Malmö's Green Space Factor & Green Points — Biodiversity-Scored Courtyards in Bo01 (Västra Hamnen)

For the Bo01 housing exposition (opened May 2001) on a former contaminated shipyard in Västra Hamnen, the City of Malmö and the developers set a green space factor of 0.5 or greater and a 'Green Points' list: each developer chose ten of 35 options such as tall trees, bird houses and wildlife ponds, rewarding quality of habitat rather than area alone.
Stormwater is handled in an open system of rain gardens, ponds and canals, with green roofs and pervious surfaces, combining runoff reduction with habitat for native herbs and wildflowers.
Evidence is mixed. The Oppla/Connecting Nature case notes that landscape-architect involvement was central to early success, but that green areas in Bo01 were over time exchanged for hard surfaces and that later harbour districts used a simplified factor, producing less green. No quantified biodiversity or runoff outcomes for the factor itself were found, so the entry is scored cautiously. It is a transferable, low-cost planning instrument whose weakness is enforcement after approval.

Read the full analysis: https://connectingnature.oppla.eu/node/23362