Regeneration
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The REGENERATION project explores the potential for applying nature-based solutions in the sustainable planning of industrial parks that aim to restore the disturbed biodiversity in these areas and provide a healthier and more ecological environment for work, life and business. The project is supported by the Manufacturing department of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and is implemented in partnership with the Municipality of Kuklen, Industrial Park Kuklen, Sevic and Odelo Bulgaria. Within the framework of the initiative, in-depth studies of the ecosystem are being carried out in the area of the Kuklen Industrial Park — one of the largest production areas in Bulgaria, where more than 1,500 people currently work.
REGENERATION activities include series of research tours and analyses in which experts from the Municipality of Kuklen, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, the Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnology and Plant Protection “Nikola Pushkarov, students and teachers from the University of Architecture, Construction and Geodesy take part (Sofia), Université libre de Bruxelles (Brussels), ETH Zürich (Zürich), Chair for Architecture and Politecnico di Torino (Torino), Fundacion Ria (Santiago), Universidade da Coruña (Coruna), Universidade do Minho, Idea Consult (Braga ) and Plovdiv Agricultural University. The observations also include residents and workers from the area of the industrial zone.
Project activities include:
- Visit to the almost depopulated village of Yavrovo, where the local agricultural traditions are analyzed and documented, placing them in the context of modern strategies for the preservation of biodiversity and the development of industrial zones;
- Lectures and tours of the vineyards and the experimental wine cellar of the Agrarian University Plovdiv, during which the participants collect data related to the regenerative properties of the vineyards and their application in landscape planning and the purification and restoration of the qualities of the land in the industrial territories;
Detailed biomonitoring of soils and local plant and animal species, organized by experts from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds and the Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnology and Plant Protection “Nikola Pushkarov; - A short conference during which the participants summarize the results of the biomonitoring and give suggestions for sustainable practices that can improve the ecology and biodiversity of the industrial area.
Despite the presence of strong and permanent soil pollution in the area as a result of long-term industrial activities, the project participants came to the conclusion that Kuklen still has a rich variety of invasive vegetation and animal species. With the help of well-defined and sustainable strategies for the development of the area, the existing ecosystem can play a key role in rebalancing and improving biodiversity.
PROPOSALS FOR INTERVENTIONS IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN
In December 2023, GRADOSCOPE organized a REGENERATION exhibition at the “Nikola Vaptsarov” community center, Kuklen, where it presented the results of the research for the first time. A key part of this exhibition are the four proposals for interventions in the planning of the industrial landscape of Kuklen, which were developed by the project participants.
1. Regenerative maintenance of meadows and pastures
Borrowed from the old agricultural traditions and customs, the first sustainable approach to the development of the area proposes to maintain the green areas around the factories in the most natural way in the past – through the grazing of farm animals. In the immediate vicinity of the Kuklen Industrial Park there is a livestock farm with approximately 100 sheep. The grazing of these animals can play an important role in the process of soil regeneration of contaminated soils.
For this purpose, we propose that Kuklen Industrial Park integrate a process that gives temporary access to the livestock breeders and their herds to the closed green areas of the industrial complex.
In this way:
- Energy for landscape maintenance will be reduced;
- Soil quality will improve;
- Biodiversity of green areas will be improved.
2. Building a “green bridge”
The industrial area borders the Rhodope National Park, which is home to many wild and endangered animal species. In order to survive the cold seasons, these animals have to migrate, passing through various dangerous obstacles such as Kuklensko shose Street and factory enclosures.
To ensure safe passage, we propose the construction of a dedicated ‘green bridge’ to provide a pathway through the wildlife area. It is also recommended to remove the existing fences and introduce controlled but open access to the industrial park.
3. Rainwater collector:
The area in which Kuklen is located is characterized by a dry climate, high temperatures and large areas of uncultivated land, which are prerequisites for fast-growing fires. The flat roofs of factories have the potential to be converted into rainwater collectors to be collected and used for a variety of purposes: watering the soil and plants during the dry months, fire prevention and even creating artificial lake areas to provide drinking water of wild animals.
4. Landscape design of the artificially created green areas
The latest nature-based solution offers a rethinking of artificially created decorative green spaces around factories. Local businesses invest significant resources in maintaining these areas, planting ornamental plants such as roses, cypress, gardenia and ryegrass. These are species that are not suited to the dry climate of the area and therefore require a lot of water for irrigation.
Instead of atypical plants for the area, these areas can be reforested with species from the local ecosystem, such as lavender, plantain, dandelion, gorse, field sage, geranium. In addition to the ability of these plants to regenerate the quality of soils, they contribute to the aesthetic appearance of the environment, have pleasant fragrances and attract bees, which in turn contribute to the improvement of the ecological balance.
PROPOSALS FOR INTERVENTIONS IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Nash Vkus (Our Taste): the first real step in the sustainable development of the Kuklen industrial zone
As part of the REGENERATION project, the pilot catering service “Nash Vkus” was launched, which demonstrates the potential of the industrial zone to develop sustainably and healthily for the benefit of its residents.
“Nash Vkus” is the first mobile application on the Bulgarian market that provides locally produced and healthy lunch menus at affordable prices for the workers of Kuklen Industrial Park. The service is inspired by the increasingly widespread concept of sustainable food production in Europe — from farm to fork. The goal is not only to improve the quality of food for workers in one of the largest production areas in our country, but also to support the development of local producers in the Plovdiv region.
The “Nash Vkus” concept ensures traceability of all products used and thus guarantees their origin and quality. The service works with a network of five local businesses that service the various stages of production and delivery. The process starts with sourcing all the necessary products from the Bio Way vegetable farms, the Prima bakery and the Sigman family dairy. The collected products are delivered to the kitchen of the SAMAR culinary store in Plovdiv, where professional chefs prepare a variety of lunch menus. Logistics of the orders from the kitchen to the factories is carried out with SEVIC’s electric vans, which are manufactured in Plovdiv and ensure that daily deliveries do not leave a negative impression during transport.
At the moment, the application “Nash Vkus” is available for use by the workers of three factories in Kuklen — Willi Elbe Automotive Bulgaria, Signat and Mecalit. Through the app, they can quickly and easily request unlimited food at any time of the day and have the convenience of planning and requesting their orders up to two weeks in advance.
More information about the “Nash Vkus” service, the principles of the service and the partners in the project can be found at nashvkus.bg.
PARTNERS
- Municipality of Kuklen
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
- Nikola Pushkarov Institute
- Odelo Bulgaria
- Sevic Systems
- UACEG
- ETH Zürich
- Université libre de Bruxelles
- Architecture and Politecnico di Torino
- Fundacion Ria
- Universidade da Coruña
- Universidade do Minho
- Idea Consult
- Plovdiv Agricultural University