Led by the Sendzimir Foundation, this EU-funded project helped cities develop better policies, standards and procedures to sustainably manage natural areas in the cities of Jaworzno, Krakow, Lodz, Warsaw and Wroclaw – and protect them from development.
- 30 July 2019
“Through this project, the Sendzimir Foundation initiated an exchange of expertise and good practice between diverse stakeholders in Polish cities to address several challenges in green area management and came up with relevant solutions. This dialogue will continue thanks to the informal knowledge platform that was built, enabling the municipalities to be more efficient in developing blue and green infrastructure in Poland.”
The project organised workshops throughout the country, published recommendations and best practices and enabled collaboration between public and private entities. The project’s efforts culminated in a conference where over 100 participants from Polish cities exchanged knowledge and best practices.
Collaborating on every level
To initiate a dialogue between national and local governments, businesses and other interested parties and to promote knowledge and experience exchange, 30 municipal representatives formed a working group to discuss problems and define areas of concern. A series of four workshops supported the exchange of ideas and solutions.
Three more workshops were held in three cities. In Lodz a workshop was held on how to protect trees during infrastructure projects. In Wroclaw, the challenge of planting trees in densely urbanised parts of the city with underground infrastructure was addressed. In Krakow, participants discussed how people working in nature management could cooperate more efficiently.
As a result, new standards for the maintenance and accessibility of green areas were defined. The dialogue helped participants realise the importance of collecting data and how it could make management of green spaces more efficient.
Sharing knowledge
Focus studies were conducted on how to broaden access to information about green areas. Both the expert recommendations from the research and the results from the workshops were published in two public reports to inspire other cities to do the same. A dedicated book in the well-known series Sustainable Development – Applications, on cross-sectoral cooperation for green areas in cities was published and made available online to promote the project’s efforts and achievements.
The project developed and organised two training programs. A month-long e-learning course involved 200 participants, after which another 24 representatives from 16 Polish cities participated in a one-week interactive course on green areas management.
Another training day in Warsaw focused on nature protection in public procurement for goods and services for the management of green areas. The e-learning course on that topic was made available for those who were not able to participate and remains accessible for the project’s beneficiaries.
The workshops and research led to further cooperation among the municipalities outside the project’s efforts. The project has made the parties involved realise they face similar challenges that can be addressed more efficiently by working together.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Sendzimir Foundation – Intersectoral cooperation for municipal greenery in Polish cities” is EUR 182 050, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 154 743 through the “Infrastructure and Environment Poland” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Energy Union and Climate”.