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The Troldhedestien Trail in Kolding
How to facilitate equality by social inclusion? People with mental disorders, disabilities or special needs are challenged by social and cultural conditions that limit their opportunities to experience and fulfil themselves alone or in equal company with others.
Barriers and causal factors behind the challenges are many, and it is a complex problem field to succeed in.
In 2014, as one way of testing the Collective Impact approach, Realdania launched a collaborative partnership called 'Inclusion for All'. This intersectoral partnership, with the participation of both national civil society organisations and relevant ministries, wanted to rethink how to create social inclusion and communities of equality through programmes and projects with the built environment as the focal point. This was a new mindset, and a partnership was established with Kolding Municipality to try out the idea based on the municipality's development of access to nature not far from the city centre.
Starting up
Kolding Municipality shared the analysis that it was necessary to tackle inadequate social inclusion in new ways - and to use the development of physical meeting places as a starting point for new solutions. Solutions that at the same time called for alternative forms of co-operation - involving various administrations, the local civil society and keeping residents close to the development process. This was the starting point for rethinking the framework for outdoor pursuits along a former railway line.
A pilot project targeted the nature trail from Fynsvej in Kolding to the disused Dybvadbro Station. A popular and scenic area for Kolding citizens. At the same time, it was an area characterised by the proximity of a number of institutions for people with physical and mental disabilities and vulnerability - but without any real opportunity to use the site and be part of the area's life on an equal footing with others. Was it possible to develop the area to provide a framework for inclusive outdoor recreation for the different target groups - and, not least, local, inclusive communities?
In line with the Collective Impact approach, it was essential to understand the problem of social inclusion in the local context. Therefore, a feasibility study was jointly launched, which included a number of highly participatory user involvement processes. This enabled a comprehensive understanding of what was needed to create new, inclusive solutions and to develop an overall vision for the municipality's outdoor spaces along the former railway track.
'With this initiative, we created a bridge between the classic outdoor spaces that all municipalities have in one form or another, and the desire to integrate our social institutions and services much more into the life of the surrounding local community'.
Jakob Weber, Head of Environment and Green Transformation, City and Development Administration, Kolding Municipality
Organisation and work process
Social inclusion with nature as the physical focal point called from the outset for local, systematic and close cooperation between the municipality's professional unitsin particular cooperation between the municipality's urban and development departments, the environmental department and the social department. There was a corresponding need for the relevant political committees to discuss the problem area and the vision on an ongoing basis and to provide support in the shape of the right framework conditions for the development work.
Duration of the initiative
2014-2021
Partners
The collaboration started as a partnership between a Collective Impact group, 'Rummelighed for alle' (initiated by Realdania in 2014) and Kolding Municipality. The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities and The Danish Outdoor Council later became active and important co-financing partners in the work.
The Collective Impact group Space for All focused on rethinking and testing ideas that strengthen social inclusion, and the social relationships in and through the built environment. The work revolved around concepts that can create natural meeting places and frameworks for all of us to take responsibility for a quality of life and freedom of action.
Participating organisations in the work: the Danish Disability Organisations, KL, the Municipality of Copenhagen, the National Association LEV, Realdania, the Council for Ethnic Minorities, the Council for the Socially Vulnerable, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Interior, the Ministry of Health and the Elderly.
Objective
To encourage equality of social inclusion and the empowerment of people with mental illness, disabilities or special needs.
Birgitte Kragh (V), Chair
'People don't see the municipality as this or that department. So for me, from the very beginning, the Troldhedestien venture has been about working cross-sectorally. We often say to our administrations 'now you have to remember to work cross-sectorally'. In this project we have demonstrated that we can do the same thing politically’.
of the Social and Health Committee, Kolding Municipality
'So one department gets an idea - this one actually started with us - and we then put the project management somewhere else in another department, which then works completely seamlessly across three departments. I think that's a kind of showcase for the mindset we have got here - and also for the ability politicians to work together across the board. We were able to work together before, but this initiative has helped bring us closer together'.
Jakob Weber, Head of Environment and Green Transformation, City and Development Administration, Kolding Municipality
An interdisciplinary steering group was set up chaired by Kolding Municipality and with representation from Realdania. Later, the Local Development Fund also joined, and the Outdoor Council contributed key professional and financial resources.
As a central organisational measure, the municipality also quickly allocated resources for a permanent secretariat
Access
The collaboration focuses on creating and encouraging conditions for people with different backgrounds and circumstances, so that they can experience our natural surroundings. Meeting others outdoors creates new communities, while enhancing inclusion, social relations and self-esteem.
Examples of activities
• The establishment of shelters that can be accessed by anyone, with or without special needs.
• The rapid establishment of a cross-cutting 'backbone' function, a cross-disciplinary function to maintain the vision and link user requirements to the municipal management level.
• The Nature Guide concept: Nature Guide is a learning programme whereby young people and adults with special needs are trained to be nature guides. They learn to communicate nature and the outdoor life within the local natural landscape that the Troldhedestien provides.
• The 'Forest Group' from the municipal facility Nordhøj: Groups of people with reduced functional capacities are employed to maintain the facilities at Dybvadbro, and offer nature guidance to kindergartens in Kolding Municipality.
