Green and Living Yards A local Agenda 21-project Magnus Sannebro, Agenda 21 Co-ordinator Kungsholmen City District

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Green and Living Yards A local Agenda
21-projectMagnus Sannebro, Agenda 21
Co-ordinatorKungsholmen City District
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Agenda 21 Inner-city

• All Agenda 21-activities are carried out in
  cooperation with the other four City Districts in
  the inner-city of Stockholm
• Webpage www.stockholm.se/agenda21innerstaden
• Main projects
• Green and Living Yards
• Cooperation for Sustainable Transports and
  Mobility

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Stockholm City Districts
Stockholm inner-city
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Green and Living YardsBackground

• A cooperation project between the five City
  Districts in the inner-city of Stockholm
• Funding by the government (50 ) and the City of
  Stockholm (50 ) 1999 - 2001
• Based upon Vision Workshops during 1997-98 mainly
  with citizens showed a strong engagement for the
  local environment

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Vision workshops 1997-98Results showed that
people wanted

• More green areas in their neighbourhood
• More natural meeting places
• Reduced car traffic in the inner-city

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Green and Living YardsProject aim

• The aim of the project was to engage citizens
  locally to improve their neighbourhood together
  with other actors, such as property owners and
  local district councils.
• The project was expected to encourage a more
  sustainable lifestyle in the inner-city.

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Green and Living YardsTheory

• Basic principle of starting out from the ideas
  and visions of the inhabitants, and letting them
  take an active and practical part in a process of
  change.

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Green and Living YardsTheory

• Focus on the very local neighbourhood the yard
  (residential or workplace)
• Concept through working with the yard peoples
  minds will open up towards increased
  environmental awareness and thereby a more
  sustainable lifestyle
• Participation from property owners important for
  good results

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Green and Living YardsTarget groups

• Target groups were citizens living or working in
  the inner city.
• They also included personnel employed by the
  local district councils in, for example, schools,
  child day-care or old-age care.
• Property owners and local enterprises were also
  involved.

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Green and Living YardsOrganisation

• The five Agenda 21 coordinators in the inner-city
  formed a project board
• A project team of 5 process leaders and 1 project
  leader was hired for 2,5 years Their backgrounds
  biology, geography, civil engineering, teaching,
  health care
• Expert consultants were provided when extra
  knowledge was needed

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Green and Living YardsThe role of the project
team

• To establish processes in the yards
• Help residents find information
• Arrange seminars and guided tours
• Produce newsletters, guidelines, instruction
  documents and exhibitions
• Hire experts for consultancy, instructions and
  production of information material, website etc

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Green and Living YardsFour stage-method
developed

• Formulating visions
• Acquiring knowledge
• Planning the work
• Implementation

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Green and Living YardsDifferent types of yards

• Residential yards, schoolyards, day-care centers,
  home for the elderly or disabled and local parks
  were included
• Residential yards included both private and
  public owners, and both rental appartements and
  condominiums

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Green and Living YardsEnvironmental themes that
were applied

• Recycling of waste
• Composting of organic waste
• Local rain-water treatment
• Energy conservation
• Car-sharing and bike keeping
• Consumtion (organic food)
• Nature education

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Green and Living YardsResults

• A total of 65 yards took active part in the
  project during the period 1999-2001
• The interest to take part was much larger, over
  300 yards sent in applications
• Over 300 persons have actively worked with
  improvements of their yard, together with a
  process leader, but many more have participated
  on work-days etc

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Green and Living YardsResults

• The project was evaluated in several ways by
  using surveys and interviews
• Surveys with residents were carried out for 5
  different yards, before and after the improvement
  had taken place
• In-depth interviews were carried out with aprox.
  30 residents in order to get qualitative
  information

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Green and Living YardsResults

• Contacts between neighbours have improved
• People spend more time outdoors
• The yard looks better and is more useable for all
  ages
• Interest in gardening and cultivation has
  increased
• Recycling has increased

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Green and Living YardsResults

• Environmental interest and awareness has
  increased
• Biodiversity has been enhanced (choice of plants,
  installation of bird boxes etc.)
• A therapeutic garden for elderly people has been
  created
• Interest in car-sharing and energy conservation
  has grown

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Green and Living YardsSummary of results

• The yard improvements included both environmental
  and social aspects, as well as aesthetic
  improvements
• The property owners were pleased with the
  tenants interest and active part in the care of
  the yards
• The four-step method was a very successful tool

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Green and Living YardsDocumentation

• A manual for Yard improvement was produced
• A number of Good exemples were also presented in
  a manual
• 7 thematic Guidelines were produced, one for each
  environmental theme
• A film was produced
• A portabel exibition was produced