Bluegreen nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and citizen wellbeing

City Blues

New flood meadows ready for action in Tampere – stakeholder cooperation ensured a good outcome

28 November 2025

Nature-based solutions are being used in Tampere to manage stormwater. This year, new flood meadows were built in the Varsanpuisto park to prepare for the increasing amounts of rainfall caused by climate change. At the same time, the biodiversity of the green area was enhanced, and benches, tables, and trash bins were added to the area at the wish of the residents.

Technical details

Flood meadows delay stormwater runoff and improve its quality and help prevent flooding. In a park near old residental area new flood meadows were built this year.

A bottom dam was built in Vuohenoja stream, which raises the water level in the flood meadows in a controlled manner during heavy rainfall and snowmelt. In addition, a circulation pond was built to remove solids and nutrients from the stream.

Increased biodiversity

Flood meadows create varied and diverse habitats for plants and animals that thrive in wet conditions. Flowering meadows provide food for many insect species and birds. Aquatic species have also been taken into account, for example in the structure of the bottom dam, which has an opening that allows endangered trout living in the stream to migrate.

In spring and autumn, local wetland plants were planted on the flood meadows in cooperation with NGO Wild Zone. The seeds were collected by Wild Zone from Tampere and its surrounding areas within 15 km from the site. Part of the planting was done on a voluntary basis with the residents, as the aim of the project is to involve stakeholders in the planning and implementation of nature-based solutions. In another volunteer event for residents, spawning beds were built for brown trout.

Stakeholders are needed to create the best possible solutions

Professionals from various fields have participated in the planning and implementation of flood meadows. The residents’ voices have also been heard at an early stage.

“During the preparation phase of the general plan, we organised a resident workshop to gather ideas for developing the area. I am pleased that many of the wishes were also realized. We also gained valuable tacit knowledge to support the planning”, says project manager Anna Vilhula from the City of Tampere.

Tampere received funding for the design and construction of flood meadows in Varsanpuisto from the European Union’s Interreg program for the Baltic Sea region. The flood meadows in Varsanpuisto Park are a pilot site for the City Blues project in Tampere. The aim of the City Blues project is to prevent the negative effects of climate change and create a more pleasant city through nature-based stormwater solutions.

The flood meadows were designed in 2024, and construction work was carried out in spring 2025 and finished in June. However, the pilot site will still be in operation in 2026, the final year of the project, as supplementary sowing will be carried out in the area at that time.

The functionality of the meadows has already been tested during the heavy rains at the end of the summer, and their capacity, which was also modeled during the design phase, appears to be sufficient.