An important strategic step in Vejle Municipality's efforts to keep floods away from basements and streets has just been taken with the recreational climate park Tommy Troelsens Park.
Between Vejle's vibrant city center and the green forest is a sports field. The sports field, which is just named after the city's recently deceased football champion, Tommy Troelsen, has today been transformed into a recreational and attractive climate park that fulfills three purposes: An attractive park for recreational stay and play, delay of water in extreme weather situations and a cost-effective solution by keeping the water on the surface instead of in basins underground.
Vejle is challenged by water from both the fjord, from above and from the underground, and when the sky really opens up and sends cloudbursts over the fjord town, there is a risk of water in both streets and basements in the city center.
Successful collaboration
This challenge required alternative solutions and not least cooperation between several agencies and administrations. As part of Klimaprojekt Østbyen, the old football field is a strategically important piece in the efforts to delay the water that runs down the steep slopes and hills to the city center.
The climate project today stands as proof of a necessary and very successful collaboration between the utility company Vejle Spildevand A/S on the one hand and the two municipal administrations, Technology & Environment and Culture & Health in Vejle Municipality, on the other hand - with financial support from the EU project CATCH.
The project has in the process been illustrated in the city-wide 3D city model, an approach the municipality often use when engaging different stakeholders in city development projects. The scenario is illustrated in this film (with Danish text)
Courses turn into pools
When the water flows to the city to such an extent that the rainwater pipes no longer can manage the amounts of water, it runs out into the park where it is delayed and directed in to Vejle Fjord through a new large rainwater pipe. Most days the park is fun and recreational, in extreme weather, the park serves as rainwater basins. The utility company manages the flow of water in a detailed digital water model.
When choosing the name for the park, Tommy Troelsen, Vejle Municipality chose to involve the citizens, who were invited to suggest a suitable name via email and Facebook. So now the former Olympic silver medalist in 1960 Tommy Troelsen, gives name to the park where he, in his very young days, learned the first dribbles and tackles. The name was revealed at an event with members of Tommy Troelsen’s family on June 8, 2021.
Photograph: Mads Fjeldsø Christensen, Vejle Municipality