The Rijeka Development Agency Porin d.o.o. is a partner in the Blue Green City (Interreg Europe) project, which aims to increase awareness and knowledge of the concept of ecosystem services and the value of green and blue infrastructure through interregional learning and cooperation in the direction of finding solutions to common challenges of climate change. In the second phase of the project implementation, the implementation of the document Action Plan for the City of Rijeka is monitored, which defines the tools and methodology for the development and implementation of the blue and green infrastructure strategy. In 2020, the City of Rijeka produced a Study of Green Infrastructure, which also defined problems and discrepancies in the spatial plan compared to the vision of the development of green infrastructure, so it was pointed out:
- The size and quality of the green areas in the city is caused by the configuration of the terrain, but also by the historical industrial development of Rijeka in the immediate vicinity of the current city center.
- The urban coastal zone occupied by port facilities, economic zones and brownfield sites poses the biggest challenge in the planning of green infrastructure and the establishment of a coastal green corridor due to the difficulty of connecting urban tissue with the marine landscape and green hinterland.
- Consequence: Unconnected and fragmented ‘green infrastructure’.
The action plan shall include the following activities:
- Monitoring the development of the new strategic document Green Infrastructure Development Strategy of the City of Rijeka 2022-2027, initiated by the Department for Development, Urbanism, Ecology and Land Management of the City of Rijeka. The City of Rijeka has chosen the contractor for the service of drafting this strategic document, which is the company Zelenastruktura d.o.o. from Zagreb. The first activities to analyse the situation and review all elements of the conceptual plan identified in the above-mentioned Study have been initiated.
- The Rijeka Development Agency Porin d.o.o. will provide local stakeholders with training related to mutual cooperation with the following topics: Scenario for the planning of the strategy on adaptation to climate change; Green and Blue Infrastructure and Evaluation of Ecosystem Services. The first part of the training is planned for July this year.
- Monitoring the implementation of the Rijeka Local Partnership Programme 2022 tender published by the Department of Municipal Self-Government and Administration of the City of Rijeka and monitoring 7 approved projects, which will be co-financed in the amount of HRK 142 730.28, namely:
1. Quarterly Composting, Citizens' Group Rijeka Transition Initiative and City Quarter
2. Circular 2022, Association Urbani separe with partners
3. With small steps to safety, Podmurvice Kindergarten Parents' Group
4. New face of school and street, Citizen's Group Mlak (Podmurvice Elementary School)
5. Magical Forest of Knowledge-Students in Nature Group of Kozala Citizens (Kozala Elementary School)
6. Refresh neighbourhood, Citizens' Group City Quarter
7. Sport to everyone, MO Bander's Council.
