On 15th February 2023, the first Local Stakeholder Workshop occurred in Merano, Italy. The event took place at the community hall of the new multigenerational house, vis-á-vis the future pilot site. With 31 stakeholders attending the workshop, representing diverse groups, we discussed the “Parkdreieck” project and “Garden for all” where fruits and vegetables are planted in a public green area, accessible for all, and guaranteeing high biodiversity.
In a brief presentation, the justice fields were explained, and the planned activities in Merano were presented. The landscape architect, Rosa Sagmeister, presented the pre-selected NbS for the “Parkdreieck” project and “Garden for all”, explaining basic knowledge about ecosystems. For example, there needs to be nesting possibilities and a nutrition offer for insects and small animals all year to guarantee high biodiversity. The participants were very interested in the overall objectives and projects and the short lecture about NbS.
Next, participants went all together to the future pilot site for the "Garden for all", the park area near the venue that will be developed into a biodiverse habitat-show garden with fruits and vegetables planted in a public green area and accessible for everyone. The group continued to climb over the railings to see the open water canal in the park, which is currently not accessible, and feel the atmosphere at the water's edge. The participants observed the park, its surroundings, and traffic and accessibility to the park area. Their feedbacks were that the site space is very limited, but it has location potential mainly because of accessibility to the canal.
After the site visit, The participants joined the workshop session in 4 thematic groups. The workshop sessions were very productive, and the participants were highly motivated and gave interesting outcomes. They wished to reduce the traffic problem and provide everyone safe access to the park (children to elderly). At the same time, the water element is a strong point in the design, followed by edible plants with low maintenance afford, including local plants and animals. The results of the 1st workshop encourage us to seek even more dialogue with the direct residents. It is inspiring to see which residents’ wishes coincide with those of the experts invited to this first workshop.
We look forward to the next collaboration!
