Masterplan Parkbogen Ost - Leipzig

https://www.leipzig.de/bauen-und-wohnen/stadterneuerung-in-leipzig/stadterneuerungsprojekte/parkbogen-ost (SINAI, MAU-Atelier)

The Masterplan Parkbogen Ost is a 2017 urban regeneration strategy aiming to revitalise Leipzig, Germany’s eastern district in a stepwise implementation process. Amongst other aims, the Strategy plans to create a green corridor with bicycle lanes, pedestrian routes and outdoor spaces for recreation along an unused railway line. The Strategy also includes the creation of green parks, urban forests and community gardens and will foster sustainable mobility and increase the district’s connectivity to the rest of the city. The Masterplan was developed and is coordinated by the City of Leipzig in response to a citizen's initiative and proposal in 2012 to create the Parkbogen Ost along the former railway line. An implementation strategy forms part of the Strategy and includes three phases: i) the conceptual planning of the Masterplan includes setting a governance approach for the stakeholder engagement, public awareness campaign and financing of the strategy; ii) the operational phase is to monitor the implementation, and iii) the strategy must include a forward-looking element, outlining how the Parkbogen Ost can be maintained at an affordable cost after project funding ends. The Parkbogen Ost is also a measure of the integrated urban district development concept (INSEK) for east Leipzig.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Legislative, regulatory and strategic instruments›Dedicated strategy, plan, or law

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Green space management (e.g. accessibility)
Heat stress and heat island effect
Air quality
Social cohesion
Social equity
Human health, comfort and well-being

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

Creating a green corridor along the former railway line is the key element of the Masterplan, as well as the creation of green parks, urban forests, community gardens and greened canopy trails. In the Volkmarsdorf district, a new public multifunctional district park for the east of Leipzig was created (18,000 square meters). This green space increases the recreational and amenity value and fulfils important functions for the urban climate, biodiversity and flood protection and has been designed to mitigate the effects of heavy rain and hot spells and to increase biodiversity with the species protection tower and special landscape structures.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

Allotments, community gardens or agricultural areas

Derelict areas

Urban green space connected to grey infrastructure

Good practice characteristics:

Support multifunctional NBS

Locally appropriate

Innovative

Inclusivity

Governance

Non-governmental actor(s)

Initiating body:

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The project was initiated by committed citizens in Leipzig who had the idea of converting the former railroad tracks. The idea was then taken up by the Office for Urban Renewal and Housing Promotion of the City of Leipzig, which saw the potential for gentrification of Leipzig's eastern neighborhoods and therefore initiated the development of a master plan with intensive citizen participation process. Many active stakeholders and initiatives in the area were involved in this process, e.g. environmental groups, social initiatives, sports clubs and cultural initiatives. Leipzig held two citizen workshops to discuss the draft Masterplan. Part of the workshops included local walk-throughs of the areas for the Masterplan, where citizens could prioritize certain planned activities over others. In addition, funding and cooperation opportunities were discussed and debated. The city provided answers to the different issues raised by citizens as part of the citizen dialogue. Many local actors, associations, citizens’ initiatives and various authorities have been involved in disseminating the Masterplan. Moreover, there was cross-departmental collaboration within the administration was the second pillar of stakeholder involvement. This collaboration was organized based on the recognition that the involvement of experts from different departments is crucial for the successful and sustainable implementation of the strategy.

Targeted actors:

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

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs

Details about the implementation:

The involvement of local stakeholders, citizens, and specialized agencies is of great importance for the overall project as well as for the further elaboration and implementation of the Parkbogen Ost. Such involvement is also needed to bring ideas and knowledge and to build ownership and general support for the Strategy. For example, residents and other citizens plant trees and undertake joint maintenance activities in spring. In the future, the city plans to continuously include residents and citizens in the maintenance of the park through tree sponsorships, fundraising activities and other joint initiatives and events. In order to increase the recognition value of the project, a distinctive abbreviation was found with "PABO" (PArkBogen Ost) and a corresponding logo was developed. This includes the claim "From everyone. For everyone." to emphasize the involvement of all citizens.

