Working Group Nature Conservation

Case Studies of this working group

The list includes all case studies categorised in this group and the respective answers to the first question "Rationale:Why is this case study interesting?"

Attention: this is a dynamic page list, do not edit this paragraph!

<DPL>

 category=Working Group Nature Conservation
 mode=ordered
 include = #Rationale: Why is this case study interesting?

</DPL>

Core Questions of this Working Group

Core themes (as identified on 3rd of December 2008):

• User group
• City
• Urban nature
• Interaction
• Water

Core questions

1. What is the role of user groups? (Emel)
2. What is the role of the city? (Virpi)
3. How do urban and natural structures interact? (Urban nature interaction, Daliborka and Jovana)
4. What is the role of water? (Barbara)

Notes:

• The names behind the questions identify those people that take up a kind of editor's responsibility for the questions. All group members are asked to integrate all questions into their case study report. The respective question editors will then compile the different answers and report back to the group plenary on December 19th.

• People who did not attend the session on 3rd of December may have additional proposals for core questions. Feel free to add these questions as proposals to the list above and discuss it via e-mail or using the discussion page.

• Please integrate the questions soon and try to deliver some draft answers before December 15th - otherwise it will become difficult to create a synthesis report for December 17th.

Synthesis of Core Questions

What is the role of user groups?

Emel

<DPL>

 category=Working Group Nature Conservation
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 include = #What is the role of user groups?

</DPL>

What is the role of the city?

Virpi

<DPL>

 category=Working Group Nature Conservation
 mode=ordered
 include = #What is the role of the city?

</DPL>

How do urban and natural structures interact?

Urban nature interaction, Daliborka and Jovana

<DPL>

 category=Working Group Nature Conservation
 mode=ordered

 include = #How do urban and natural structures interact?

</DPL>

What is the role of water?

Barbara <DPL>

 category=Working Group Nature Conservation
 mode=ordered
 include = #What is the role of water?

</DPL>

What is the evolution of the urban relation between humans and nature?

Lolita & Chinyi <DPL>

 category=Working Group Nature Conservation
 mode=ordered
 include = #What is the evolution of the urban relation between humans and nature?

</DPL>

River Liesing, Vienna

2005 from City of Vienna The river Liesing is located in the South of Vienna. In Vienna river Lising has shaped the landscape through meanders, deposition of sediments and erosion earlier, but after a havy regulation in the 50ies followed by an even stricter regulation in the 70ies it was forced in the staight river bed, which lead to a low biodiversity and to the river running quickly. After housing development around the river in the 90ies, the City of Vienna decided for the revitalisation of a 5,5 km area of the river to be completely renewed and revitalised. The Policy background of this project is the implementation of the European Water Directive 1 The purpose of this Directive is to establish a framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater. The aim of the project was to improve the situation at the river Liesing according to the EU Water Directive in order to archive “maximum ecological potential” of a heavily modified water body. Semi-natural riverbanks extend the green belt of Vienna A comprehensive habitat, offering different flow velocity has been created The area as a whole became an inviting area for users Citizens participation played a crucial role in the project Public Relations work accompanied the project, there were no major disputes despite major changes and a working period of more than 3 years. BUT: The space between the river and the accompanying street and buildings is still rather small, which gives neither the user much space nor does it offer a habitat without disturbance for animals. More space for the river in case of high water would have improved flood protection.

Viikki

2004 from City of Helsinki? Viikki is a district in the inner city area of Helsinki, near an extensive area of open farmland and wetland nature reserve of Vanhakaupunginlahti. It is situated 8 km to the Northeast of the centre of Helsinki. Viikki is a neighborhood of about 7 000 inhabitants. The eco neighbourhood blocks are the result of long-term work aimed at putting ecological principles into practice. The master plan is based on a finger-like structure with alternating buildings and green open spaces. There are a lot of people using green areas for recreation: on the nature reserve area they are guided to walk along the paths and routes and there are no visible signs of un-responsible use. Project has involved uses for storm water. The surface water run-off is collected in gardens for residents. The water element is necessary for the biodiversity but it is also a value in landscape. There is no recreational value of the water in Viikki, because the ditch is too small for example for swimming. The master plan is based on a finger-like structure with alternating buildings and green open spaces. Green spaces forms corridors for natural species to move. Ecological objectives have also been realised through projects related to gardens and green spaces: the range of vegetation used is large, there are several layers of vegetation, the variety of plants are selected based on the natural conditions of the place, the idea was to use domestic species as much as possible.

Conclusion: As a part of the process of relation between humans and Nature, we can see in all these case study that we have three great way of treating it in the landscape projects: First we have the relation with the huge elements of nature: Lake, mountain, rivers, forests... (Great war Island, Hangzhou, High Island, Lake Morgan, River Liesing) The answers in these cases are often first to use it as a resource item, then to include it as a part of the city and finally to restore its ecological value (due to the actual politics). Often, we have the case of a natural element part of a urban process (High Island, Lake Mogan, Parque de Educaçao Ambiental Mello Barreto, River Liesing). These projects are often seen as recreational system, as well as a biodiversity item. We can see here the difficulties of the cohabitation, as reported by the Lake Mogan experience. High Island could be one of these not successful experience, as the politics's aims were too numerous (recreational, esthetical, ecological...) Then we have the example of Viikki, which is the typical example of the Nature seen as an element of construction of the project. This modern way of built is a new form of the garden-cities, with an ecological politic. This conception of relation between nature and humans is full of technical solutions, presented as perfect answers to ecological problems. However, we still have few reports back from these experiences, and as an experience, we can't really say that is the miracle system to use every time. So we see that the recent ecological politics can, on one hand, take part to re-structuralism of natural sites in urban process, with the difficulties about sharing uses and objectives. On the other hand, these politics are motors of natural planning in urban process, showed by the Eco-district system, as the one of Viikki, and use nature as an element of construction, seen as a recreational and ecological item.

Working Group Minutes

First Meeting

• Minutes First Meeting WG 2, 3rd of December 2008