The Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, an establishment of the Leibniz Association for research in the spatial sciences, is Lead Partner of the BIDELIN project.

The IOER investigates the scientific basis for the sustainable and environmentally-friendly development of cities and regions in the national and international context.

With its innovative research and consultation work for political decision-makers and society at large, the IOER aims to reconcile human activities with the development of our natural surroundings, thereby securing the basis for life in the years to come. 

Team Karsten Grunewald (Projectmanager) Ralf-Uwe Syrbe Patrycia Brzoska Ina Neumann Birgit Kochan

Kontakt URL: www.ioer.de BIDELIN-webpage Tel.: +49 351 4679 227 Weberplatz 1 01217 Dresden

The Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem (UJEP) was founded in 1991. Today it is one of the largest and oldest universities in northern Bohemia. At the same time it is a leading regional centre of research, education and culture. The research activities of UJEP are divided into two basic fields: the natural sciences, with a focus on material flows and nanotechnologies, and the social and economic sciences, with a focus on the role of cities and regions, in particular their quality of life in the context of current social and economic challenges.

Experts from three faculties at the university are involved in the BIDELIN project: the faculty of social sciences and economics, the faculty of natural sciences and the faculty of environmental studies.

With around 540,000 residents, Dresden is the second biggest city in Saxony (after Leipzig), and is Germany’s twelfth largest municipality. Dresden is one of Europe’s greenest cities, with forest or green space covering 62 percent of the urban area.

The local environmental agency (Umweltamt) is involved in the project management and steering, in particular by providing necessary data on the city. This encompasses the gathering and evaluation of information on biotopes and ecosystems, the design and implementation of development and maintenance concepts, as well as communication activities with target groups.

With over 50,000 residents, the city of Děčín is located in the Elbe valley at the point where the rivers Ploučnice and Jílovský potok flow into the Elbe (on the right and left, respectively), and where the Bohemian uplands meet the sandstone outcrops of the Elbsandsteingebirge. Here the Elbe has carved out a canyon; in fact, Děčín has the lowest elevation of all cities in the Czech Republic.

Within the BIDELIN project, the city’s ecosystems and their services are being mapped around the sandstone outcrop called Pastýřská stěna (German: Schäferwand) in order to create a digital nature trail. After the Elbe, the Schäferwand is the most prominent natural feature located directly in the city centre. Thanks to its location, the adjacent forest and several vantage points, the outcrop attracts numerous visitors.   

The north Bohemian city of Liberec (German: Reichenberg) has 102,000 residents. It lies in the Liberec valley between the Jizera Mountains (Ještědský hřbet) and the Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge. The city and its surroundings encompass a wide range of interesting and valuable natural sites. Directly in Liberec there are rare tree species (e.g. gingko), gardens and parks with large rhododendrons and azaleas.

One part of the BIDELIN project is to create a complex and integrated system of urban green spaces in Liberec. To this end individual parks and other green spaces are identified and linked with one another in distances that are easy to walk. The intention is for local residents as well as visitors to be able to view this network of green spaces on the city’s website.