Subproject City of Bielefeld

"Greenway – strengthening of the biological diversity in the greenway Schlosshofbach"

The City of Bielefeld had developed central key points of a biodiversity strategy together with the research partners. These had been implemented and tested at a test site. In this way, the City of Bielefeld is executing its own measures that serve to support inner city biodiversity and coordinating the monitoring. Various stakeholders followed this process on location as well as throughout the city. Part of this was conducting an intensive public participation programme.

Initial conditions: The City of Bielefeld recognizes the greatest need for action lying in the topics climate protection and biodiversity preservation. The City has signed the declaration "Biodiversity in Communities" and is a founding member of the coalition "Communities for Biodiversity". It is positioned in all four action areas of the declaration through the preservation and development of an exemplary network system out of urban greenways and parks, concrete measures for species protection in settled areas, like for amphibians, bats and birds that nest on buildings as well as through comprehensive cooperation with agriculture through contractual conservation agreements. There is a strong desire among political leaders, government administrators, nature preservation organisations, and a part of the population to improve their standing on the topic of biodiversity preservation.

Project areas:The test site in Bielefeld was the approx. 34-hectare greenway at the Schlosshofbach, characterised by its heterogeneity and its connection to open natural areas.

The area consists of a mosaic of uses ranging from intensively maintained paths and green areas, playgrounds and playing fields, extensively maintained open areas, mature wooded structures and remnant forests to allotment gardens, ponds and the waterways of adjacent wetlands. Selected improvements to structures and areas took place. In addition, options for the support of biodiversity through targeted maintenance of green areas and ecological aspects were/are tested.

left: project boundaries of the test site in the city of Bielefeld: greenbelt Schlosshofbach. Map: Stadt Bielefeld.

right: biotope types within the test sites in the city of Bielefeld. Map: Stadt Bielefeld.