Local vision plans to ensure access to nature - Høje-Taastrup

The municipal council of Høje-Taastrup in Denmark designated 18 areas that should develop a "vision plan" for creating or improving a green space as a means to ensure that every citizen has access to nature within 1 km of their homes. The vision plans have been drawn up in cooperation with citizens, institutions, associations and other stakeholders in the municipality. The aim is to improve the "nature qualities" of the designated areas, meaning that biodiversity will be improved and citizens will be able to have more nature experiences together as a community. This instrument is part of a wider effort to integrate nature more into Høje-Taastrup's urban landscape. The city is competing for the title of ‘Denmark’s Wildest Municipality’ – a national competition encouraging municipalities to protect nature and boost biodiversity.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Agreement-based or cooperative instrument›Public-community agreement

Challenges addressed

Green space management (e.g. accessibility)
Air quality
Social cohesion
Social equity
Nature appropriation / stewardship
Reconnection to the biosphere / environmental education
Human health, comfort and well-being

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

Nature-based solutions are at the core of all vision plans for the 18 designated areas in Høje-Taastrup. Specific aims include the improvement of biodiversity, concerning both flora and fauna, and the creation of green community-spaces for the local citizens. The solutions include measures such as: planting trees, flowers and bushes; improving soil quality; provisioning biotopes for small mammals, birds and insects by building quay fences, bird perches and insect hotels; and establishing wetlands, waterholes or ditches. While some areas are actively structured through e.g. planting, other areas are allowed to develop naturally and are not actively managed.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

Allotments, community gardens or agricultural areas

Blue areas

Good practice characteristics:

Effective

Sustainable in the long-term

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Innovative

Inclusivity

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Høje-Taastrup City Council

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The initiative for the instrument came from the municipality of Høje-Taastrup. The designation of target areas also followed by the municipal council, which focused on choosing areas that would comply with the aim of providing access to nature to every citizen within 1 km of their home.

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

Private sector, corporate, business

Researchers, university

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Type of actor involvement:

Civil society consultation through e.g. workshops, surveys

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

After choosing the areas in Høje-Taastrup, the individual vision plans were drawn up in cooperation with citizens, institutions and other local stakeholders. In the process, citizens and stakeholders were invited to participate in the 'Tour de Nature' in August and September 2021. This was an opportunity to offer suggestions on what changes were needed in the areas. Next to deciding on concrete measures, citizens could also include in each vision plan their wishes for the future development of the area, which were not able to be implemented now because of a lack of budget, but which will be considered in the future.

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Citizen councils or consultation for co-planning (e.g. workshops, surveys)

Co-design of NBS, implemented by government

Citizen monitoring and review

Targeted actors:

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Financing

Sources of funding:

Public local authority’s budget

Budget:

500 000 € - 1 000 000€

Details about instrument financing:

The municipality plans to spend around €500,000 (DKK 3,750,000) spread over five years for the implementation of the measures.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Did an evaluation take place?:

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

Detailed vision plans have been developed for 17 out of 18 designated areas. The only exception is the Sengeløse Gravel Pit, which is dealt with separately from the vision plans. Given that first measures of the instrument have only been implemented in 2022, there is not yet empirical data on outcomes and impacts. The citizen consultations proved to be an effective way of finding solutions that would suit best the interest of the local population. Moreover, the instrument's accessibility criteria are to be underlined, as it is always a priority that green areas are accessible to all citizens.

Success factors and lessons learned:

An important factor for this instrument was the initiative displayed by the municipality of Høje-Taastrup to improve their citizens' access to nature, which made the project possible. Setting the specific aim of providing nature access within 1 km of every citizen's home was also a good way of quantifying the desire for more nature in the urban landscape. Another key factor was the cooperation with citizens, which involved them in this important process of restructuring and changing their neighborhoods. Lastly, it is important to emphasize that the instrument is part of a wider effort of the municipality to improve the quality of its natural areas. The combination of different measures will make the improvements more durable.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Høje-Taastrup Kommune (2021). 17 visionsplaner. Available at: https://www.htk.dk/-/media/Content/Sites/HTK/Pdf/DRIFTSBYEN/Park/18-Visionsplaner.ashx?la=da&hash=31AAAFE5F1FC68022C483C8C2501526AF581C016

Photos

@Høje-Taastrup Kommune