InterACT Green Urban Diary – Chapter 1

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The InterACT Green project, led by the Municipality of Varaždin, is currently addressing the triple challenge of regenerating the degraded natural ecosystem of the Drava Forest Park, enhancing the area’s attractiveness, and enabling shared management and coordination of this green infrastructure. To meet these goals, the project is implementing a threefold strategy. It began with a thorough analytical phase aimed at assessing the health of the forest and laying the groundwork for identifying priority intervention areas and actions. This has been followed by a participatory process to capture the needs and aspirations of citizens and stakeholders regarding the revitalisation of the forest park, its landmarks, and its overall aesthetics, functions, and services. These inputs are to be translated into a comprehensive design through an architectural, landscaping, and artistic competition. In parallel, a digital platform is being developed to serve a dual purpose: acting as a back-end co-management tool for all institutions with jurisdiction over the forest, while also functioning as a public one-stop shop offering a wide range of information about the park and the forest.
This platform in fact represents the project’s main innovation, not only in terms of technological development and data management, but also with regard to its potential impact on governance and co-management processes, as well as communication with citizens and stakeholders. In parallel, InterACT Green employs innovative methods and tools for monitoring and assessing forest ecosystems; an approach particularly relevant when addressing the challenges of large-scale green infrastructure.
Whether green or digital, the project’s main outputs will take the form of infrastructure, which will only become visibly tangible as implementation progresses. The first year has been fully dedicated to behind-the-scenes preparatory work, particularly the design of the platform’s architecture and functionalities, the initial assessment of the forest’s health status, and the launch of the design competition.

In its first year of implementation, InterACT Green has primarily focused on laying the foundations for its core activities. While most results and achievements are not yet visible to the public, project partners have been working behind the scenes, advancing the preparatory work essential to all work packages. This phase has largely involved desk and field research, along with organisational and administrative tasks, with only a limited number of outreach and participatory activities carried out during the initial months. However, the absence of visible outcomes does not imply a lack of progress. On the contrary, significant advancements have been made both in data collection and in the analysis of the Drava Forest’s health status laying the groundwork for its ecological regeneration, as well as in the design of the platform’s architecture.
At the very start of implementation, the project kicked off with a health assessment of the forest carried out by the Croatian Forest Research Institute (CFRI), alongside a series of workshops with various stakeholder groups to identify needs and aspirations for the forest park and define desired features for the platform. Based on the outcomes of the assessment and consultations, the design phase for both the platform and the forest could then begin.
In the next stage, the project advanced along three parallel paths. First, the study of the forest continued, with more detailed analyses on biodiversity and ecosystem services still ongoing. Second, the architecture competition was launched for the design of the park’s amenities and landmarks. Third, the technical development of the digital platform moved forward with the definition of its architecture, the identification of the final list of functionalities, and the advanced draft of the user interface.
As a result, at the end of the first year of implementation, InterACT Green is, on the one hand, getting ready to start forest regeneration activities as soon as seasonal conditions allow, and, on the other hand, finalising the public and backend interfaces and preparing for the launch of the testing version of the platform. A slight delay, however, concerns the forest park’s revitalisation, as the public competition will need to be re-launched in the coming months.

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As with any innovative project, the complexity of InterACT Green has led to a number of operational challenges across different areas, and in particular in terms of strategy, governance, participation and communication, and scaling up and transfer.

Strategy

In line with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) principles of sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion, the project aims to enhance the natural and visual appeal of Drava Forest Park through interventions shaped by a public competition open to local artists and professionals and informed by an earlier participatory process. 

Our approach to the process was highly innovative within our context, as we required professionals from different disciplines – architects, urban planners, product designers, sculptors – to apply and develop a concept collaboratively.

