,,If you want to change the world,
first try to improve and bring about change within yourself.
That will help change your family.
From there it just gets bigger and bigger.
Everything we do has some effect, some impact.”
(Dalai Láma)
The tender called ‘For Green City’ of Budapest’s 13th District municipality is finished by the following: Our posy reflects the philosophy that – while organising public services – we have to set an example in shaping our environment, in enforcing and plain indicating sustainable development, energy consciousness and partnership. It shows that we learn willingly from others, and shape our district considering local specialities and precedents. Meanwhile we are open to invent new things. The aim of local green programmes is to take notice of people and organizations living and working in the 13th district, and to shape approach on sustainable development and behavioural models. These programmes prove that our municipality as the leader of the local society and as employer takes into consideration maintaining energy consciousness continuously, and prove and transmit this approach in the course of actuation and development.
Our medium-term programme is called ‘13th district in motion’, which defines the elements and tools of the green strategy and the major actions of execution. This document is the basis of the programmes which contain the tasks in accordance with accepted aims. These programmes are based partly on law-, partly on self-imposed commitment: ‘Budapest13 2033’ long-term developmental programme, Environmental-sustainable development programme, Climate strategy, Local Agenda 21 – sustainable development local programme, Integrated Urban Development Strategy and AngyalZÖLD+ (some play on words: this is a green programme on Angyalföld) strategy.
The take-off is operating and continuous promoting the local ‘green-assets’ and improving it on demand. AngyalZÖLD+ programme contains the concrete tasks, their timing and financial terms made for execution. It was passed by the Municipal Council. It shows the philosophy of the 13th district as Green Town: the harmony of the built and natural environment, creating and operating public places according to community’s demands.
The local green infrastructure is built, easy-to-approach, and it is used smoothly by the citizens. Its elements are varied, they transmit environment conscious self-governing approach. We are professing that the efforts of municipality take effect for others.
The municipal council expects sustainable development to appear as elementary requirement during planning local strategy and concepts. Beside environment conscious verdicts, those programmes have priority which shape energy consciousness in citizens’ thoughts and manner. Our municipality guarantees conditions and frame:
▪ It is proven by the size of the local ’green assets’ and its expansion.
▪The cooperation between partner organisations (citizens, civil organisations, entrepreneurs) on the field of operating and promoting.
▪ The programmes modelling approach held regularly, where information is transmitted directly or indirectly.
▪ The system processed for continuous feedback and satisfaction measurement, ‘utilizing’ opinions on concrete development and making programmes.
We willingly learn from others and give good practise over to others in this field also. We placed as an experiment solar-celled lamps next to Rákos-stream on the territory where dogs walk. By countryside precedent we created a ‘flower-field’ parcel on Marina-bank’s grass area.
The elementary element of strategic planning is efficient monitoring, which allows to measure the efficiency of methods used for reaching overall targets. So we can carry out modifications if required. We adopt several methods for measuring the results of AngyalZÖLD+ strategy.
▪ Municipal Council is informed regularly about realization of the programme and results we achieved.
▪ Greenspace Scotland’s qualification system is applied to our green areas.
▪ Questionnaire for citizens: questionnaires by sampling, survey by phone, handouts and prospectuses on concrete places where recovery or expansion will start, and information on the webpage of the 13th district Utility Company.
▪ Submission of tenders, taking advantage of tenders.
The green politics of the municipality is changing from time to time, hereby changes the approach of local decision-makers, professionals and citizens. We are tending to meet and adapt flexibly the contemporary challenges. We learn and teach the methods and knowledge supporting emergence of sustainable development.