Green spaces
Chemnitz is a green city with over 565 hectares of public parks and other public nature refuges. The local authority spends 5.5 million euros a year on maintaining its green spaces alone, with 57 municipal gardeners and additional contractors working on this throughout the year. However, there is much more to the development of urban green spaces. And so, when it comes to the maintenance of individual areas, the gap between desire and reality often widens.
In their endeavours to maintain their green spaces, local authorities are subject to cost constraints. At the same time, however, more and more citizens are prepared to pick up a rake and shovel themselves and take part in the maintenance of public green spaces. Both aspects are brought together in an information paper presented to the city council yesterday.
The City of Chemnitz has put forward proposals on how the commitment of individuals or associations, companies and initiatives can be integrated into the municipal maintenance of green spaces. Various forms are possible - starting with citizens who would like to maintain public green spaces on their own doorstep, through to those who would like to do this on a permanent or occasional basis.from citizens who want to maintain public green spaces on their own doorstep, to those who do this permanently or occasionally in residential areas or neighbourhoods, through to the activities of nature conservation associations that use state funding to maintain biotopes and thus protect species in urban areas. There are even opportunities for one-off planting and maintenance activities.
Citizens can, for example, help with cleaning plants, mowing lawns, weeding and hoeing planting areas. In the long term, this relieves the Parks Department of smaller tasks that tie up human and financial resources. The maintenance of individual green spaces can be transferred from municipal maintenance to citizens, according to the conclusion of the Green Spaces Office's information paper presented to the city council. One-off private activities can also save the city budget. As a side effect, residents feel responsible for public green spaces through their personal commitment and pay attention to cleanliness there.
This is how it works:
Anyone interested in helping to keep the city's green spaces in good order should arrange an information meeting at the city's green spaces office on 0371/488-6701. Details can then be clarified during the meeting and, if desired, individual maintenance contracts can be concluded. The citizen sponsors in spé also receive information on insurance cover or one-off work assignments to provide plants and equipment.