NBS Innovation Vouchers in Tampere

The City of Tampere has awarded three innovation vouchers for citizens to undertake small-scale NBS projects. Two of the vouchers will be used to develop garden areas near residential housing whilst the third voucher will fund the creation of a horse park.

The garden areas funded by NBS innovation vouchers will have planter boxes, fruit trees and berry bushes, as well as areas to compost gardening waste and structures to harvest rain water for garden irrigation. Residents also plan to have areas for resting and playing; tables, chairs and an updated sandbox for children are planned. Residents of the buildings adjacent to the planned gardens will do most of the work themselves using funds from the innovation vouchers to purchase materials and landscaping or construction work as needed.

The horse park funded by the third innovation voucher will be used to establish a horse park near the Vuores school, providing a dedicated space for events co-organised by the local Annisto stables and the Vuores residents. The area selected for the horse park has previously been used informally to host horse events for local Vuores families. The voucher will fund fencing to establish a secure space for these co-organised events in the future.

Watch this space to see the implemented NBS and to learn how the voucher programme in Tampere fosters a sense of community. As the implementation progresses, we will share before-and-after photos and updates on the process of co-creation and community building.