Metropolia Krakowska (Kraków Metropolis) in Poland was created in 2014 as a cooperation platform for Kraków (800,000 inhabitants, 324 km2) and its 14 surrounding municipalities (a combined population of 200,000 inhabitants and an area of 951 km2). Metropolia Krakowska coordinates a number of metropolitan tasks, including those relating to environmental and ecological issues.
New housing areas and the development of transport infrastructure are fragmenting and degenerating local ecosystems, threatening the continuity of ecological corridors and limiting the access of residents to areas of recreation.
Slideshow:
This case study was delivered as part of INTERLACE: an EU-funded project to strengthen urban ecosystem restoration in the European Union and Latin America.
The INTERLACE project activities in Metropolia Krakowska focused on the 14 smaller municipalities surrounding Kraków, rather than the metropolitan city itself. Through its participation in INTERLACE, Metropolia Krakowska aimed to gather experience and good practice for protecting, restoring and managing the urban ecosystems. The association sought to verify and develop practical tools and instruments; and to include citizens, local authorities and other stakeholders in participatory processes of urban ecological restoration and management.
Key aims:
- Creation of a multifunctional green area on a former oxbow lake
- Development of a cycle path to connect urban and industrial zones with rural areas
- Adoption of a Climate Strategy for 2024-2030
- Hosting engagement activities to raise awareness and understanding of NbS with public and professional stakeholders
Significant efforts have been made in Krakow Metropolitan Area (KMA) around nature-based solutions, not least to enhance urban green spaces, promote environmental sustainability and increase community well-being. A key highlight of these activities includes the creation of a multifunctional green area on a former oxbow lake at the Vistula River, aimed at enhancing local biodiversity and providing a recreational space for citizens. Additionally, the development of the Vistula Bicycle Path has been instrumental in connecting urban and industrial zones with rural areas and the Natura 2000 protected region, facilitating sustainable mobility and promoting access to natural environments.
Various NbS-related events and workshops, including visits to Błonia Niepołomickie, the Cities Talk Nature conference in Krakow, and Minecraft workshops with primary school students, have engaged diverse stakeholders in co-creating and implementing NbS initiatives tailored to the needs of local people. These collaborative efforts underscore the commitment of Metropolia Krakowska to fostering environmental resilience and enhancing the quality of life for its residents through innovative and sustainable urban development strategies featuring NbS as a core component. Some examples of these actions are summarised below.
Workshop on climate vulnerability maps of Krakow Metropolitan Area (2022). Collaborative workshop to develop a list of relevant vulnerabilities in the Kraków Metropolitan Area (KMA), resulting in criteria and indicators for a series of KMA climate change sensitivity maps.
Visit to the Niepołomice Meadows (2022). Field trip a Metropolia Krakowska case study where a multifunctional park has been constructed. The visit was an excellent opportunity to discuss the financing of NbS and the design of subsequent stages of the investment.
Cities Talk Nature conference in Krakow (2022). Lectures and workshops on green space management, universal standards of urban green areas maintenance, strategic management of urban ecosystems and governance instruments. On the second day, participants visited different green areas within the Metropolitan Area of Kraków and learned about their history, development and functions. These on-site visits sparked numerous discussions and were a reason for the exchange of good practices and experiences between participants.
Workshop on policy mix for NbS on private properties (2023). The aim of the workshop was to develop guidelines and recommendations for the Krakow Metropolitan Area's planning and strategic documents for implementing blue and green infrastructure in private areas, adapting and mitigating climate change, improving retention and creating a metropolitan blue-green network. The workshop addressed questions about barriers to NbS implementation on private land and what regulations can promote NbS in the municipalities of the Krakow Metropolis.
Minecraft workshop for primary school students (2023). Over 20 students of various ages took part in workshops using the Minecraft video game. This involved a field visit to the Market Square in Niepołomice, during which students discuss the problems that may be caused by an open space without greenery and permeable surfaces. Using Minecraft, the students designed their own NbS proposals on the Market Square in Niepołomice and presented their ideas, justifying how the proposed solution would help residents deal with the problems of climate change.
Adoption of the KMA Climate Strategy for 2024-2030 (2024). The KMA Board adopted the Climate Strategy of the Krakow Metropolitan Area for 2024-2030. This document, developed in cooperation with INTERLACE project partners, is one of the KMA governance instruments. It provides a comprehensive action plan for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Krakow Metropolitan Area.
The INTERLACE Metropolia Krakowska project has been successful in using nature-based solutions to enhance urban green spaces, promote environmental sustainability and encourage active travel amongst citizens. It has resulted in the creation of a new multifunctional green space on formerly disused land; development of a new cycle path promoting mobility and access to nature; and has been proactive in collaborating with other INTERLACE cities across the EU and Latin America to co-create innovative tools, guidance and governance instruments for NbS implementation
Key impacts include:
- Public engagement in co-producing and promoting ownership of nature-based solutions
- Increased capacity of local government to implement integrated and ecologically coherent urban planning and governance approaches
- Raised awareness and understanding of the benefits of healthy (peri)urban ecosystems for social, cultural and economic wellbeing
- Strengthened cooperation between European and CELAC communities of practice on (peri)urban ecological restoration and rehabilitation
- Participation in European and CELAC city and regional networks to inspire and support learning and exchange on restorative NBS
Most if not all of the methods used in Metropolia Krakowska are transferrable to other cities working on the topics of place-making, public mobility and climate strategy.
- Working with diverse stakeholders adds tangible benefits to the design and implementation of nature-based solutions in terms of ideation and planning, and notably in terms of ownership.
- Innovative approaches to engagement not only benefit education and understanding, but also empower communities to actively participate in shaping sustainable urban futures. These approaches have helped to foster a stronger connection between people, places and nature - and their interdependencies.
- Gamification has proven to be powerful tool for working with young people. The quality of ideas from young people has been exceptional, varying with age but consistently innovative and imaginative.
- Significant value can be gained from EU-CELAC collaboration in developing local actions plans, policy and governance instruments on NbS. Many of the instruments and methods developed by the project are transferrable or otherwise easily adapted to other cities and regions.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 869324.