How did the government support the instrument?:

The Office for Urban Renewal and Housing Development of the City of Leipzig has taken up the proposal "Parkbogen Ost" and developed the Masterplan Parkbogen Ost with the intention of using this project as an impulse for the further development of Leipzig's East. In particular, the city aimed at connecting the East of Leipzig with the city as a whole, but above all with the regionally significant green and recreational areas, in order to compensate for the lower supply of green space in the district. The Parkbogen Ost is a also measure of the integrated urban district development concept for Leipzig East (STEK LeO).

Financing

Sources of funding:

Public national budget

Public regional budget

Crowd-sourcing

Budget:

Above 10 000 000€

Details about instrument financing:

The Masterplan’s implementation is seen as a long-term project with a duration of around 20 years and a cost of circa €40 million. Financing is expected to be made available through different channels, including the municipal budget, acquisition of third-party funding and private funding. The financing strategy outlines which city funds and resources will be allocated to the implementation of the Masterplan and which external sources, such as EU funds, will be used. The external public funding stems from a national city support scheme - National Urban Development Projects, the European Regional Development Fund, Socially Integrative City and public funding for tourism infrastructure projects and improvement of the regional economic structure.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Yes

The implementation strategy of the Master Plan also foresees monitoring its implementation.

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

The conversion of the former railroad line to public open space serves to secure and expand green infrastructure and adapt to climate change. Once completed, the Sellerhäuser Bogen park, for example, will add around 70,000 square meters of green space, biotopes, bike paths and walkways with recreational areas, as well as an extensive range of sports and play facilities with an inclusive and integrative character to the public facilities in eastern Leipzig. It is expected that the Masterplan will have positive impacts on several sustainable development goals, such as climate action, biodiversity, health and equity. The city anticipates several other positive impacts on the overall well-being of the city and its residents. These include private funding for further projects, improved cycling opportunities and microclimate, improved recreational areas, quality of the living environment and social inclusion. Furthermore, the successful implementation of the Masterplan could lead to Leipzig becoming a model for an ecologic and culturally-diverse city.

Success factors and lessons learned:

The Masterplan Parkbogen Ost is an example of how cities can be developed "from the bottom-up", i.e. through the intensive participation and the contribution of specific ideas of local residents. With the help of local expert knowledge, ecological, as well as local and social aspects, were taken into account in the planning of Parkbogen Ost. The continuous involvement of residents and citizens in the planning and maintenance of the park is key for the successful implementation as well as ownership and acceptance of the measures.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Naumann, S., Davis, M., Iwaszuk, E., Freundt, M., Mederake, L., 2020: Addressing climate change in cities – Policy instruments to promote urban nature-based solutions. Ecologic Institute, the Sendzimir Foundation: Berlin, Krakow. https://www.ecologic.eu/sites/default/files/publication/2020/3205-Addressing-climate-change-in-cities-2.pdf

Urban Nature Atlas: https://una.city/nbs/leipzig/parkbogen-ost-green-belt-project

Stadt Leipzig, 2017: Masterplan Parkbogen Ost. Leipzig. http://www.leipziger-osten.de/fileadmin/UserFileMounts/Redakteure/Inhaltsbilder/Stadtumbau/Parkbogen_Ost/Parkbogen%20Ost%20Masterplan%2023-02-17.pdf (Accessed on October 21, 2022)

Stadt Leipzig, Parkbogen Ost – von Bahnflächen zum grünen Aktivband, https://www.leipzig.de/bauen-und-wohnen/stadterneuerung-in-leipzig/stadterneuerungsprojekte/parkbogen-ost (Accessed on October 21, 2022)

Rietzschke-Aue Sellerhausen, https://www.leipzig.de/freizeit-kultur-und-tourismus/parks-waelder-und-friedhoefe/parks-und-gruenanlagen/rietzschke-aue-sellerhausen (Accessed on October 24, 2022)

Photos

https://www.leipzig.de/bauen-und-wohnen/stadterneuerung-in-leipzig/stadterneuerungsprojekte/parkbogen-ost (SINAI, MAU-Atelier)