Sladana Miocic, Project Manager

Based on the Croatian Chamber of Architects’ official procedure, the competition included a defined programme, a 60-day application period, anonymous jurying, and the selection of the best proposals. However, due to changes in public procurement procedures, the preparation of the technical documentation for investment works – and therefore the competition itself – experienced delays, and the application period closed only in mid-March 2025. Furthermore, the competition did not result in a winning proposal. According to the expert jury, the submissions were of insufficient quality, failed to include obligatory elements of the programme, and overall did not meet expectations in terms of conceptual and artistic expression. It appears that the original requirement for mixed teams – composed of architects, landscape designers, and artists – to deliver a comprehensive project proved more difficult and challenging than expected. This may be due to the difficulty potential applicants faced in assembling teams with the necessary professional profiles, which ultimately may have resulted in proposals that did not adequately address all the required fields and dimensions. In response, the project is currently preparing a new competition, which is expected to launch in early May, with results anticipated by mid to late July.

We are now considering a redefined programme, likely split into two separate calls with one focusing on artistic expression, and the other on urban design solutions.

Sladana Miocic, Project Manager

In this context, the upcoming challenge will be to draft an attractive competition tender and ensure the engagement of high-level applicants capable of responding to the needs and demands expressed during the participatory process and translating them into high-quality proposals. At this stage, identifying a winning proposal will be essential to enable the actual implementation of the investments within the project timeline.

Governance

Forest governance in Croatia is embedded within institutional frameworks characterised by strong bureaucratic processes, limited flexibility in decision-making, and a complex multi-stakeholder structure. Multiple institutional bodies hold specific – and at times compartmentalised – competencies and are not always accustomed to collaborative working methods or seamless co-management. To support more effective governance, the Municipal Urban Authority (MUA) has taken several important steps. It has signed a 20-year Easement Right Contract with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Croatia for the forest areas covered by project investments, and a similar agreement with Croatian Waters for areas under their management. These measures are expected to facilitate forest regeneration activities, streamline day-to-day management, and ease planning procedures. In addition, Croatian Forests – the public entity responsible for forest management on behalf of the central government – is in the process of being formally included in the project partnership, which should help accelerate decision-making and implementation. The need for enhanced coordination across the same green infrastructure, as well as for consolidating data and information from multiple fragmented sources, is precisely what motivated the development of the digital platform. While the platform offers a valuable tool for coordination, it is not sufficient on its own to overcome the structural complexities of forest governance. However, both its development phase and subsequent operation offer a key opportunity to encourage more regular and effective inter-institutional cooperation. The real challenge will be ensuring this opportunity is fully seized. Doing so will require a significant shift in mindset and a rethinking of long-established workflows. This – alongside the deployment of the digital platform – could represent one of the most meaningful innovations introduced by InterACT Green. Establishing a co-management task force, even on an informal basis, with regular in-person meetings of representatives from the various institutions involved, could be an important first step in this direction.

Participation and Communication

Directly related to the challenges discussed above, the commitment and engagement of stakeholders and local actors are essential elements of InterACT Green. Whether it is professionals expected to take part in the public competition or public institutions that need to provide access to data and ultimately adopt the platform in their daily workflows, the project must ensure effective outreach and involvement of these groups. On the one hand, clear and targeted communication strategies will be key to promoting the second iteration of the competition and reaching a sufficient critical mass of participants. On the other hand, institutional support is needed to finalise business process definitions. Aligning the platform’s functionalities with the actual workflows of different organisations has required several iterations and ongoing stakeholder input. The active involvement of all partners in shaping and validating these workflows is essential to ensure the platform’s usability and relevance.
Challenges are also expected in communicating forest regeneration activities to the public, particularly in helping people understand and accept why certain trees need to be removed and what will follow. Some resistance may arise from groups concerned with protecting the local ecosystem. It will therefore be important to provide clear and transparent information, explaining the reasons behind the interventions, the implications of inaction, and the ecological importance of removing invasive species.

