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Description
In this project, we wish to mobilise the inhabitants of the city of Lodz to protect the environment by improving the appearance of their immediate surroundings. People would like to live in a nice, green city and have a friendly space around them. Currently, the city''s ecosystems do not work efficiently and the ecological awareness of the inhabitants is too low. There are too few green areas in the city, and pollution and inadequate ventilation of urban space cause smog. Backyards in Lodz are special places that create the unique character of the city. According to the article ‘In Search of the City''s Essence – Through Lodz''s Backyards on Piotrkowska Street’ (2010), 40% of Lodz’s inhabitants surveyed enjoyed visiting backyards. 31% said that there was something magical about the backyards in Lodz. Unfortunately, 20% wouldn''t like to show their backyards to their friends outside of Łodz because they are neglected and do not give a sense of security. As part of the project, we will conduct a series of workshops combined with research walks and field work. We will teach residents to take care of their backyards, squares and urban wastelands. Thanks to this project the condition of urban ecosystems will improve, biodiversity will increase and the residents’ ecological awareness will be higher. The project will contribute to improving the image of the city.
Summary of project results
In large cities, the condition of ecosystems is not satisfactory, and the current activities and ecological awareness of their inhabitants are insufficient. We are increasingly encountering extreme meteorological phenomena that are the result of a low greenness factor. Lack of ventilation and pollution in city centers are the cause of smog. The creation of ecological spaces is not conducive to low awareness among housing communities about the possibility of allocating part of the budget to, for example, creating green courtyards surrounded by concrete parking lots. Given the importance of ecosystems in mitigating climate change, it is essential to protect them through actions to preserve biodiversity.
Before implementing the project, we held talks with residents and at the same time carried out detailed observations of Łódź''s backyards in terms of the architecture of the buildings, the nature of the buildings, growing greenery, small architecture developments and their operation. The inhabitants of Łódź want their yards to be friendly and green, especially in their immediate vicinity. Seeing this commitment, we decided to help residents achieve their goals. A large number of plants in the space help purify the air, lower the temperature and increase air humidity. First of all, lively spaces encourage you to go outside. Being in a common space and taking care of it strengthens interpersonal relationships. These premises were the beginning of the creation of our project.
The "Eco backyard - Łódź residents for the climate" project aimed to encourage and mobilize local communities to take action for the sake of the surrounding nature and improve the quality of life by changing the appearance of their backyards. The implementation of the project made it possible to adapt the space to the needs of residents, but also to improve the condition of ecosystems, increase biodiversity, and deepen the knowledge and ecological awareness of Łódź residents.
Activities initiated as part of the project resulted in numerous products on many levels.
One of the products was an awareness campaign among neighborhood groups, increasing existing knowledge about climate change. The project also included many hours of consultations with the residents of the yards taking part in it. The next product was a series of workshops combined with research walks, during which residents learned how to take care of their yards, squares and urban wastelands. The aim of the workshop activities was also to engage and activate the inhabitants of Łódź and encourage them to take initiatives for climate protection. People participating in them gained extensive knowledge in the field of caring for the environment, taking care of plants, and acquired practical skills in designing and arranging space.
We showed residents what actions can be taken on a local scale to adapt their backyard in a sustainable way, taking into account both individual needs and the good of our planet.
Among the activated groups, civic activity was strengthened, there was an increase in the sense of belonging to the local neighborhood community, and bonds were strengthened. The workshops showed residents how to work with their neighbors to improve environmental conditions. The result of this cooperation was the creation of three eco-yards. Field work was closely related to the knowledge and skills acquired during workshops and research walks. In addition to plants and landscaping elements, an educational board was placed in each of the yards after the work was completed.
The project has extensive photographic documentation, as well as press articles and numerous mentions on the applicant''s social networking sites and on its website. The information contained therein can be returned to and may serve as an inspiration for other neighborhood groups to take similar actions.
The direct recipients of the (activated) activities were three neighborhood groups that, on their own initiative, wanted to improve the appearance of the surroundings of their place of residence. Each team was led by the leader of the neighborhood group, who was responsible for contact with the housing community/administration and the project implementer.
The indirect recipients of the activities were the inhabitants of neglected backyards where the initiative was implemented. Indirect recipients also include recipients of the information and promotion campaign, which inspired other housing communities and neighborhood groups to implement activities, and city residents who observed workshops in urban space.
The recipients of the project were also Foundation employees who underwent training as part of institutional development, expanding their competences in the field of project work.
The project produced numerous results. One of them was to increase knowledge about climate change through an information and promotion campaign. Additionally, information about climate change was disseminated through workshops. Common knowledge was also compared with the position and achievements of modern science in the field of climate change. Moreover, the problem of the effects of climate change on the place of residence was raised, initiating a social discussion on the possibilities of taking initiatives by residents.
Improving the condition of urban ecosystems and increasing the ecological awareness of residents has a positive impact on improving the city''s image. The project gives the inhabitants of Łódź the opportunity to realize the benefits that greenery offers them and makes them ready to actively engage in its protection and maintenance. The activities broke the effect of passivity among residents and allowed them to become active citizens taking care of their common area of residence.