Gothenburg blue community garden winner in New European Bauhaus competition
The Flytevi urban blue community garden, located in Frihamnen in Gothenburg, was awarded a prize at the New European Bauhaus sustainability festival in Brussels. In competition with urban development projects from across Europe, Flytevi was awarded second place in the 'Reconnecting with nature' category.
In addition to the honour, the award also includes a EUR 20 000 prize. In Brussels to receive the award were Gothenburg city architect Björn Siesjö, Gothenburg city gardener Johan Rehngren, and project coordinator Malin Rosengren from the University of Gothenburg.
“We received very positive feedback from both visitors and other competitors during the festival. It was very fun to have the opportunity to inspire and draw attention to blue habitats, and I think we will see more blue community gardens popping up in more cities in Europe after this,” says Malin Rosengren.
International interest
The New European Bauhaus is an interdisciplinary EU initiative that links the European Green Deal with the design of our living environments.
The vision is a sustainable green society based on diversity, inclusion, creativity, and innovation. The initiative was launched by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who also attended the event and gave the opening speech.
“The fact that Flytevi is awarded the prize shows that there is a great deal of international interest in both issues linked to sustainable farming in the ocean, as well as the exploratory way of working with prototypes in urban development projects,” says Cecilia Helsing, planning manager for site development, City of Gothenburg.
Broad collaboration in the project
Flytevi was inaugurated in November 2022 and is the first urban blue community garden in Sweden. The project was originally developed within the framework of Vinnova's Future Prototypes initiative, and has since then been further developed through close collaboration between the University of Gothenburg and the City of Gothenburg.
The project has involved an exchange of knowledge between different disciplines and therefore has a shared project leadership through Cecilia Helsing, planning manager for site development, City of Gothenburg, Malin Finlöf, master planner, City of Gothenburg, and Maria Bodin, marine biologist and project coordinator, University of Gothenburg.
“With Flytevi, we can make difficult issues accessible in an easy way. I think the collaboration between people with completely different backgrounds and approaches is what has made the project so successful," says Maria Bodin, marine biologist, and project coordinator at the University of Gothenburg.
Meeting place for learning
Flytevi primarily serves as an educational platform where visitors can learn more about ocean farming and sustainable food from the ocean. One of the long-term goals of the project is to make it easier in the future for people to grow their own food in the sea, in the same way as in allotments on land.
Flytevi welcomes school pupils, students, researchers, and interested members of the public. Among other things, lessons are organised where secondary school students can be ocean farmers for a day.
The next opportunity to visit the marine allotment is on 20 April during the Gothenburg International Science Festival.
There were a total of four categories in the competition, as well as two awards focusing on Ukraine's reconstruction and two audience awards.
The festival was organised for the second time, and throughout the week Flytevi has been displayed as part of the festival's exhibition.
Participation in the festival was coordinated by the Gothenburg European Office in Brussels. The first prize in the 'Reconnecting with nature' category went to Făget Forest Park in Romania.