Scaling Up and Transfer

The platform is being developed with scalability and transferability in mind, which adds a layer of complexity to the process from both technical and organisational perspectives. Challenges stem from the diversity of local contexts, institutional capacities, and existing digital infrastructures across potential adopter cities and organisations. Key technical issues include infrastructure variability – where differences in digital maturity and IT environments may affect the ability to host or integrate the platform – as well as data governance and compliance, particularly with regard to local data protection regulations and protocols for data sharing between institutions. Another major challenge lies in balancing the need for customisation with the benefits of standardisation. While tailored solutions may be necessary to meet local requirements, excessive customisation could limit scalability and increase complexity in terms of maintenance and support. At the same time, gaps in technical expertise within some organisations may hinder smooth implementation, especially if internal teams are not adequately equipped to manage or adapt the system. Integration with existing local systems and databases is also a critical concern. Without seamless interoperability, the platform risks becoming a parallel system rather than a central tool for coordination and decision-making. Beyond implementation, the project must also consider long-term operational aspects, such as regular updates, ongoing user support, and sufficient resources for maintenance. To address these challenges, the project is adopting a hybrid development approach that explores both cloud-based and locally installed solutions. This strategy is intended to provide flexibility, allowing each transfer partner to choose the option best suited to their technical and organisational context. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure smooth adoption, reliable performance, and the ability to scale the solution across a variety of urban and institutional settings, while maintaining cost-efficiency and ease of use over time.

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The first year of implementation surfaced several lessons, particularly around the use of technology for environmental monitoring, the integration of data and development of the digital platform, the challenges of governance and inter-institutional collaboration, and the structure of the design competition in relation to the participatory process. These insights are not only relevant for the continued development of the project itself, but also offer valuable guidance for other European cities facing similar challenges in managing green infrastructure and coordinating across institutions.

Innovative technology for forest monitoring

A key takeaway concerns the contribution of innovative technologies to the monitoring and management of large-scale green areas. The methodologies used to assess forest health combined field-based visual tree assessments with remote sensing techniques, including multispectral drone imagery and NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index). This integrated approach enables continuous monitoring, providing a consistent and up-to-date understanding of ecosystem conditions. Such information is essential for timely, informed decision-making. More frequent and detailed data improve the ability to plan interventions, anticipate risks, and respond to change, supporting near real-time forest management.

Data integration and expanding the platform’s scope

Another key learning relates to the project’s data infrastructure and the potential of the digital platform. While challenges remain in accessing and aggregating datasets from various sources, it is clear the platform could be extended beyond its current focus on forest co-management. In particular, the platform could go the extra mile and support risk management functions not currently central to its design. This includes tracking and responding to risks such as forest fires or illegal activity, serving as a shared resource for civil protection, fire services, police, and other public safety actors. Centralising environmental and security-related data would improve institutional coordination and emergency response capacity, expanding the platform’s relevance to public safety and preparedness alongside ecosystem management.

Technology as a driver of new governance models

The third learning concerns governance, especially around platform use and coordination across institutions. In a fragmented governance system, a platform alone cannot resolve coordination issues. However, the project can foster a shift in how institutions work together. A key recommendation is to set up a task force of trained delegates from relevant institutions. These representatives could regularly meet to coordinate actions and use the platform as a tool for joint planning. For this to work, co-management must be supported not only technically but also organisationally, through a dedicated unit responsible for facilitating cooperation and ensuring the platform’s collaborative functions are sustained.

Design competition structure and participatory process

A key learning emerged from the design competition process. The initial call was broad, based on general recommendations from the participatory phase, but did not include specific design guidelines. This led to varied interpretations, and no proposals were selected. The requirement for teams to cover artistic, architectural, and environmental fields was difficult to meet within the given timeframe, especially for applicants without existing cross-sector connections. In response, the second call – now in preparation – plans to introduce separate thematic tracks, such as one for sculpture and another for architecture and landscaping. This approach would allow professionals to submit proposals aligned with their expertise and enables the selection committee to combine the strongest contributions into a coherent intervention. An important recommendation when combining participatory processes with public competitions or tenders is to broaden the scope of the co-design phase – ensuring it leads to well-developed visions that can directly inform the call requirements. This allows the professionals responsible for the technical design to contribute their expertise, skills, and creativity to a vision that has already been shaped by citizen input. Ideally, once the winner of the competition is selected, the final features of the design – prior to the executive planning phase – should be discussed in co-design workshops involving citizens, stakeholders, and the technical teams. This approach would maximise collective ownership and help ensure that the final results meet shared expectations.