by APR ( Parks and Recreation Agency of the Municipality) as a comprehensive park to stand in front of the Puglia and Turkish Parks, Helen Park found the support of businesses and the Greek Embassy [...] ". (Ref.1) Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Public sector institution Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Private sector/corporate actor/company Other Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved Embassy of Greece Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping) Co-management/Joint management Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Other Please specify other missing actor Greek Embassy Land owners Public space owned by the city Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a 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 Voluntary (spontaneous) Please specify other type of voluntary intervention Voluntary Greening Programme Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships) Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. Park was partially financed by greek businesses operating in Albania and with the help of the greek embassy Governace and decison-making instruments Joint regional planning between municipalities (e.g. inter-municipal exchange platforms, regional plans for environmental management) Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers unknown Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) Unknown What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? Unknown Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Corporate investment Type of fund(s) used Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities) Donations Non-financial contribution Unknown Co-finance for NBS Yes Co-governance arrangement Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Green densification model Green health model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Green space and habitat Increased green space area Achieved increased green space area Increased number of species present Achieved increased number of species present Description of environmental benefits -Increased green space area: "Helen Park is located in Farka, only 12 km from the center of Tirana, and extends over a space of 5500 m2" (Ref. 2) -Increased number of species present: "We have decorated it with typical Mediterranean vegetation as a unifying element between Albania and Greece, as you have seen the olives or many of the decorative bushes that are similar in our two countries"(Ref. 4) Environmental impact indicators Green space area created (in ha) 0.55 Economic impacts Unknown Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved access to urban green space Achieved improved access to urban green space Increased opportunities for social interaction Expected increased opportunities for social interaction Health and wellbeing Gain in activities for recreation and exercise Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise Improved physical health Expected improved physical health Enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief Expected enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief Cultural heritage and sense of place Promotion of cultural diversity Achieved promotion of cultural diversity Social and cultural impact indicators Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha) 0.55 Total area of recreational green space created or restored (in ha) 0.55 Description of social and cultural benefits -Improved access to urban green space:"The construction of Helen Park came about as a need to add and diversify inclusive recreational spaces in city parks" (Ref. 1) -Increased opportunities for social interaction: "This park will serve for entertainment, sports, culture and other recreational activities" (Ref. 2) -Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: "Helen Park is conceived as multidimensional and comprehensive for sports, physical and artistic activity" (Ref. 1) -Improved physical health: "In Lake Farka, we organize triathlons, we have several cycling competitions, as well as with sailing associations and swimming federations." (Ref. 5) -Enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief: "This park is another fun, interactive and relaxing shared space [...]" (Ref. 1) -Promotion of cultural diversity: "this park [...] is a space dedicated to the excellent relations between the two countries" (Ref. 3) Mental health benefits Restoration and relaxation Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Input indicators Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Unknown Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Description of locals satisfaction with the project unknown Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement Unknown High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas. Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project Transformative capacity Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them) Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Magnitude of change Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation Application of lessons learned Unknown Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Agjencia e Parqeve dhe Rekreacionit (n.d.). Parku Helen - Farke. Accessed on September 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Titan Albania (n.d.). Përurohet “Parku Helen” në Tiranë. Accessed on September 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Halili, E. (2021). Hellenic Park Inaugurated in Tirana. Albanian Daily News, Accessed on September 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. TiranaPost (2021). Helen Park inaugurated on Farka Lake, photos seem to be the comment of the mayor of Athens. Accessed on September 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. TiranaPost (2022). 510 new trees are planted in the Farka Lake Park . Accessed on September 7, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Comments Regarding your comment on the project expected outcomes and why I marked them as achieved: I consider the installation of recreational, incluive infrastrcture as an achieved outcome of improved access and gain in activities for recreation because with the project completion, those amenities are functional and can be used for their intended purpose. Public Images Image Hellenic Park https://www.skyscrapercity.com/threads/parku-i-liqenit-artificial-t%C3%AB-fark%C3%ABs-farka-artificial-lake.2182130/page-4 Image Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, and the mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, at the opening ceremony of the park https://tiranapost.al/my-tirana/perurohet-parku-helen-ne-liqenin-e-farkes-fotot-si-duket-komenti-i-kry-i499606
Image Hellenic Park https://www.skyscrapercity.com/threads/parku-i-liqenit-artificial-t%C3%AB-fark%C3%ABs-farka-artificial-lake.2182130/page-4
Image Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, and the mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, at the opening ceremony of the park https://tiranapost.al/my-tirana/perurohet-parku-helen-ne-liqenin-e-farkes-fotot-si-duket-komenti-i-kry-i499606
