Before the end of 2023 the construction of the gravel lawn parking lot in Budapest 18th district in front of the Tomory Lajos Museum has come to an end. This is the second pilot project in the district, financed by the EU UPSURGE project.
The design aimed at creating parking spaces in front of Tomory Museum, in an area previously also used for parking, but covered with slag and compacted soil; the new parking lot is covered with a so-called gravelgrass surface with no or low irrigation requirements, covered with a grass seed mix that is easy to maintain. The gravel-grass cover reduces the negative effects of climate change, increases water retention, improves air quality, reduces the heat island effect of pavings and the rich grass surface rich in species increases biodiversity.
In the pilot area, an infiltration surface of 156.5 m2 (gravel-grass covered) and 53 m2 green area with low, ground-covering shrubs is constructed. The gravel-grass surface is green, flexible and infiltrates actively, with bedding created from a 30-50 cm thick crushed stone layer; it is suitable for less frequently used parking lots as an alternative to asphalt or concrete paving stone. Unlike traditional pavements (asphalt, concrete), gravel-grass allows for even infiltration of precipitation into the soil, and in addition to its favourable microclimatic effect, the appearance of a green surface is also more pleasant to the eye.
However the lawn has to grow for a few weeks and the surface to compact, the renovated parking lot is almost ready to use. What is more, the experience gained here was used to construct a similar parking lot in the 18th Budapest district, financed by another EU grant, LIFE-RUNOFF.
