Date of label : 29/10/2024
This image showcases a beautifully carved wooden stump situated in a natural outdoor setting.
Summary
In Limerick (IE), a ‘brownfield site’ has been transformed into a sustainable co-created linear nature park. This is underpinned by nature-based solutions, such as sustainable urban drainage systems and swales, outdoor learning opportunities that utilise sculpture and natural play, and enhanced biodiversity, including the planting of native trees.
The solutions offered by the Good Practice
GoGreenRoutes improved the physical and mental well-being of urban residents in Limerick by increasing their connection to nature.
The project:
- Created linkages between fragmented (sub)urban greenspaces.
Implemented nature-based solutions that contribute to green infrastructure, in line with the Limerick City and County Development Plan and The Blue Green Infrastructure Strategy.
It has also delivered the ‘greening ideas’ outlined in the first community Challenge Workshop (2022), and subsequent workshops for natural play, biodiversity, recreation, and education.
Building on the sustainable and integrated urban approach
Research shows that outdoor community amenities, like the Castletroy Urban Greenway in Limerick, have wide-ranging benefits for both children and adults. These green spaces are beneficial for physical and mental health, and can boost the local economy. Additionally, traffic-free spaces embedded in the local community and near schools also provide opportunities for outdoor education, and enhance biodiversity.
One barrier to outdoor play and the independent mobility of children in Ireland is parents’ concerns about traffic. According to the Growing Up in Ireland study, 30% of parents of five-year-olds reported heavy traffic on their streets. Playing in green spaces appears to have long-term beneficial effects, which extend into adulthood, and greenways such as the one in Castletroy can help alleviate parental fears. Such spaces support both outdoor play and the long-term independent mobility of young children, on foot or by bicycle.
Based on participatory approach
A series of public consultations and workshops took place during the GoGreenRoutes project. Many of these focused on discussing challenges, identifying goals, applying community knowledge, and developing a ‘green’ design. In a Nature Walk workshop, for omstance, 25 participants walked the route looking at existing natural assets, mapping areas for planting, and exploring stop/pause/play points along the way.
In groups, participants explored:
- Factors such as sunlight, weather, views, wind, and safety.
- Features on the route that allow for places to pause, rest or sit.
Opportunity areas for planting or ground cover.
A natural play area uses natural materials onsite to develop a space for both playing and greening. The official opening of Limerick’s first Natural Play Area took place in 2022 on the Castletroy Urban Greenway. This was accompanied by an interactive Nature Workshop and a Bug Homes Workshop, where natural materials along the greenway were used to make shelters for wildlife (some small bug homes were taken home, and larger ones were left along the greenway).
What difference has it made?
The GoGreenRoutes project provided many benefits, including new opportunities for recreation, physical activity, and connections with nature on the Castletroy Urban Greenway.
People now have more opportunities for physical exercise to benefit their health and wellbeing, increase social interaction, and engage in cultural experiences and educational opportunities including natural play.
A key result of the GoGreenRoutes project has been identifying and developing successful, innovative approaches for nature-based solutions (NBS) and implementing them in a truly co-creative manner. This has gone hand-in-hand with advocating for climate action.
As a result, the project:
- Increased footfall, as demonstrated by pedestrian/cycle counters along the greenway.
- Created a safe, alternative, low carbon place for physical activity, recreation and nature connection.
- Provided an outdoor classroom for all ages.
- Created a multi-functional site.
GoGreenRoutes has gained wide attention, for example, through a research article for RTÉ’s Brainstorm, ‘How car-free urban greenways support local communities’ in 2023, which showcased the Castletroy Greenway and its benefits.
The project was presented at the Children’s Research Network Conference (2023) to academics, social workers, and further education students, and has also been shortlisted for the LAMA Best Green Sustainable Initiative.
Why this Good Practice should be transferred to other cities
GoGreenRoutes enhanced the physical and mental well-being of urban residents by increasing their connection to nature, providing more greenspace, and facilitating recreational activity.
The project aligns with:
- The European Green Infrastructure Strategy.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 5, 11, 10, 13, 15, and 16.
GoGreenRoutes provided the opportunity to create linkages between fragmented urban greenspaces, and to implement nature-based solutions (NBS) that contribute to the city’s green infrastructure.
For the project, Limerick City and County Council chose a National Transport Authority (NTA) funded Active Travel route, the Castletroy Urban Greenway. This was completed in 2021, and the route originally consisted of artificially-raised and compacted ground, including a number of mature ash trees in serious decline.
The project can be replicated in any city with such a (brown or green field) site, where biodiversity can be enhanced for outdoor learning, nature connection, recreation and physical activity opportunities. Such projects can start on a small scale and over time be further developed, in line with how communities develop overall.
A successful transfer requires confidence within an organisation or sector to try something different, and a co-creative approach to NBS design in a community, which takes time, patience and the managing of expectations.
As part of the URBACT IV project BiodiverCity, the Core Network Meeting in Limerick included a site visit to the Castletroy Urban Greenway, as a best practice learning example that could potentially be replicated in the nine partner cities.