Co-design of public square restoration - Aarhus

In 2009, the Aarhus City Council held a competition for the future use of the Bishorvet square, a former parking lot, to make it a attractive multi-use space. The resulting transformation to a square that incorporates green areas and trees was concluded in 2017 and led by landscaping company Schønherr with close cooperation of local communities. Since its transformations, Bispetorvet has been playing an important role as an attraction for citizens and tourists between the areas of Strøget, Store Torv, the new harbour area, the Skolebakken light rail stop and the harbour car parks.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Agreement-based or cooperative instrument›Public-private community-based agreement

Challenges addressed

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

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

By transforming a former parking lot into a square with different green areas and trees, the project aims to make use of multifunctional nature-based solutions to increase both ecological and social goals, such as to increase urban biodiversity or to enhance social cohesion and well-being. An increase of parking lots close to the city center has made the transformation to a vibrant urban space possible. Consequently, car parking on the square and through traffic was banned.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

Derelict areas

Other

Good practice characteristics:

Support multifunctional NBS

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Policy business case

Inclusivity

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

City of Aarhus

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The Aarhus City Council collaborated with Schønherr's design studio, the square's neighbors and the city's citizens in the process of the transformation. The transformation of Bispetorv was conceived and carried out as a temporary experiment that is developed over a number of years and which can be continuously adjusted, incorporating citizen-based dialogue about a permanent transformation. The ideation phase included a close dialogue between Schønherr, Aarhus Municipality and a parallel series of workshops, where neighbors, shop owners etc. were invited to a dialogue about wishes and needs for the square's future. The wishes that crystallized from the process were wishes of a green urban multi-functional space, with room for both large scale and small scale events.

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

Private sector, corporate, business

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Type of actor involvement:

Civil society consultation through e.g. workshops, surveys

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

The landscaping company Schønherr implemented the nature-based solution on the square with funds of the municipal government.

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Implementation of NBS (e.g. with government funds)

Targeted actors:

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs

Financing

Sources of funding:

Public local authority’s budget

Budget:

Unknown

Details about instrument financing:

The landscaping company Schønherr implemented the nature-based solutions on the square with funds of the municipal government. The total costs are unknown.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Yes

Implementation of the transformation of the square was monitored by the Aarhus City Council.

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

The transformation of the square was finalised in 2017. The redesign of the square is centered around 3 distinctive green groves which are embraced by a sloping wooden structure, which with a wave-shaped profile creates the opportunity for both sitting and lying down.. The undulating terrain balances the level difference in the square and allows for areas for outdoor dining, functions as spectator seats for various performances on the square and in winter it will e.g. could be used as a toboggan for children. The lower edge of the construction is designed in such a way that there are smaller rooms and alcoves for living in the large space, which can be used for everyday life as well as for festive occasions. Due to the multi-functionality of the square and the nature-based solutions implemented, it delivers various cultural and regulating ecosystem services.

Success factors and lessons learned:

Since the finalisation of the square's transformation, it has become an instant gathering place and an open space for theatre and culture. The inclusion of citizens wishes and needs right from the start of the transformation process serves as a good practice example for a participatory process to create a multi-functional green public space. This participatory process also helped to ensure ownership and acceptance of the newly-designed square.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Wikipedia.org (2022). Bispetorv, Aarhus. Avaialble at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bispetorv,_Aarhus (Accessed: 28 October 2022).

archello.com (2022). BISPETORV (Bishops Square Aarhus). Available at: https://schonherr.dk/projekter/bispetorv/ (Accessed: 28 October 2022).

Schønherr.dk (no date). Bispetorv. Available at: https://schonherr.dk/projekter/bispetorv/ (Accessed: 28 October 2022).

Urban Nature Atlas (2021). Bispetorvet. Available at: https://una.city/nbs/arhus/bispetorvet (Accessed: 28 October 2022).

Photos

@RhinoMind