Biodiverse Cities (Interreg North Sea Program)

Project staff
Michael Flitner (project leader), Martina Grimmig (IfEK), Johannes Herbeck, Sophia Segler

Duration
10/2022 – 09/2026

Funding
EU Interreg

Project partners
16 partners from 7 countries: City of Dordrecht (NL), Aarhus (DK), Bremen (DE), Vaxjo (SE), Lille (FR), Hamburg (DE), Bergen (NO), Brest (FR); Aeres University of Applied Sciences (NL), Aarhus University (DK), University of Bremen (DE); International Union for Conservation of Nature (BE), Flanders Environment Agency (BE), Open Kaart (NL); Bremer Umwelt Beratung (DE), Vogelnest (NL)

Description
As a highly urbanised area, the North Sea Region is directly involved in regional biodiversity loss. Despite increasing political attention, biodiversity conservation in urban areas is often overlooked or considered a secondary concern. Cities are introducing so-called 'nature-based solutions' (NBS) to mitigate the effects of climate change. However, biodiversity conservation is rarely an equal goal. In addition, the social implications of re-evaluating and expanding green infrastructure in cities have not been sufficiently considered in the past.
Within the framework of Biodiverse Cities, NBS are to be developed in 5 pilot cities - including Bremen - as examples. Through innovative methods such as spatial experimentation and social design, local populations will be involved in the project, with the goal of extensive participation up to and including co-production of individual measures. In order to integrate biodiversity criteria into urban planning, urban development and investments, the project aims to go beyond common practices. The long-term nature of the results is to be ensured by simultaneously influencing local policies together with regional and national governments - in Bremen's case, the Senatorial Authority for Climate Protection, Environment, Mobility, Urban Development and Housing (SKUMS).  The sub-project in Bremen focuses on the densely populated and culturally diverse district of Gröpelingen and is carried out in cooperation with the Gröpelingen Research Workshop of the Department of Anthropology and Cultural Research (IfEK).