Biodiverse ComplexCity

Climate change and the loss of urban biodiversity have created serious challenges, especially when public expectations have changed. A new generation has become more participatory and environmentally aware. Innovative approaches by the public sector are needed, to find effective solutions despite limited financial resources. This requires new models of cooperation between urban actors (public services, authorities, NGOs, citizens, experts, academia), in line with urban green space strategies and plans. 

The first pilot of Budapest’s cooperation model for urban green spaces started in 2006. Since then:

• Volunteers have been involved in the maintenance of the green areas.  

• NGOs monitor biodiversity. 

• An open-access interactive database of green spaces has been developed. 

• Cooperation between public services and investors has been reinforced to protect urban trees during construction.  

• New techniques have been tested, including grassland management, perennial planting, planting tiny forests, creating rain gardens, and establishing biodiversity guidelines for design, construction and maintenance. 

Ongoing monitoring informs and improves the cooperation model, enhancing these effective practices. 

The practice follows a horizontal approach, engaging partners at different levels of the cooperation model depending on task complexity. As a first step, the Budapest team created the green infrastructure development strategy (Radó Dezső Plan). The company, as a public service provider of green area management, implements the strategy and acts as a mediator, proactively collaborating with the necessary stakeholders.

High-quality work is ensured through multi-way communication with all the appropriate stakeholders, taking into account environmental, economic and social dimensions.  

For the development and implementation of each Radó Dezső Plan element, stakeholders are involved and feedback gathered, including: 

• Community events. 

• Professional forums. 

• Social media updates and the Plan’s interactive website.  

• Targeted site visits. 

• Public consultations,  

• Community planning process, with public meetings, plan presentations, and an extensive approval process.  

Stakeholders participating in these processes include: citizens, NGOs, professional organisations, city authorities, local governments, public authorities, market operators, property owners, utility companies, and educational institutions. 

The practice has enabled a steady increase in green initiatives in Budapest. Protected local areas have increased to 212 hectares, almost 7 hectares has been afforested with 25 000 saplings, and the number of trees felled for public works has decreased. The city created a total of 28.4 hectares of beehives, established Hungary’s first Miyawaki forest in 2021, and installed insect shelters in parks, community composting bins for residents living next to parks, four community orchards, and nearly 1 400 bird boxes that are monitored monthly.

Budapest was among the first cities to create urban rain gardens (in 3 sites), and the practice ensures that dead trees in parks are left in place to increase biodiversity. The city has more than doubled its public communication outreach, including information boards to explain interventions like insect hotels and rain gardens. Other educational approaches include providing descriptive, pictorial materials, to give park visitors as much information as possible.

Glyphosate herbicides have been phased out on public land managed under the practice since 2020, to be replaced with pelargonic acid weed control or mechanical removal, and perennial surfaces are mulched.

The good practice benefits the entire capital, of nearly 1.7 million residents. 

Biodiversity conservation is a global imperative, while the impacts of climate change are felt everywhere. Budapest’s cooperation model offers other European cities of any size a practical solution to address these issues.

The practice contributes to: